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39 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP KIDS humansurvival. But what does it mean in the age of iPhones and Xboxes? Unfortunately, the research is a tad thin for ages 6 to 11, or what experts call middle childhood. This time lacks the breathtaking developmental leaps that domi - nate infancy and toddlerhood and is devoid of the drama that comes with adolescence. For every five books on infants, toddlers and teenagers, there is one on middle childhood. "It's the mellow period," says San Jose State professor Maureen Smith, who specializes in child and adolescent development. "It's an incremental adding of skills." MIDDLECHILDHOODALSOIS the age when social comparison takes root. Toddlers are the center of their own world, with attri- butes painted in broad strokes: They are the fastest, the smartest, the strongest. The transition into grade school brings a cognitive advance that allows for perspective: Joey learns he isn't as fast as David; Emily dis - covers she's smarter than Nicole but not as smart as Caitlyn. Confidence, or lack thereof, is sure to follow. "They begin to compare their ideal self to their actual self," says Emily Slusser, who has a doctor - ate in psychology and teaches at San Jose State. "That can lead to good self-esteem and hard work, or to a feeling of helplessness." The development is best ex - pressed by what experts call the theory of mind, which explores how children in elementary school become capable of differ - entiation: They're able to grasp that other kids think, feel and act differently than they do. "The theory sets the roots for empathy and moral reasoning," Slusser says. "That opens you up to other experiences, and you're able to engage in more coopera - Above:AlexGravink,9,participatesinicehockeypracticeatSharksIceinSanJose. Left: Her sister, Ansley, 10, has her arms stretched at San Jose's ATA Gymnastics.