Articles - Your Well Child
Early School Years - Six to Nine Years of Age
Physical Development:
Coordination improves from large muscle coordination to small coordination. Learns to ride a two-wheel bicycle at six years of age. Starts sports requiring coordination. Learns to write with crayons and paint at six years of age. Writing improves by eight to nine years of age. Still accident-prone. Likes competitive sports.
Emotional Development:
Very unpredictable mood swings. Has trouble admitting mistakes. Very sensitive to criticism. Tries to blame other people for their mistakes. Becomes discouraged easily. Very particular about foods they eat. Asks lots of questions about their body. Understands life and death. Gets embarrassed easily.
Social Development:
Cooperates with other children. Expects rules of games to be followed. Has friends mostly of the same sex. Looks for role models. Very critical. Always looking for approval. Changes from not caring about others feelings at six to seven years of age to understanding the needs of others at eight to nine years of age. Wants to be popular among peers. By eight to nine years of age children are part of clubs amongst friends and part of more formal clubs such as boy or girl scouts. Very loyal to friends and family. Pretends to dislike the opposite sex. Starts talking on the phone for long periods of time with friends. Enjoys secrets by eight to nine years of age.
Mental Development:
At six to seven years of age can count to 100. Enjoys acting and playing roles. Can make decisions. Understands on purpose versus by accident. Likes doing some household chores. Always asking why. Has to be the best at everything. At eight to nine years of age uses logic to solve problems. Language increases exponentially. Uses a dictionary or thesaurus. Quickly goes through hobbies. Learns right and wrong and is concerned about what is fair or unfair. Starts resisting adult suggestions. Stops wanting to do household chores.