Physical changes in adolescence

In the summer holidays Venkatesh visits his grandparents. His 12-year-old cousin Devyani runs to greet him. You have become so tall, Devyani! Your voice has changed too! And you have a thin moustache now, Venkatesh!

In Activity 6.1 everyone writes, on a slip without names, the changes they notice in students between Grades 5 and 8. Put the slips in a jar, mix them, and read them out together.

Height. We grow from birth, but in adolescence height shoots up. A friend who came up to your shoulder last year may suddenly be taller than you.

Body shape and strength. Boys gain weight, and their shoulders and chest often get broader. Girls also change in height and weight, and their breasts develop.

Voice. The voice box in the throat grows. In boys the voice may sound hoarse or crack for a while before it settles deeper. The growing voice box can show as a bump in the throat, the Adam's apple, but it is not noticeable in everyone. Girls' voice boxes grow too, a little less, so their voices change only slightly.

Skin. The skin makes more oil, which can block the tiny pores and cause acne: small red pimples, mostly on the face. Acne is the condition; pimples are what you see. Washing your face in the morning, at night and after games helps.

Hair. Everyone grows hair in the armpits and the pubic region (between the legs). Boys often grow facial hair that becomes a moustache and beard; some grow chest and back hair; a few hardly any.

The key point: when these changes happen, how and how much is different for every person, and all of it is normal. There is no 'right' speed to grow up.