Developmental Milestones of 5-6 Year Olds

Five year olds have a better ability to organize and manage themselves. You will be surprised that they can manage most of their needs independently or remind you about what they need for school.

What 5-6 Year Olds Can Do

Your child will want to try everything and this will probably be the challenge that you will have to face as they grow older.  They can already set their own limits in testing their physical strength, having better control and coordination, however, praise him constantly when he recognizes safety risks (such as not climbing areas meant for older kids, etc).

Likes & Dislikes of 5-6 Year Olds

Five year olds enjoy school.  If your child does not like school, try to find out the reasons immediately and find a resolution.  Talk to other parents and get feedback from the teacher on behavior that can be modified.

At this stage, their hobbies are heavily into physical skills and outdoor activities. You will notice he also begins to enjoy competing with himself in activities such as beating his high score in computer games, jumping rope, roller blading, and stacking cups.

Speech & Language Development of 5-6 Year Olds

5-6 Year Olds enjoy talking about his day especially about school and friends that he has made and what has transpired during the day.

  • Vocabulary has expanded to several thousand different words.
  • Can be more adult-like in manner of speaking.
  • Can answer fact-based questions about himself.
  • Likes playing with words and rhymes.

Cognitive Development of 5-6 Year Olds

5 year olds are active learners, they take charge of what they want to learn and seek the answers to find it, whether it is from an adult or a book.

  • Can already use the computer with some expertise, especially to navigate the mouse and browse the internet.
  • Can follow simple direction.
  • Loves to argue and reason.
  • Interested in cause and effect.
  • Develops simple problem-solving ability.
  • Asks endless questions.

Physical Development of 5-6 Year Olds

At this age, your child is very energetic, he may constantly run around or become competitive by running and racing with his friends. It is a good idea to get him started on a sport which he shows keen interest in to develop his self-confidence and ability to set and achieve goals.

  • Very active.
  • Loves to try new things.
  • Elaborates with dramatic play.
  • Likes to test strength and motor skills.
  • Can be reckless due to exploration.

Social & Emotional Development of 5-6 Year Olds

5 year olds like to be recognized for their achievements and it is especially pronounced when receiving evaluation from school for their academic performance.  Their early experience with success or failure is crucial in building their resilience. Try to instill a healthy attitude towards losing or making mistakes since he is bound to encounter these challenges for the rest of his life.

  • Imitates adults.
  • Is self-confident.
  • Wants privacy, especially in the toilet.
  • Enjoys making simple decisions.
  • Evaluates self.
  • Begins to feel guilty for mistakes but has difficulty admitting them.
  • Loves to demonstrate new skills mastered.
  • Interacts with the same gender.
  • Learns to take turns.
  • Imposes rules on play activities and is sensitive to criticism.

 

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