Developmental Characteristics
 
 
 

Developmental Stages	5 Year Olds
Physical Development (motor skills)	Growth slows down Gross motor competencies expand - somersault, beginning to ride bikes, balances on beam, walks backward, beginning to skip, catches and throws balls Fine motor proficiency - dresses self, traces and cuts well, writes some letters and numbers
Social Development (relationships with people)	Prefers to be with other children, can usually play cooperatively Chooses own friends, many same sex friends, can spend more time away from parents Plays simple card games, simple team sports, dramatizes real life situations with detail and accuracy Problem solving skills are emerging Engages in silly talk, bathroom talk
Emotional Development (personal development, self-esteem)	Erikson stage of initiative vs. guilt Less ego centric, growing sense of independence Positive outlook, "sunny & serene" - Ames Aware of sexual differences Beginning of moral development - self worth, pride Concern with in eyes of others Desires privacy, anxious to please, comply with authority
Intellectual Development (concepts, language)	Piaget - Pre-operational Learn by doing Growing vocabulary & sentence structure, plays with words, rhymes Time concepts developing, rote counting, matching, retelling stories, letter & number recognition Eager to learn, creative - ready to engage Beginning to understand sequence, follows simple instructions Sorts objects by single attribute

 
 

Developmental Stages	6 Years Old
Physical Development (motor skills)	Need physical activity - sitting is difficult Physical confident can control body movements & positions Cuts accurately, jumps rope, ride two wheeler Fine motor skills are being practiced, hand-eye coordination required concentration (sometimes frustrated) shouldn't copy from board, beginning to tie shoes, simple sewing, hand dominance, use proper pencil grip
Social Development (relationships with people)	Friendships are very important. Mostly same sex. Social play is rich. Can wait, take turns, share Engages in conversations about experiences Selects toys and books for own amusement Beginning to understand others points of view
Emotional Development (personal development, self-esteem)	Concern about self worth as it relates to school tasks Feels pride in accomplishments - can be competitive, aware of self & personal interests Has a strong sense of independence in self help areas Needs adult assistance in structuring time & space beyond immediate
Intellectual Development (concepts, language)	Interested in linguistic structures, nuances and word play Can guess conclusion to simple story which has been read to them Can analyze a story and compare to real life situations, speaks clearly and in sentences Beginning to leave pre-operational stage (Piaget) and think on the border - still ego centric and magical in some thinking but able to be stretched