Anatomy & Physiology
of Growth & Maturation in Children
Children's Fitness
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Aim
To provide you with an understanding of the anatomy and physiology of growth and maturation in children and of the underlying theoretical issues for consideration in the design of group activity programmes for children (4-12 years).
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Learning Outcomes
At the end of this topic, you will be able to:​
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Discuss the stages of growth and maturation through which an individual passes while developing from childhood through to pre-adolescence.
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Describe the anatomical and physiological differences between girls and boys in relation to stages of growth and maturation as outlined in L.O. 1 above
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Describe the anatomical and physiological differences between children and adults in relation to the cardio-respiratory system, metabolic pathways, thermoregulatory capacity, fitness testing, intensity monitoring and strength training.
Aim & Learning Outcomes
Lesson 2 : Somatic differences: The somatic differences between boys and girls, Q angles and it’s consequences, Sever’s disease and the Osgood Schlatters syndrome
Lesson 3: Bone Growth: The composition of bone, bone growth and formation during childhood, bone damage and skeletal maturity
Lesson 4: Cardio Respiratory Changes: Review of the respiratory system, difference between children and adults, the energy systems.
Lesson 7: Muscle differences and motor development: Distribution of fibres in infants and children, the nervous system, motor nerves and motor development stages during childhood
Lesson 8: Body fat: Differences between boys and girls at various childhood stages, positive steps for maintaining healthy body fat levels
Lesson 6: Resistance Training: The importance of strength training, challenges in resistance training and tips for solving those challenges
Lesson 5: Heat Regulation: The factors that effect a child’s thermo-regulatory capacity and considerations to be taken into account during children's activities
Lesson 9: Implications for programming: Main considerations for programming for children and activity design
Lesson 1: Stages of growth and maturation: The factors that effect growth and the differences between boys and girls during growth and maturation
Resources
A full set of course notes for this topic is available in the Resources Tab at the top right of the lesson player from the links above