| Characteristics |
Implications for Volunteers |
| Physical |
| Spirited, with
boundless energy. |
Provide active
learning experiences. |
| Girls will be
maturing faster than boys; some may be entering puberty. |
Avoid
competitions between girls and boys. |
| Large and
small muscle development, strength, balance, and coordination are increasing. |
Plan
activities that allow youth to move about and use their bodies. |
| Social |
| Enjoy group
activities and cooperation. Feel loyal to group or club. |
Emphasize
group learning experiences and form groups to plan activities together. |
| Prefer to be
with members of the same sex. |
Plan learning
experiences to be done with members of the same sex. |
| Admire and
imitate older boys and girls. |
Encourage
experiences with and mentoring by older youth. |
| Need guidance
from adults to stay on task and to perform at their best. |
Work closely
with this age group and enlist older youth to help you with this task. |
| Intellectual |
| Interests
often change rapidly and do best when work presented in small pieces. |
Allow for many
brief learning experiences and give simple, short directions. |
| Vary greatly
in academic abilities, interests, and reasoning skills. |
Offer
activities appropriate for a wide range of abilities so that all children have a chance to
succeed. |
| Easily
motivated and eager to try new things. |
Provide a
variety of different activities. |
| Emotional |
| Comparisons
with other youth is difficult and erodes self-confidence. Prefer recognition and praise
for doing good work. |
Instead of
comparing youth with each other, help youth identify their own successes by comparing
present and past performances for the individual. |
