Chapter
5
PHYSICAL
GROWTH
The Chapter
at a Glance
Physical growth during infancy and childhood.
Physical growth during adolescence.
Educational implications of physical
development.
Meredith defines physical growth in the following
terms: “The entire series of anatomic and physiologic changes taking place
between the beginning of pre-natal life and the close of senility.” Knowledge of
physical growth of children is very interesting as well as helpful. People
usually make an estimate regarding the age of the child from his size. They
treat the child accordingly and expect him to behave in a manner appropriate to
his physical growth level.
The basic growth of the child is largely
determined by certain hereditary factors characteristic of his family and the
race. Certain environmental factors also effect alterations in the growth tend.
Examples of these environmental factors are the healthy or unhealthy
surroundings in which the child happens to spend his life, nutritional
conditions, climatic factors and even the environmentally induced endocrine
imbalance, if any, etc.
“Purpose
of the Studies”
Scientific studies of physical growth are
generally conducted to serve the following purposes:-
(1)
To determine the average of various
measurements of size and body proportion in children at various stages of their
development.
(2)
To gain an insight into the relative influence
of the various factors which determine the course of physical growth?
(3)
To evaluate and predict the trends of growth in
individual children.
“Physical
Growth during Infancy and Childhood”
In the following pages the characteristic
features of the stages of physical growth, from infancy to childhood, have been
very briefly presented.
(1) “Striking and Rapid Growth During Infancy”
This period covers the entire per-school age,
from birth to about 5 or 6 years. Embryo and fetus grow at an extremely rapid pace
both in size and structure. By the time the human infant is born, the rate of
growth shows an enormous decrease as compared with that of the fetus. Despite
this relative slowing down of the growth rate the most rapid physical changes
and the most striking growth of the whole post-natal life takes place during
the first year. This period of infancy is uniquely significant on account of its
great rapidity of physical growth.
(2) “Growth in Weight”
At birth the average baby weighs about 7
pounds. In length he is about 20 inches. By the end of the first year the
weight triples and length increases by about 40%. During the next two or three years
the growth rate slows down considerably and then becomes steady.
Weight is generally considered to be a
sensitive indication of nutrition.
Infants from poorer home weigh less and are shorter in stature as
compared with those from homes with better economic status. Sex differences
also manifest a variation in growth rate right from this period. Male infants
are usually larger than female infants of the same age.
(3) “Physical Growth during Childhood”
This period starts with the school going age,
round about 5 or 6 years. It ends with the beginning of adolescence which is about
12 years in girls and 14 years in boys.
Height and weight progress at a fairly uniform
rate during childhood. The weight, however, gains at nearly twice the rate of
the gain in height. Motor development including posture, locomotion,
coordination, motor skills, etc., which starts during infancy goes on unchecked
during early childhood.
(4) “Provision of Diversified Activities Needed”
A child at this stage is full of energy and
action. The school authorities, therefore, should take care that the early
education of the child takes cognizance of this significant physical
factor. Consequently, primary education
should be predominantly informal. It should make ample provision for
interesting and diversified activities. Most of children grow according to the average
pattern of development characteristic of their age level. Some children,
however, differ markedly from the average in many respects. Some of them go
through the whole developmental process more rapidly, others more slowly, than
the average growth rate typical of their age. Some children show striking
individual peculiarities in the trend and speed of growth at various levels of
development. They may thus be advanced at one stage of their development and
retarded at another. Throughout these developmental variations, however, every
child keeps on undergoing almost ceaseless growth in various part of its body.
(5) “Sex and Physical Growth”
During the first 10 years the boys are slightly
superior to girls in most aspects of physical growth. The tempo of physical
development, however, is faster on the whole in girls than in boys.
On the average, the period of rapid growth
following the onset of puberty, start two years earlier in girls than boys. The
significant year in which most rapid growth usually occurs is the 12th
in the case of girls (about one year before the menarche or the first
menstruation) and the 14th or 15th for boys. Between the
age of 11 and 15 years the girls usually excel the boys in weight and height.
Growth in girls, however, stops abruptly after the menarche. The average girl
reaches her mature stature by 16.5 years. The average boy, on the contrary,
continues to grow until he is almost 19.
The body proportions of young boys and girls
are very similar in general. With the
pre-puberty growth spurt the proportions changes characterizing the child’s
sex. Boys’ skeletal frames become broad at the shoulders. Their general growth
is characterized by heavy muscles and greater strength. In girls the pelvis
widens and the hip broadens. Pads of thicker fat in certain areas of the body
result in the typical softness of the female figure.
These developmental proportions are typical for
the two sexes. Nevertheless, there are a great many children whose course of
growth does not fit in with the average pattern of physical development
described above.
(6) “Types of Physical Growth”
Many attempts have so far been made to classify
individual children into physical types. The most commonly recognized racial
and familial traits usually forming the basis of such classifications are:
variations in skin color, form and color of hair, shape of head, ear and nose, color
and shape of eyes, general structure, span and weight. It may be pointed out
that these variations are more or less permanent. They persist in the
individual from family to family and from generation to generation. In changed
environments these physical traits may undergo some modifications but their
general nature remains fundamentally unchanged on the whole.
One classification of physical types is
presented by Scammon. His four types of children based on their physical growth
are as follows:-
(i)
The Lympoid: This
is a physical type in which the rate of growth of the child increases rapidly
until 11 or 12 years and then decreases almost as rapidly to the adult level.
(ii)
The Neural: It is
the type of rapid early growth at 3 or 4 years, gradually slowing down and
reaching almost adult level by 12 or 14 years.
(iii)
The General Type: It is characterized by a rapid rise in growth
in early infancy followed by another rise around puberty.
(iv)
The Genital Type: It is marked by a slow growth in the early years
which becomes very rapid at puberty.
(7) “Kretschmer’s Physical Typology”
Another interesting classification based on
physical peculiarities, is presented by Kretschmer*. His physical types are
also four in number. Their salient features are:
(i)
Pyknic Type: This is characterized by round trunk and
short extremities.
(ii)
Asthenic Type: Small trunk and long extremities are the
distinctive features of this type.
(iii)
Athletic Type: This type shows a moderately proportioned
development of the body.
(iv)
Dysplastic: This is a mixed type of physical growth.
A thorough knowledge of physical typologies
might not be very helpful for a teacher in his actual school work though it
proves very insightful for the school medical officer. Some general information
regarding the salient characteristics of physical growth among children,
however, is almost indispensable for any successful teacher because obviously a
proper guidance in the field of physical health is as essential for a child as
any other help and guidance.
“Physical
Growth during Adolescence”
Adolescence is a most significant phase of
development. The striking physical features peculiar to this developmental
stage are: marked bodily changes completing the differentiation of the sexes
and the maturing of the reproductive organs which become at this stage
functionally capable of procreation. The emotional consequences of this drastic
physical development include not only the intensification of the desire to mate
but also the intensification of the need to think and behave independently.
From the age point of view adolescence is the
“teenage”. It is the period of life between puberty and maturity. It often
ranges between 14 and 25 years for boys and 12 and 21 years for girls. In the
case of boys, the phase of maximum growth is attained at the average age of about
14 years 8 months and at about 12 years 5 months in the case of girls.
Geographic, climatic and even cultural factors,
however, might also become responsible for effecting considerable variations in
the age levels at which various individual reach various degrees of physical
maturity in various parts of the world.
“Characteristic
Bodily Change”
The adolescent individual undergoes many
striking changes in the growth of his body. These changes result in a rapid
gain in height and weight which make the adolescent lose the chubbiness of
childhood. Other characteristic bodily changes are variations in the body form
and in the dimensions of various organs, increased glandular activity and
appearance of bodily manifestations of sex.
Acceleration in physical growth is accompanied
by differential rates of growth for different parts of the body. In early
adolescence the arms and legs become relatively longer. Hands and feet grow
comparatively bigger. This disproportionate development in the enlarging
framework of the body adds an extra note of awkwardness to the gangling youth.
In later adolescence, however, the trunk also
grows which gives the body its adult proportions. The growth of trunk, arms and
legs is accompanied by an increase in general strength. Boy’s shoulders begin
to widen. Girls’ hips increase in width. The heart enlarges characteristically
before an equivalent growth takes place in the arteries. This results in
impelling the heart to grater exertion. The adolescent may, thus, experience a
temporary strain due to the unevenness of the growth rate of various individual
internal organs.
“Development
of Sex characteristic”
Development of the sex characteristics is
another phenomenon peculiar to adolescent growth. This development depends
mostly upon stimulation from endocrine secretions. In boys testicles and penis
show increased growth. There might be a slight swelling in their breast as
well. Appearance of the pubic hair is followed by the growth of the axillary
and facial hair. Changes in the voice usually occur after the appearance of the
pubic hair. An active spermatozoa, which may be found in the morning urine,
begins to discharge. The presence of spermatozoa in the semen indicates that
the boy is sexually mature.
As the female sex origins are mostly in the
interior of the body their rapid growth at puberty is not as obvious as in the
case of boys. The growth of the girls’ reproductive organs results in the enlargement
of the abdominal cavity. This becomes a source of temporary embarrassment and
immense worry to the developing girl. The budding of the breast, the appearance
of the pubic hair and menarche, all dependent upon endocrine secretion, are the
girls’ marks of sexual maturity.
All of the above mentioned dramatic alterations
in the bodies of girls and boys are most likely to be accompanied by heightened
sensitivity, extreme shyness or exuberance, a succession of unstable moods,
newly awakened attitudes towards self, life, society, etc. There might be
slight individual variations in the maturing of the sex functions from country
to country and from culture to culture. The general pattern of development,
however, is uniform on the whole for everyone everywhere.
“Consequences
of Physical Growth”
Adolescents are naturally extremely interested
in the various processes and stages of their physical growth. They seem to be
perpetually in the grips of a quickly altering succession of moods of satisfaction, dissatisfaction,
surprise, worry, anxiety etc. with regard to the changes taking place in their
physique. An adolescent girl may, for instance, become so self-conscious in
regard to her breast development that she might try to conceal it by hunching
or holding her shoulders forward. On menstruations she might be horror struck
at the sight of “blood” coming out of an extremely sensitive part of her body.
Similarly, an adolescent boy might develop abnormal anxiety and guilt feelings
over nocturnal emissions and thereby be afflicted with insomnia.
On the other hand, the growing physical
vitality brings an increased sense of strength and self confidence. Both the
sexes feel naturally impelled to “show off” their increasing growth, grace and
skill. This feeling often provides motivation which automatically leads to
participation in physical activities, sports, games, gymnastics, hiking,
dancing, etc. participation in physical activities in turn leads to development
of good posture and body balance.
“Desires
of the adolescents”
Most adolescent boys feel an intense desire to
excel athletically. Girls yearn to look pretty, attractive, captivating and
socially adequate. If healthy outlets are available, this desire motivates the
adolescents towards desirable and legitimate channels. On the contrary, if the
means to assert themselves, exert their energies and exercise their skills are
absent, meager or unsatisfying the adolescent’s vigor and energies are liable
to take directions which might prove dangerous and even fatal for the
individual, his family and the community.
“Danger
of Sexual Perversions”
Lack of proper knowledge and guidance regarding
sexual development and maturing of sexual urges might also become responsible
for dragging an adolescent to a number of undesirable sex attitudes and habits
which prove troublesome throughout later adult life. Some such unhealthy sexual
habits and unwholesome attitudes which an unguided youth is most liable to
develop at this stage of development are excessive masturbation, homosexuality,
lesbianism, masochism, sadism, fetishism, bestiality and a verity of other
sexual perversions.
“Home
and School and the Adolescent”
A teacher or a parent must, therefore, be
sensitive to the needs of developing adolescents. They must provide abundant
opportunities for the training and exhibition of athletic performances or other
healthy but physical activities appropriate to both sexes separately. There is
no such thing as healthy and judicious intermingling of the two sexes, this
must be avoided. Our Deen-e-Islam provides ample and most appropriate guidance
in this regard. Please remember that an unrestricted and purposeless
intermingling of young boys and girls outside the limits laid down by Islam are
replete with obvious physical dangers and serious social and moral consequences
for the entire life. Islam has provided the most effective and the most
rational solution of this problem.
The sturdy adolescent youth is no longer just a
kid. The nice little girl has developed into a sweet, young creature. Parents
and teachers, must, therefore approach them with changed attitudes at home and
school. They must accept the “loss” of the little boys and girls and welcome
their entirely changed and grown up sons and daughters. They are the most important
members of our community now. They are our future and the future of the
‘Millat’ in all respects. They must be looked after properly.
“Educational
Implications of Physical Development”
At the end of a discussion on the various
stages of children’s physical growth it is pertinent to invite the attention of
parents and teachers to certain significant educational implications of such of
study.
(1) “Importance of Physical Culture”
It should, by now, be obvious that the physical
health of the child is indispensable for his success and efficiency in all
field of life. This aspect of development should, therefore, be paid the
attention it deserves by all those dealing with education and welfare of the
child.
The school must have a regular program of
health education. It must provide ample and adequate facilities for liberal
participation in sports, games and physical exercises appropriate to the level
of growth of children studying in various classes. Practical information
concerning physical culture, cleanliness, personal hygiene, food values, etc,
must be imparted to children in an interesting manner. Brief, interesting and
easily understandable talks, videos and films introducing them to various
developmental stages is bound to help them in forming a correct picture in
their own minds regarding their own changing selves and roles in life. This may
also serve as a safeguard against the possibility of their developing
irrational worries regarding abrupt development taking place in their bodies. The
teacher can only accomplish this task properly if he possesses a sound
knowledge of the physical development of children.
(2) “Need for Differential Treatment”
The infant, the child and the adolescent look
differently in psychical appearance. With the increased rate of physical change
consequent upon transition from one phase of development to another, their
behavior and attitudes are also bound to change. The school teacher must,
therefore, realize that varying treatment, suitable to the physical growth
level of the class, is needed in various classes of children under his care. The infant is very tender physically. He needs
as much affection and tender treatment in the class room as possible. The
developing child must not be rashly stuffed with bookish learning. His
educational program should include a combination of varied activities in and
out of the class room. The adolescent needs extremely sympathetic understanding
and friendliness. He is clumsy, awkward, aggressive, and often violent.
Intelligent guidance of his maturing physical energies can direct his vigor and
enthusiasm to healthy and useful channels. In short, a differential treatment
adequate to the developmental stage of the child is needed from the hands of
the teacher. A rigid and uniform treatment for all levels of child growth is
obviously bound to be ineffective as well as disastrous.
(3) “Psychological Aspects of physical Health”
An all round and healthy development of the
child is exceedingly dependent upon a healthy physical growth. A child who
enjoys a feeling that he is a physically fit person is bound to be favorably
affected by this internal picturing of himself. He is most likely to develop
confidence and a will to improve further. He lives gracefully and enjoys life.
Conversely, a child suffering from a feeling that there is something wrong
somewhere in his body has less chance to approach life confidently and to make
any substantial achievement. This internal picturing of one’s personal health
is largely responsible for the development of a number of socio-cultural
habits, attitudes, views etc, among children and adults.
A teacher must, therefore endeavor to promote a
sense of well-being in the child by actually interesting him in physical
cultural and social programs of the school. He must also promote the
development of positive and healthy feelings amongst the children regarding the
present state of their physical health. A strongly optimistic approach by the
child towards his physical well being is bound to have a desirable effect on
his general health as well as on social, cultural, emotional and intellectual
growth.
(4) “Duty of Teachers and Parents”
Looking after the physical health of the
children at the school level is the primary function of the school doctor,
physical health instructor and the gymnastic and sport master. It is,
therefore, they who in particular should have a thorough knowledge of the
entire process of physical development of children. But this does not mean that
the subject teacher, the school administrator and the parents don’t owe
anything to the child in this direction. For reasons referred to in the
foregoing pages every teacher, every parent and in fact every adult intersected
in the welfare of children must be equipped with an adequate and working
knowledge of their physical growth.
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