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Developmental Characteristics of 5th Graders
Every child’s development is unique. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of milestones, we cannot say exactly when a child will reach each and every stage. Every child has his or her own timetable. The characteristics below are offered only as a reference to give you a better understanding of your child. Feel free to contact your pediatrician and/or myself if you have any questions.The Ten-Year-Old
Physical Development
- Girls are generally ahead of boys in physical maturity; onset of puberty for some girls
- Increase body strength and hand dexterity
- Large muscle development is advanced
- Handwriting often sloppier than at nine
- Have improved coordination and reaction time
- Desperately need outdoor time and physical challenge
- Complaints like stomach aches, headaches, leg pain, etc. usually less than at nine
- Snacks and rest periods helpful for growing bodies
- Appetite fluctuates but is generally good
Social and Emotional Development
- Fairness issues peak and can be solved
- Like clubs, activities, sports
- Humor is broad, labored, and usually not funny to adults
- May discuss contemporaries in terms of capabilities; his reading or his math
- Usually direct, matter fact, clear-cut
- Generally easygoing, content, friendly, and balanced
- Usually less anxious, exacting, and demanding than at nine
- Talkative; likes to tell stories about something they have seen, heard, or read about; can talk something “into the ground”
- May belittle or defy adult authority, but are closer to their families then at many other levels
- Enjoy both family and peers
- Developing more mature sense of right and wrong, good at solving social issues
- Often interested in caring for animals, boys and girls may be interested in horses, but girls are especially interested
- Shrug off responsibility; can usually toss off criticisms and bad grades
- Likes and dislikes are described in very specific terms
- Note passing, sometimes about the opposite sex
Intellectual Development
- Can be voracious readers
- Expressive, talkative, like to explain
- Cooperative, competitive and inquisitive
- Classification and collections of interest; like to organize
- Able to concentrate, read for extended periods
- Good problem solvers
- Like to complete a task but doesn’t usually wish to enlarge or elaborate on it; wish to try
everything - Interest span is short
- Have a stricter ethical sense than most other ages
- Very concerned about fairness
- Generally love to memorize, but don’t generalize or correlate facts, or care what to do with
the knowledge - Often enjoy “place” geography--names of states, capitals, but vague about actual geographic
characteristics - Not able to plan own work, need schedules
- Better able to see the perspectives of others
- Most interested in concrete learning experiences and learning of specifics
- Like to talk and listen more than work
The Eleven -Year-Old
Physical Development
- Vast appetite for food, physical activity, and talking
- Growth spurt of early adolescence for some girls, may feel awkward and clumsy
- Girls ahead of guys in physical maturity; boys’ big growth spurt may not start until 14; Boys worry if they are ever going to grow
- Wide differences among individuals in rate of development
- Curious about opposite sex; girls usually interested first
- Tiredness; need for more sleep
- Often uncomfortable with questions and observations about how much they have grown and physical changes
- Increased need for personal hygiene
Social and Emotional Development
- Less overt affection and attention shown to parents, with occasional rudeness; tests limits
- Impulsive, unaware
- Focus on self, alternating between high expectations and poor self-concept
- Have tendency to return to childish behavior, particularly when stressed
- Experience extremes of emotions
- Inclusive/exclusion; height of cliques, seek to belong, discovery of telephone
- Experimenting with behavior, roles, appearance, self-image
- Difficulty with decisions but need to be able to make some choices for themselves
- Demand privileges, but may avoid responsibilities
- Feel unique; believe that no one else has ever felt the way they do; suffered so much, or been so misunderstood
Intellectual Development
- Mostly interested in present, limited thoughts of the future
- Intellectual interests expand
- Increased ability to de-center and see world from various perspectives
- Development of ideals and selectin of role models
- May experiment with dangerous risk-taking behaviors
- Even if students can make abstractions, they learn best when activities are active, hands-on, and related to personal experiences
- Concerned with rules, standards of behavior and fairness, especially for themselves
- Do not distinguish between what they are thinking and what others may be thinking; assume that every other person is as concerned with their behavior and appearance as they are better at planning than carrying out the plan
Reference: "GCISD - Curriculum Guides and Developmental Characteristics." 2002. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. 7 Dec. 2007 .