CHARACTERISTICS OF SIX YEAR OLDS

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Ø     Competitive; not always good sports; sometimes bossy or critical

Ø     Either rush to be first or dawdle to be last

Ø     Want to have friends; may have best friends

Ø     Enjoy dressing up, putting on plays, etc., with other children

Ø     Talkative and noisy

Ø     Easily upset when criticized or discouraged

Ø     Love encouragement, surprises, and treats

Ø     Might test authority with tantrums, complaining or tattling

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Ø     Beginning to understand past and present, and how and why things happen

Ø     More able to see other viewpoints and understand reasons for rules

Ø     Love new ideas and asking questions

Ø     Learn well through games, poems, riddles and songs

Ø     Very ambitious, often choosing projects that are too hard

Ø     Learn well from field trips and hands-on projects

Ø     Like doing lots of work; not that concerned with the quality of the work

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Ø     Eyes are maturing, so reading is easier, but blackboard copying is still hard

Ø     Often chew pencils, hair, or fingernails

Ø     Bodies growing rapidly

Ø     Like lots of physical activity

Ø     Tire easily and get sick often