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Original URL: http://life.familyeducation.com/eighth-grade/child-development/29772.html
How They Grow in Eighth Grade
Growth Patterns
How does your 13-year-old grow? With one-word answers and rude behavior? Or are collections of music, jewelry, and make-up taking over her room? Click below to find out about:
- Kids this age have high physical energy.
- Skin problems are emerging; hygiene is a key issue.
- Girls: Reach 95 percent of mature height; menstruation has begun for most.
- Boys: Voice change for many; growth spurt about a year behind girls.
- Neatness is a key issue with personal appearance, but not with personal environment.
- The mirror is their best friend and worst enemy.
- Kids this age are often quieter than 12- or 14-year-olds.
- They like to be left alone at home.
- Their feelings are easily hurt and they can easily hurt other's feelings.
- Kids this age are often mean when they're scared.
- Close friendships are often more important to girls.
- Boys hang out in groups.
- Girls are more interested in older boys.
- Both genders have a strong interest in sports.
- Telephone, computer, video games, and other electronic diversions are a major time factor.
- Music is becoming a major preoccupation.
- Peer pressure increases regarding dress, language, music, in-out, being cool.
- Kids this age worry about school work.
- Their humor is highlighted by increasing sarcasm.
- Horseplay and practical jokes are still popular with boys.
- Girls enjoy collecting things (jewelry, make-up, tapes).
- Kids this age give one word answers to questions.
- Street language/peer language is important.
- Their language can be extreme and voices can be loud.
- Kids this age are often rude.
- An eighth-grader's withdrawn and sensitive nature protects her developing self-concept and intellectual ideas that are not yet fully formed.
- Abstract reasoning and "formal operations" begin to come into play in some 13-year-olds.
- Kids this age take a tentative approach to difficult intellectual tasks; they're not willing to take big learning risks.
- They like to challenge intellectual, as well as social, authority.
From Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4-14 by Chip Wood, © 1997 by Northeast Foundation for Children (800) 360-6332. All rights reserved as permitted under the US copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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