Amber Mattison

Chapter 3: Age Level Characteristics

Preschool and Kindergarten (3-5 years old)
Physical Characteristics
 Extremely active- they have good control of their bodies and enjoy activities
 They need frequent rest periods due to an inclination of bursts of activity- they don’t
realize they need to slow down.
 They may be quite clumsy, or physically incapable of certain skills (buttoning coats) due
to large muscles being more developed than those in the fingers and hands.
 Find it difficult to focus eyes- hand-eye coordination may be imperfect.
 Bones that protect brain is still soft.
 Gender differences in physical development and motor skill proficiency are not
noticeable.
Social Characteristics
 May have one or two best friends-friendships change rapidly. Favorite friends tend to be
of the same gender.
 Play activities are important part of their development.
 Definite preferences for gender of play peers.
 Awareness of gender roles and gender typing is evident.
Emotional Characteristics
 Express their emotions freely and openly. Frequently have anger outbursts.
 Jealousy among classmates is common.
Cognitive Characteristics
 Begin to develop Theory of Mind- ability of children to be aware of the difference
between thinking about something and experiencing it.
 Skillful with language-like to talk.
 Don’t accurately assess their competence for particular tasks.
Primary Grades (6-8 years old)
Physical Characteristics
 Still extremely active- energy is often released into the form of nervous habits.
 Still need rest periods- become fatigued easily.
 Large muscle control is still superior to fine coordination.
 Many have difficulty on small prints or objects because of shallow shape of the eye.
 Extreme in their physical activities-excellent control of their bodies and develop
considerable confidence-often underestimate the danger involved.
 Bone growth is not yet complete-bones and ligaments can’t stand heavy pressure.
Amber Mattison

Social Characteristics
 More selective in their choice of friends and are likely to have more or less permanent
best friends.
 Like organized games in small groups- overconcerned with rules.
 Quarrels are still frequent.
Emotional Characteristics
 Sensitive to criticism and ridicule- have difficulty adjusting to failure.
 Eager to please the teacher.
 Sensitive to the feelings of others.
Cognitive Characteristics
 Understand that there are different ways to know things and that some ways are better
than others.
 Understand that learning and recall are caused by particular cognitive processes that they
can control.
Elementary School (9 and 10 years old)
Physical Characteristics
 Become leaner and stronger.
 Obesity can become a problem.
 Gender differences in motor skill performance are apparent.
Social Characteristics
 Peer group becomes powerful and begins to replace adults as source of behavior
standards and recognition of achievement.
 More selective and gender-based friendships.
 Play makes numerous contributions to development.
Emotional Characteristics
 Develop a more global, integrated, and complex self-image.
 Disruptive family relationships, social rejections, and school failure may lead to
delinquent behavior.
Cognitive Characteristics
 Can think logically- such thinking is constrained and inconsistent.
 Simple memory skills- often perform about as well as adolescents or adults. More
complex memory skills- performance is more limited.