National Network for Child Care
Ages & Stages: Six through Eight-Year-Olds
Lesia Oesterreich, M.S., Family Life Extension Specialist
Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University
Copyright/Access Information
Six, seven, and eight-year-olds build on the important developments of
the first 6 years of life and seem to settle down to a steadier pace of
growing and learning. Young school-age children are interested in
real-life tasks and activities, and pretend and fantasy lessen
considerably.School-agers want to make "real" jewelry, take "real"
photographs, and create "real" collections.
School-age children have longer attention spans. They are more likely
to stick with things until the project is finished, the problem
solved, or the argument resolved. Doing things together with friends,
teamwork, and following rules become very important. This age group
is fascinated by rules and can develop games with extensive rules
and rituals.
Physical Development
- skilled at using scissors and small tools
- development of permanent teeth
- enjoys testing muscle strength and skills
- good sense of balance
- can catch small balls
- can tie shoelaces
- enjoys copying designs and shapes, letters and numbers
- can print name
- long arms and legs may give gawky awkward appearance
Intellectual Development
- may reverse printed letters (b/d)
- enjoys planning and building
- doubles speaking and listening vocabularies
- reading may become a major interest
- increased problem-solving ability
- interested in magic and tricks
- longer attention span
- enjoys creating elaborate collections
- able to learn difference between left and right
- can begin to understand time and the days of the week
Social and Emotional Development
- being with friends becomes increasingly important
- interested in rules and rituals
- girls want to play more with girls; boys with boys
- may have a best friend and an enemy
- strong desire to perform well, do things right
- begins to see things from another child's point of view, but still
very self-centered
- finds criticism or failure difficult to handle
- views things as black and white, right or wrong, wonderful or
terrible, with very little middle ground
- seeks a sense of security in groups, organized play, and clubs
- generally enjoys caring for and playing with younger children
- may become upset when behavior or school-work is ignored
Ideas for Caregivers
- Provide opportunities for active play. Throwing at targets, running,
jumping rope, tumbling, and aerobics may be of interest.
- Provide opportunities to develop an understanding of rules by
playing simple table games: cards, dominoes, tic-tac-toe, etc.
- Provide opportunities for children to do non-competitive team
activities such as working a jigsaw puzzle or planting a garden.
- Encourage children's sense of accomplishment by providing
opportunities to build models, cook, make crafts, practice music,
or work with wood.
- Encourage children's collections by allowing them to make special
boxes or books in which to store their collections.
- Encourage reading and writing by allowing children to produce
stories with scripts, create music for plays and puppet shows,
produce a newspaper, record events, go on field trips, or conduct
experiments.
- Help children explore their world by taking field trips to museums,
work places, and other neighborhoods. Invite community helpers to
your home.
DOCUMENT
USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National
Extension Service Children Youth and Family Educational Research Network.
Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for
educational purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction)
provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this
notice is included:
Reprinted with permission from National Network for Child Care -
NNCC. Oesterreich, L. (1995). Ages & stages - six through eight-year-olds.
In L. Oesterreich, B. Holt, & S. Karas, Iowa family child care
handbook [Pm 1541] (pp. 211-212). Ames, IA: Iowa State University
Extension.
Any additions or changes to these materials must be preapproved by the
author.
|
Available From:
Extension Distribution Center
119 Printing and Publications Bldg.
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
PHONE: (515) 294-5247
FAX: (515) 294-2945
E-MAIL: pubdist@exnet.iastate.edu |
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Copyright Permission Access
Lesia Oesterreich
1322 Elm Hall, Suite 1085
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
PHONE: (515) 294-0363
FAX: (515) 294-5507
E-MAIL: x1oester@exnet.iastate.edu |
Format Available: Print - 296 pages
Document
Review: Level 2 -Iowa State University Extension
Document Size: 11K or 3 pages
Entry Date: February 1995