11 year-olds*

Physical ►

• restless and very energetic
• needs lots of food, physical activity, and sleep
• experiences more colds, flu, ear infections, etc.
• many girls experience an early adolescent growth spurt and sexual maturation; some boys begin rapidly growing taller
• may complain of headaches (as a result, will read only for short periods of time)

Social- Emotional ►

• moody, self-absorbed, and sensitive
• likes to challenge rules, argue, and test limits; may be cruel; sometimes physically aggressive
• worries more about who's "in" and who's "out" than when they were younger
• needs lots of time to talk with peers; heavy users of the phone, cell phone, instant messaging and email
• impulsive - often talk before thinking
• often behaves best when away from home
• has trouble making decisions
• needs adult empathy, humor, and sensitivity to help them cope with their rapidly changing minds and bodies
• loves the challenge of competition
• "saving face" is important

Language ►

• enjoys arguing and debating
• appreciates humor
• imitates adult language

Cognitive ►

• would rather learn new skills than review or improve previous work
• becoming more adept at abstract thinking - for example, they can understand ideas such as "justice"
• with improving reasoning skill, they can establish and modify rules and develop hypotheses
• increasingly able to see the world from various perspectives
• needs help with time-management and homework skills

*Yardsticks, by Chip Wood, 3rd Edition