The School Environment

Children in their middle childhood develop rapidly, both physically, cognitively, and socially, as well in terms of their personalities. Individual child’s characteristics, their family, and the broader social forces have a significant influence on their school experience and success. Individual characteristics of the child, such as their personality, can influence how the child is motivated to associate with other children in their school and class. Temperament determines how well they can adapt to the school environment and emotionally connect with other students and teachers. Learning style as an individual character can also influence a child’s school success and experience by influencing how well they understand learning materials and adapt to the teaching methods employed at school.

Family and broader social forces such as culture and socioeconomic status further influence a child’s school experiences and success. For instance, the perception of family security determines the child’s attachment patterns, which determines the quality of friendships with peers (Miljkovitch et al., 2021). Their socioeconomic status and culture are also factors of self-concept that can further influence how they relate to other children at school. Self-concept is a mediating factor for bullying and psychological distress (Norrington, 2021). Peer victimization and poor attachment patterns may lead to negative experiences at school.

Subsequently, educators have the responsibility of creating a “caring community” for every child at school. Some suggestions for creating such a caring community at school include adopting teaching styles that help nurture positive relationships in learning and co-curricular activities. Other ideas may include teaching the children the uniqueness of diversity and the need to appreciate each other’s differences and involving the community in helping the children develop positive views towards people from different social and demographic backgrounds, such as race, socioeconomic status, and family types. Conclusively, the child’s success and experiences at school will be determined by how well they can adapt to the school environment regarding their individual characteristics, culture, and family factors.

 References

Miljkovitch, R., Mallet, P., Moss, E., Sirparanta, A., Pascuzzo, K., & Zdebik, M. A. (2021). Adolescents’ Attachment to Parents and Peers: Links to Young Adulthood Friendship Quality. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-01962-y

Norrington, J. (2021). Adolescent Peer Victimization, Self-concept, and Psychological Distress in Emerging Adulthood. Youth and Society, 53(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/

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What do you remember most about your school days? Maybe you recall images of hanging out with friends at recess or lunch. Do you recall a favorite teacher? Was there a story or poem you read in English class that touched you? Perhaps you played on a winning basketball team and bonded with your teammates and coach?

The School Environment

Some people may look back fondly on time spent in primary school and wish life were still that simple. For others, school may have been a varied experience with both positive and difficult memories. And for some, the memory of school is painful.

Think back to your own foundational school experiences as you prepare for this Discussion. Reflect on your own successes and challenges as you begin to envision a school environment where all students feel competent and comfortable.

For this Discussion, you will study what affects children’s school success. Additionally, you will examine how personal characteristics, family, and broader social forces inform children’s experiences in school.

To prepare:

Review Chapters 11, 12, and 13 in your course text and the Week 4 required articles.
Consider the many factors that inform a child’s experiences in school.
Think about how the child’s individual temperament (including their vulnerabilities and resilience), the role of parents and teachers, and the larger community inform the child’s school experience.
Consider the components of a “caring community” and how to create such an environment for every child at school.
BY DAY 3
With these thoughts in mind, post an analysis of the factors that affect children’s school success. Explain the influence of the individual child’s characteristics (i.e., including personality development, temperament, and learning style), family, and broader social forces (e.g., culture and socioeconomic status) on the child’s school experience. Conclude your post by offering your ideas as to how to create a “caring community” for every child at school.

Resources
Course Textbook

Feldman, R. S. (2022). Child development (9th ed.). Pearson.

Chapter 11, “Physical Development in Middle Childhood”
In this chapter, you will learn about physical development during middle childhood. Topics on body growth, brain maturation, and the importance of physical activity will be highlighted. Special topics related to health and well-being will also be covered (e.g., nutrition and sports participation), as well as speech problems, attention-deficit (ADHD), and hyperactivity.

Chapter 12, “Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood”
In this chapter, you will learn about cognitive development during middle childhood. Topics include Piaget’s stage of concrete operations, intelligence testing, and the child in school. Special consideration will be given to cultural differences and children with learning challenges. Traditional school vs. schooling alternatives and the ways in which intelligence can be measured will also be discussed.

Chapter 13, “Social and Personality Development in Middle Childhood”
In this chapter, you will learn about social/emotional development during middle childhood and explore topics including the ongoing development of self-concept and gender identity. Peer relationships are covered including the topics of sociometric status, bullying, and environmental impact. The child in the family will be discussed related to parents promoting self-regulation and the impact of disharmony and divorce.
Articles

Norrington, J. (2021). Adolescent peer victimization, self-concept, and psychological distress in emerging adulthoodLinks to an external site.. Youth and Society, 53(2), 273–295. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X20910938

Miljkovitch, R., Mallet, P., Moss, E., Sirparanta, A., Pascuzzo, K., & Zdebik, M. A. (2021). Adolescents’ attachment to parents and peers: Links to young adulthood friendship qualityLinks to an external site.. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(5), 1441–1452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-01962-y
The article reports on a longitudinal study demonstrating the relationship between attachment styles and friendship interactions.