Making 4-H Appropriate Making 4-H Appropriate for All Agesfor All Ages

Module 7Module 7Volunteer Development: Making the Best Better Volunteer Development: Making the Best Better

SeriesSeries

Start Where Members Start Where Members AreAre

Encourage physical, social, Encourage physical, social, intellectual and emotional intellectual and emotional growth.growth.

Every child is uniqueEvery child is unique

Test Your KnowledgeTest Your KnowledgeQuestion 1Question 1

Jody, a volunteer with 6-7 year-olds , Jody, a volunteer with 6-7 year-olds , is frustrated because the kids never is frustrated because the kids never finish anything they start. They just finish anything they start. They just work on something for a while, then work on something for a while, then lose interest and move onto lose interest and move onto something else. Is she doing something else. Is she doing something wrong?something wrong?– Yes?Yes?– No?No?

NoNo

Jody is probably not doing anything wrong. It Jody is probably not doing anything wrong. It is common for 5- to 8-year-olds to be more is common for 5- to 8-year-olds to be more interested in the process of doing things interested in the process of doing things rather than an end product. Additionally, rather than an end product. Additionally, kids in this age group have short attention kids in this age group have short attention spans and do not stay interested in one spans and do not stay interested in one activity for long periods of time. Therefore, activity for long periods of time. Therefore, they often move quickly from one task to they often move quickly from one task to the next. It would be beneficial for Jody to the next. It would be beneficial for Jody to provide the kids a variety of activities that provide the kids a variety of activities that do not take long to complete.do not take long to complete.

Which of the following kids is Which of the following kids is most likely concerned with most likely concerned with appearance, wants desperately to appearance, wants desperately to be liked by peers, and spends a be liked by peers, and spends a lot of time grooming? lot of time grooming? – Jesse, age 7Jesse, age 7 – Jeff, age 13Jeff, age 13 – Jamie, age 17 Jamie, age 17

Test Your KnowledgeTest Your KnowledgeQuestion 2Question 2

Jeff, age 13Jeff, age 13

It is common for early teens (age 12-It is common for early teens (age 12-14) to become concerned with 14) to become concerned with personal appearance and impressing personal appearance and impressing their peers. They often feel like their peers. They often feel like everybody is watching them, and they everybody is watching them, and they engage in grooming behaviors that engage in grooming behaviors that may seem excessive to adults. Be may seem excessive to adults. Be patient and extra careful not to patient and extra careful not to criticize during this "sensitive" period; criticize during this "sensitive" period; luckily, this time of heightened luckily, this time of heightened awareness of appearances and peer awareness of appearances and peer opinions will eventually passopinions will eventually pass..

Test Your KnowledgeTest Your KnowledgeQuestion 3Question 3

Teenagers tend to be self-Teenagers tend to be self-centered and unconcerned centered and unconcerned about the well-being of others. about the well-being of others.

True or False?True or False?

NoNo

It is typical for teens to develop It is typical for teens to develop community consciousness and a community consciousness and a growing concern for the well-growing concern for the well-being of others. You can help being of others. You can help further teens’ caring concern by further teens’ caring concern by encouraging projects and encouraging projects and activities that provide a service activities that provide a service to others. to others.

Test Your KnowledgeTest Your KnowledgeQuestion 4Question 4

Ben, a volunteer, has noticed Ben, a volunteer, has noticed that 10-year-old Angie seems to that 10-year-old Angie seems to be more physically mature than be more physically mature than her 11-year-old brother, Robbie. her 11-year-old brother, Robbie. Is this something Ben should be Is this something Ben should be concerned about? concerned about?

Yes or No?Yes or No?

NoNo

The differences in Angie and Robbie's The differences in Angie and Robbie's physical development are probably physical development are probably nothing to be concerned about. It is nothing to be concerned about. It is common for girls to mature earlier common for girls to mature earlier than boys and they often surpass than boys and they often surpass boys in middle childhood. Keeping boys in middle childhood. Keeping this in mind, avoid competitions this in mind, avoid competitions between boys and girls during the between boys and girls during the middle school years (ages 9-12). middle school years (ages 9-12).

How Did You Do?How Did You Do?

Expert Expert NoviceNovice

Development StagesDevelopment Stages

Early Childhood Early Childhood Ages 5 - 8Ages 5 - 8 Middle ChildhoodMiddle Childhood Ages 9 – 11Ages 9 – 11 Young TeensYoung Teens Ages 12 – 14Ages 12 – 14 TeensTeens Ages 15 - 18Ages 15 - 18

CharacteristicsCharacteristics

PhysicalPhysical SocialSocial IntellectualIntellectual EmotionalEmotional

Early ChildhoodEarly Childhood

PhysicalPhysical– Learn best if physically activeLearn best if physically active– Period of slow, steady growthPeriod of slow, steady growth

SocialSocial– Learn how to be friendsLearn how to be friends– Begin to experience empathy for Begin to experience empathy for

othersothers

Early ChildhoodEarly Childhood (cont)(cont)

IntellectualIntellectual– Easily motivated and eager to try Easily motivated and eager to try

something newsomething new– More interested in doing activitiesMore interested in doing activities

EmotionalEmotional– Sensitive to criticismSensitive to criticism– Less dependent upon parents.Less dependent upon parents.

Middle ChildhoodMiddle Childhood

PhysicalPhysical– Spirited, with boundless energySpirited, with boundless energy– Girls will be maturing faster than boysGirls will be maturing faster than boys

SocialSocial– Enjoy group activities and cooperationEnjoy group activities and cooperation– Need guidance from adults to stay on Need guidance from adults to stay on

tasktask

Middle ChildhoodMiddle Childhood (cont)(cont)

IntellectualIntellectual– Interests often change rapidlyInterests often change rapidly– Easily motivated and eager to try Easily motivated and eager to try

new thingsnew things EmotionalEmotional

– Comparison with other youth is Comparison with other youth is difficultdifficult

Young TeensYoung Teens

PhysicalPhysical– Experience rapid changers in physical Experience rapid changers in physical

appearanceappearance– Interested in sports and active gamesInterested in sports and active games

SocialSocial– Moving away from dependency on Moving away from dependency on

parentsparents– Becoming interested in activities that Becoming interested in activities that

involve boys and girlsinvolve boys and girls

Young TeensYoung Teens (cont)(cont)

IntellectualIntellectual– Beginning to think more abstractly Beginning to think more abstractly

and hypotheticallyand hypothetically– Can take responsibility for planning Can take responsibility for planning

and evaluation of their own workand evaluation of their own work EmotionalEmotional

– Can be painfully self-consciousCan be painfully self-conscious– Desire independenceDesire independence

TeensTeens

PhysicalPhysical– Most have overcome the Most have overcome the

awkwardness of pubertyawkwardness of puberty SocialSocial

– Strong desire for status in their peer Strong desire for status in their peer group.group.

– Often want adult leadership rolesOften want adult leadership roles

TeensTeens (cont)(cont)

IntellectualIntellectual– Developing community consciousnessDeveloping community consciousness– Reaching high levels of abstract Reaching high levels of abstract

thinking and problem solvingthinking and problem solving EmotionalEmotional

– Feelings of inferiority and inadequacy Feelings of inferiority and inadequacy are commonare common

– Gaining independence and developing Gaining independence and developing firm individual identityfirm individual identity

ReviewReview

General characteristics – each General characteristics – each person is uniqueperson is unique

Guide for how to think about the Guide for how to think about the club program and the wide age club program and the wide age rangerange

Guide for specific suggestions for Guide for specific suggestions for the volunteerthe volunteer

GuidelinesGuidelines

Five basic guidelines for Five basic guidelines for developmentally appropriate practices:developmentally appropriate practices:– Create a caring communityCreate a caring community– Work to enhance development and Work to enhance development and

learninglearning– Select appropriate Select appropriate

materials/projects/activitiesmaterials/projects/activities– Be mindful of youth’s learning and Be mindful of youth’s learning and

developmentdevelopment– Establish mutually beneficial relationships Establish mutually beneficial relationships

with familieswith families

Questions?Questions?

ReferencesReferences

Early Years are Learning Years, Early Years are Learning Years, www.naeyc.org/resources/eyly/1998/www.naeyc.org/resources/eyly/1998/05.htm05.htm

Volunteers…the foundation of youth Volunteers…the foundation of youth development, Missouri, Kansas and development, Missouri, Kansas and North Dakota 4-H Youth Development North Dakota 4-H Youth Development Programs, Fund for Rural America-Programs, Fund for Rural America-Rural Information Infrastructure Rural Information Infrastructure Program, 1998Program, 1998