Author: Natasha Boskic

Academic Skills

The development of academic skills (see full Glossary) is very closely related and intertwined with the development of cognitive, language, motor and social/emotional skills. It is very important that you monitor your child’s development, in order to make sure he or she has the developmental skills that are necessary and crucial to the development of academic skills. For example, your child will not be able to learn how to read, if he or she does not understand that words and letters are symbols that represent something. Similarly, if your child’s fine motor skills are not well-developed, it may be difficult for him or her to hold a pencil properly, and therefore learn how to write.

READING

Children at this age are slowly and gradually developing their reading skills. Most of them:

know that letters and words or “those funny shapes on the pages of books” actually mean something;
can recognize familiar signs and symbols in the neighbourhood (for example, a road sign with adult and child means people crossing, slow down, and in many towns and cities, golden arches means McDonald’s, a cross on top of a building means it is a church);
can hold a book, right side up, and turn the pages, from beginning to end;
can associate sounds with letters;
can recognize his or her name in print;
can recognize some common sight words, such as “enter” and “exit;”
can name most letters of the alphabet;
can segment a word: “cowboy” is the words “cow” and “boy” put together;
can blend sounds to make a word: “cow” and “boy” make “cowboy;”
can find words that rhyme with each other: “toy” rhymes with “boy;”
can identify the first sound in a word: “b” is the first sound in “boy;”
can identify the last sound in a word: soft “y” is the last sound in “boy;”
knows that letters make words and that words are made of letters.

WRITING

Children at this age are slowly and gradually developing their writing skills. Most of them:

are generally quite interested in writing, and often pretend to write or scribble (see full Glossary);
draw lots of pictures of real and imaginary objects;
hold pens and pencils correctly (that is, using the tripod position (Fig. 1);
use the correct orientation when writing or pretending to write (that is, writes or pretends to write, from left to right);
write his or her first name and sometimes last name;

Figure 1: Tripod position

MATHEMATICS (MATH)

Children at this age are slowly and gradually developing their mathematical skills. Most of them:

can count to ten or more;
can count from ten to zero (that is, can count backwards, which is an important math skill);
can identify the numbers 1 to 5;
recognize a pattern and continue it (e.g. red blue red blue, or following dance steps);
understand one to one correspondence, this means that when counting, we count each object once, and only once;
use math terms, such as “less than” and “more;”
can identify most common shapes, like triangles and circles;
are starting to tell the difference between the value of different coins; for example, you need four quarters for every loonie
are starting to understand that some objects are “long”, others are “longer” and others are the “longest;”
can tell time, with a digital clock (Fig.2).

Figure 2: Digital clock

Did you know?

A child’s view of him or herself will greatly influence if and how fast he or she can learn something. For example, your child’s social and emotional skills are closely related to his or her ability to learn how to read and write.
Although children at this age know a lot of quantitative concepts, they may still struggle with the concept of “zero.” It is very important to keep that in mind, when introducing mathematical concepts to children this age.
Reading to your child will greatly influence how he or she will approach learning to read in the future! Children who are read to enjoy the process of reading more and develop many pre-reading skills, such as associating sounds with letters, much earlier than children who are not read to.
Some kindergartners are starting to use rules of grammar when writing. Some will put a period at the end of a sentence and others will start a sentence with a capital letter. A good number of kindergarteners will also spell their names with a capital letter.

see References

1.1 Kindergarten 6-12: Adaptive Skills

Adaptive Skills

Adaptive skills (see full Glossary)

Kindergarten children are expected to perform a lot of tasks independently, at home and especially at school. They are expected to eat independently and clean up after themselves. It is important that children develop these habits early on, at home, in order to transition smoothly from home to kindergarten.

When it comes to adaptive skills, most kindergarten children:

know which public washroom to go to and can go to the bathroom by themselves;
have no or very few bowel and bladder accidents;
can wash and dry their hands, independently;
are able to brush their teeth independently, and do a good job of it;
can button large, and sometimes small, buttons;
can pull up a zipper;
are able to fasten snaps;
can undress by themselves;
can put on simple items of clothing, such as jackets;
hold and use eating utensils (for example, fork, spoon, chopsticks) correctly;
drink from a regular cup;
-use a straw.

Did you know?

Kindergarten children are becoming quite independent. For instance, most boys do not like it when they have to go to the public washroom with Mom. If this is the case, it is important to realize that your son is not rejecting you, just showing that he is now a “big boy.” Similarly, your daughter may reject your offer of help even when she needs it. This is your child asserting her independence, and she is in no way rejecting you.

see References

1.2 Kindergarten 6-12: Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development

(see full Glossary)

Kindergarten children are very active explorers (Fig. 1) of their environment. They are interested in everything and their desire to learn is limitless. Described by Piaget as “little scientists” and by many researchers as “sponges,” they are ready, willing and able to learn. At the same time, they are still in the early childhood years, and this must be kept in mind when we try to teach them something. Although they are perfectly capable of engaging in simple procedures or operations (see full Glossary) (Fig. 2), these need to be very basic, and about something the child is quite familiar with.

Figure 1: Explorers

Figure 2: Procedures or operations

Most kindergarten children at this age:

are eager to try new things;
can pay attention for up to ten minutes at a time;
can draw a picture of themselves, with more than just a head and body (Fig. 3);
can tell their age, and how old they will be next year;
are beginning to use logic (for example, “I guess we can’t make it to grandma’s house today, because she is sick”);
are starting to understand cause and effect (for example, “if I hadn’t left my bike on the front lawn, it wouldn’t have been stolen”);
know their address and phone number;
know a lot of words that describe objects (see full Glossary) by their sizes, shapes, colour, etc. (for example, tall/short, big/small…);
know a lot of “how much” or “how many” words (see full Glossary) that refer to amount or quantity (for example, a lot, a little, none, all…);
know a lot of words that describe space and/or distance (see full Glossary) to a place or location (for example, far away, close by, over, under…);
know most colors;
sort objects according to a common characteristic (for example, grouping a fork, a knife and a spoon together because these are the things we eat with);
can retell a simple story;
can re-tell something that happened in the correct sequence (for example, what happened first, what happened last…);
understand that some events happen before others (for example, morning comes before noon);
are starting to understand that some objects are “long”, others are “longer” and others are the “longest;”
can tell time with a digital clock (Fig. 4);
can tell which day it is;
can list the four seasons (Fig. 5): winter, spring, summer and fall;
can list the seven days of the week;
can sometimes list the twelve months of the year;
ask a lot of “how” and “why” questions;
are starting to understand that some things are “alive” (Fig. 6), like animals, and others are not, like rocks;
know certain holidays (Fig. 7), like the New Year’s celebration.

Figure 3: Drawing a picture (more than head and body)

Figure 4: Digital clock

Figure 5: Four seasons

Figure 6: Alive

Figure 7: Holidays

Did you know?

Children at this age enjoy imitating (see full Glossary) others. When they do so, they may pretend that they are Mom, Dad, the neighbour’s cat or the post man. They don’t do that just for fun, they also do it to learn about the world around them, and it is an essential part of their development.
Children whose parents read (Fig. 8) to them develop great listening skills. Reading to your child not only helps them develop some pre-academic skills, but it also helps them develop basic cognitive skills, like listening.

Figure 8: Parent reading to a child

see References

1.3 Kindergarten 6-12: Language Development

Language Development

Kindergarten children continue to develop and refine their communication skills. They can now usually speak in long and complete sentences (see full Glossary) and they delight in learning new words.

RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE

(see full Glossary)

Most kindergarten children are specifically able to:

follow two and sometimes three step directions; for example, “put your slippers on, and put your shoes away”
understand most of what is being said to them at home and at school or in familiar environments.

EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE

(see full Glossary)

Most kindergarten children are specifically able to:

let others know, that is, communicate, most of their wants and needs using their words (or verbally);
use complete and complex sentences;
ask questions using the words “how,” “what,” “when,” “why,” “where,” and “who;”
use negations, or “no” sentences (for example, I don’t want to do this).

ARTICULATION

(see full Glossary)

Most kindergarten children are specifically able to:

speak clearly and are understood by most people;
pronounce most sounds correctly; for example, vowels (a,e,i,o,u) and consonants (b, c, k, p, and others);
pronounce or try words with two- and three-sounds or “blends” like in the, fish, blue and green

PRAGMATICS

(see full Glossary)

Most kindergarten children are specifically able to:

use language for social reasons (that is, to communicate with others (see full Glossary));
raise the intonation (see full Glossary) in their voice when asking a question;
understand some forms of body language (Fig. 1) (for example, someone who is frowning his face is not happy).

Figure 1: Body language

DID YOU KNOW?

Although the speech of kindergarten children is understood by most, some of them may still struggle with the pronunciation of certain sounds, especially “r”, “l”, “s”, “gh, in pleasure”, and “th” in “the” thick.”
Children at this age are starting to use language in a humorous way (see full Glossary). They are starting to understand “knock knock” jokes and will often begin playing around with words (that is, enjoying the “pun” in certain words and expressions in their own language)

see References

1.4 Kindergarten 6-12: Motor Skills

Motor Skills

Kindergarten children continually develop their gross and fine motor skills (see full Glossary). They are quite active and really enjoy rough and tumble play (see full Glossary). It is very important to allow children to move around as often as possible every day. Movement will not only help children develop and refine their gross and fine motor skills, but it will also help with the development of the brain.

GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

(see full Glossary)

Most kindergarten children can:

run smoothly and rarely run into obstacles (Fig. 1);
go up and down the stairs, while alternating feet;
hop (Fig. 2) forward;
throw and catch different size balls from several feet away;
have good balance (that is, they can stand and walk without falling or having to hold on to something);
can stand on one foot, for several seconds.

Figure 1: Running

Figure 2: Children hopping

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

(see full Glossary)

Most kindergarten children can:

hold crayons and pencils correctly, i.e. using the tripod position (Fig. 3);
hold scissors and cut simple shapes;
draw a straight line with a ruler (Fig. 4);
stay mostly within the lines when coloring
are able, for the most part, to stay on the line, or within the two lines, when copying words;
engage in threading and lacing activities (Fig. 5);

Figure 3: Tripod position

Figure 4: Ruler

Figure 5: Threading and lacing

see References

1.5 Kindergarten 6-12: Social/Emotional

Social/Emotional Skills

Children grow every day, both socially and emotionally (see full Glossary). By the time a child reaches kindergarten they are starting to develop a good sense of “who” they are and “what” they can do. How they view themselves, at this age, really depends on how others view them. This is why it is so important that we often tell children how wonderful they are, and how great their achievements are. Children at this age need to be encouraged to try new things. Kindergarten children also love to have some control over their lives. This is because most of what happens to them is completely beyond their control and in the hands of their parents, teachers and caring adults around them. Predictability and routines are extremely important, and changes to routines need to be explained to them ahead of time if possible.

Most kindergarten children can:

easily spend some time away from their parents, most of the time;
have “best” friends and “enemies”
thrive on the attention and approval of adults;
get easily upset when criticized, as their self-concepts are just starting to get stronger;
mostly describe themselves in term of physical characteristics (for example, “I am tall and fast”), and are just starting to think of themselves in more qualitative terms (for example, “ I am smart”);
enjoy playing simple card or board games (Fig. 1);
follow rules, even without being told, most of the time;
share with others, even when not prompted to do so, some of the time.

Figure 1: Board games

DID YOU KNOW?

Children at this age change “best” friends as often as they change clothes. Today’s best friend can easily become tomorrow’s “enemy.” This is a perfectly typical part of growing up, as children are just now starting to make sense of how complex relationships can be.
They can appear quite bossy at times. This is because they are delighting in the idea that they “know” certain things, and just want to show off this knowledge.
A child may ask you, over and over again, to read the same story to him or her. Parents are often confused as to why their child wants to hear the exact same story. Children do this for a very specific and important reason. Some of what happens in their lives is not predictable, and most of it is beyond their control. But when you read them a story that they know, they feel very powerful and even safe. They know what will happen next, there are no surprises. This gives them a great sense of security. So, as much as you may dislike or even dread it, please continue to read the same story to your child, over and over again, until he or she stops requesting it.
Reading the same story over and over again is also extremely important for the development of a child’s academic skills. When you read the same book to a child over and over again, you are reinforcing the idea that words on the pages of books actually mean something. That is why “Mommy comes up with the exact same sentences, every time she reads me the Snow White story”.

see References

2.0 Six to Eight 6-12: Academic Skills

Academic Skills

Children between the ages of 6 and 8 years of age are very busy developing their academic skills (see full Glossary). They are now attending school full time, and are expected to remain seated for large portions of the day. They are now using all those skills that they developed in their early years to make sense of the abstract and complex skills they are expected to learn and develop in a relatively very short period of time.

READING

Most children at this age:

can recite the entire alphabet;
know the difference between all upper and lower case letters;
Pronounce complex words, such as calculator;
blend sounds to make a complex word (for example, play and ground make playground);
can create a new word, by removing a letter from an old one (for example, chat with no “c” becomes hat);
know quite a few sight words (see full Glossary);
can decode/read new simple words with ease;
recognize many common and uncommon neighbourhood signs (for example, traffic stop signs);
create alliterations (see full Glossary);
substitute one letter for another, to create a new word, (for example, if I remove “b” and add “c”, bat becomes cat);
know how many phonemes (see full Glossary) are in simple words
understand the difference between a phoneme and a syllable;
read sentences and paragraphs (between ages seven and eight);
read simple books (Fig. 1) with fluency (between ages seven and eight);
understand what they are reading (between ages seven and eight);
predict what will happen next in a story;
build upon what they have read, in a story, in order to create a new story (between ages seven and eight);
remember what they are reading, and can answer questions about what they have read;
can remember what they have read, a few days later;
understand that a story has different parts (that is, a story has a beginning, a body and an end);
based on the context, can sometimes figure out what an unknown word means;
understand the difference between different types of texts (e.g. poems versus articles);
identify nouns and verbs in texts;
may review what they have written, in order to make it better;
understand that books have authors, and several sections;
can identify the main idea in a text or a story.

Figure 1. Simple books

Did you know?

Children age 6 to 8 are very interested in and motivated to read. In fact, they read just for the sake of reading. Giving them books as gifts is highly recommended.

WRITING

Most children at this age:

can hold a pencil using the tripod position (Fig. 2) ;
can write continuously for several minutes;
can write several sentences, and use punctuation;
can draw and paint very sophisticated figures and shapes;
may start using a “cursive” writing style;
write simple correspondence (e.g. invitation to a birthday party);
attempt to spell unfamiliar words;
write legibly;
write relatively quickly;
spell simple words;
spell sight words (see full Glossary);
spell phonetically;
copy from a blackboard (Fig. 4);
use capital letters, as needed;
write about their own ideas.

Figure 2. Tripod position

Figure 3. Cursive writing

Figure 4. Copying from blackboard

Did you know?

Children this age may reverse “b” and “d”? This is a stage that a lot of six and seven year old children go through.

MATH

Most children at this age can:

count up to and beyond a hundred;
count up from a number other than “one” (for example, can they can count up from the number 5);
understand part/whole relationships (e.g. whole/half);
add simple numbers mentally (that is, without using their fingers or a paper and pencil);
understand which of three or four numbers is the smallest or biggest;
tell which number comes after a single digit number (e.g. nine comes after eight);
understand class inclusion (see full Glossary)
understand which of two groups is “smaller” or “bigger;”
know that there is a difference between numbers and letters;
know that numbers represent quantities;
tell time with a digital clock (Fig. 5);
add single, double and three digit numbers;
subtract single, double and three digit numbers;
understand the terms “more”, “less”, and “same;”
complete complex patterns (e.g. red triangle, blue square, red triangle, blue square);
understand simple fractions (e.g. a quarter of the pizza is yours);
solve simple word problems (e.g. if I have two candies and you give me two more, how many will I have?);
identify most geometric shapes (e.g. octagon).

Figure 5. Digital clock

Did you know?

Most children who are afraid of math, or don’t like it, are not aware that they use math every day. Try pointing out to a child that he or she uses math all the time, and he or she may not be that afraid of the term. For instance, try telling children that they use math every time they:

divide a pizza so everyone gets a slice;
cut a birthday cake so everyone get a piece;
ask for a raise in their allowance;
ask why another child got more of something;
insist on getting the same amount of candy as their brother or sister;
wonder if they can “afford” a certain toy;
save up to buy a favourite toy.

see References

2.1 Six to Eight 6-12: Adaptive Skills

Adaptive Skills

By 6 to 8 years of age, most children are expected to perform many adaptive tasks (see full Glossary) on their own. They are expected to clean themselves, get dressed and undressed independently, and may even be expected to fix themselves a simple snack. It is very important that children be given the opportunity to perform these tasks at home because they will be expected to perform them at school.

Most children at this age can:

tell what they need to wear, depending on the weather;
dress and undress, independently;
tie shoelaces;
button small buttons, in the correct button holes (Fig. 1) ;
fasten snaps;
connect a zipper and zip up;
bathe or shower independently, or semi-independently;
brush hair on their own;
brush teeth on their own (Fig. 2);
wash and dry their hands and faces, independently;
help with food preparation (though they may not wish to do so!)
hold most kitchen utensils properly;
can fix a simple snack by themselves.

Figure 1. Button holes

Figure 2. Brushing teeth

see References

2.2 Six to Eight 6-12: Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development

Children 6 to 8 years old continually develop and grow. Cognitive development (see full Glossary) becomes increasingly complex as children continue to learn how to make sense of the world around them. This is also a busy time for picking up academic skills. Children are learning how to read, write, spell and perform simple mathematical operations. They are beginning to read simple books on their own, and delight in their ability to do so.

Most children at this age can:

group items together, based on two or more characteristics;
group items together, based on function (for example, grouping a pen, a pencil and a piece of chalk as things we write with);
pay continuous attention for at least 10 to 20 minutes;
develop a simple plan in order to meet a goal;
try to come up with ideas to solve common problems;
use several shapes together in order to create something;
state their current age, and how old they will be next year;
know the difference between right and left;
know which day of the week it is, and point to that day on a calendar;
predict what will happen next in simple stories;
identify and understand the value of most coins and bills (Fig. 1);
understand the difference between day and night, and what activities are performed at these times;
identify and understand the difference between the four seasons (Fig. 2);
know which things are living and which are not;
understand which happens “first” and “last” in sequential events;
talk about how things are the same and how they are different ;
state the five senses, and can tell difference between them;
are starting to learn via language and logic, as opposed to learning via direct experience;
draw some basic inferences ;
tell the difference between fact and opinion ;
can identify objects by their uses (for example, know that chopsticks or forks are for used for eating);
recognize that boys and girls are different and can tell what makes them different;
play games with rules (Fig. 3) and are usually quite good at understanding and following those rules (for the most part);
understand the concept of “opposite” (for example, big is the opposite of small);
engage in simple and concrete operations (see full Glossary). Although they can represent some operations mentally, this representation is rooted in concepts that they can see, hear and feel;
look at a problem or situation from different angles. Piaget called this skill decentration. This ability will help children in developing the social skills that they will soon need to make and keep friends;
understand that objects can fit into more than one category. For instance, a red triangle is a shape, but it can also fit in the category of “things that are red;”
pay “selective attention” (see full Glossary) to information presented to them. That is, they are starting to recognize what information is relevant for a particular task and what information is not;
draw detailed pictures of themselves (Fig. 4). The pictures now include a lot of body parts, such as a neck and fingers;
understand “cause and effect.” For example, they now understand that they need to lock their bike, because if they don’t, it might get stolen.

Figure 1. Coins and bills

Figure 2. Four seasons

Figure 3. Games with rules

Figure 4. Detailed picture of family members

Did you know?

Children at this age are very curious and eager to learn. It is important to foster this curiosity and eagerness to learn by answering their questions, and giving them fun and fulfilling activities to engage in.
Children at this age may start many projects but only finish a few. This is partly because they quickly lose interest in what they are doing, and partly because they may start with an idea for a project and end up with another idea altogether for the same project. This is perfectly typical behaviour at this age, and should not be seen as a cause for concern.
Children at this age tend to ask a lot of “why” or “how come” questions. That is because they are starting to understand “causality.” They are starting to understand that just because two things happen at the same time it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.
Children at this age have a well developed theory of mind (see full Glossary). They are able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, and come up with an idea of what that person is thinking about, or how that person may be feeling.
Children at this age are very concrete in the way they view the world. They need to experience things in order to understand them. It is therefore extremely important that they be provided with a lot of opportunities to play and experiment with everyday situations and materials.
Children at this age are refining their discrimination skills and delight in their ability to find objects that are hidden or embedded in larger pictures. Giving them games like “Where’s Waldo ?” (Fig. 5) is a great idea.
Children at this age like to conduct simple experiments. They may put their shoes or their favourite toy in the freezer, just to see what happens.

Figure 5. Where is Waldo?

see References

2.3 Six to Eight 6-12: Language Skills

Language Development

Children aged 6 to 8 years speak almost as well as adults. They have figured out most of the rules of grammar and their speech is understood by those around them. The sentences they use are extremely complex and they are constantly coming up with newly developed sentences and phrases.

RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE

(see full Glossary)

Most children at this age:

are learning new words on a daily basis;
understand figurative speech (For example: This banana is yellow as the sun. Or: I am so hungry I could eat a horse);
follow complex two and three step directions; (For example: Go to your room, put the toy back in the cupboard, bring the book from the shelf and give it to your sister).
understand the passive form (For example: The decision was made by your teacher yesterday);
follow directions they heard five minutes earlier, without a reminder;
understand complex concepts, such as “beside,” or “to the left of;”
understand regular and irregular plurals (for example, boys and children);
understand the regular and irregular past tense (for example, walked and ran);

EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE

(see full Glossary)

Most children at this age can:

use sentences that are as complex as the sentences adults use;
usually learn 20 new words every day;
insert simple phrases in sentences and delight in their ability to do so;
use the passive form (For example: The decision was made by your teacher yesterday);
use regular and irregular plurals, for the most part (For example, boys and children);
use the regular and irregular past tense, for the most part (For example, walked and ran);
use the future tense (For example: I will go to the park tomorrow.);
use “if/then” terms (For example: If I finish my homework then I can watch TV.);
give simple directions (For example: Please come pick me up from school at 2:00pm.);
describe simple short term goals (For example: I will finish my homework early so I can go out to play.)
use figurative speech; (For example: This banana is yellow as the sun. Or: I am so hungry I could eat a horse.)
ask a lot of questions (For example: Where is Daddy? What is this?).

ARTICULATION

(see full Glossary)

Children at this age can:

speak clearly and are understood by most people;

PRAGMATIC LANGUAGE

(see full Glossary)

Children at this age can:

understand the nonverbal cues of others (For example if mom is taking a nap, then I need to be quiet.);
wait for their turn in a conversation;
keep a comfortable distance between themselves and the person they are speaking to;
know when they have interrupted someone and usually apologize for having done so;
use their inside, versus their outside voice, depending on the situation;
end conversations properly, and does not just walk away when finished talking with someone;
usually stay on topic, when conversing with others (For example: Will not talk about his or her new favourite toy, while talking about what to have for dinner).

Did you know?

Towards the end of the seventh year of life, children are able to pronounce all sounds in their language. If a child is still experiencing difficulty with certain sounds, it may be a good idea to refer him or her to a speech and language pathologist.
Children may make silly grammatical mistakes that they never made previously. For instance, a child who has always used the verb “went,” may start saying “goed” or “wented”. You should not be concerned if your child does that. A younger child saying “went” is just mimicking what adults are saying. This same child, when he or she gets older and starts to internalize the rules of grammar, will sometimes overuse a certain grammatical rule. That is because he or she does not yet know about grammatical exceptions to the rule. That is why this child will now say “goed” instead of “went.”
As with verbs, a child may change the way he or she uses regular and irregular plural nouns. Your child, who has been saying “feet” for the longest time, may now start to say “foots.” Again, at this age, this is not a cause for concern.