Developmental Overview: Ages 6-9

5 areas of developmental stages for 6-9yrs

Intellectual Development

    * Kids learn to read gradually
- children who are read to aloud & are encouraged to read tend to develop more quickly intellectually

    * Your child will become more sophisticated in understanding the concept of time
- they enjoy hearing about times past

    * By age 6, most children can count to 100
- by age 9, they are beginning to learn how to multiply

    * Engaging the bodies as well as the minds of children this age will help them learn

Physical Development

    * More physical abilities will develop
- many children can dribble a ball with one hand by age 6
- most learn how to ride a 2-wheel bike
- they become more skillful at skipping and catching and throwing a ball
  
    * Kids this age like to move
- many become restless and wiggle if they sit for too long, which is why school can be difficult for some children at this age

    * Your child may practice balancing a lot
- they balance on curbs, chairs & other high places
- monitor their balancing acts to make sure they’re safe

Social Development

    * Children this age become more adept at relationships, but they also may have many conflicts with their peers

    * Many children are competitive & can become argumentative and quarrelsome when they lose

    * Children in this age group can be hard on their younger siblings

    * At age 6-7, kids tend to do best with one friend, but by age 8-9 they can begin working well in small groups of 3-4

Emotional Development

    * Children still tend to be self-centered
- most want to be first, and most want all the attention
- squabbles can break out when your child feels slighted

    * You’ll notice periods when your child sulks, pouts & worries
- help him deal with disappointments & worries

    * Children tend to have their feelings easily hurt
- they also tend to assume that people who hurt them “did it on purpose.”
- help your child not feel victimized or always jump to acting on revenge

Spiritual Development

    * Kids begin to wonder more about the world around them & they are more likely to ask why things happen
    * Your child may ask cause-and-effect questions, such as “What happens after Grandpa dies?” or “What will happen if someone breaks a window?”

    * Children at this age begin to notice that friends may have different spiritual practices