Early childhood

Physical changes

By the age of 5 most children can walk up stairs unaided, can hold a crayon or a pencil to draw or write. By the ages of 8 children learn to catch and throw, develop a good sense of balance and can use a bat and ball. Examples:

• growth spurt
• run
• skip
• balance
• hand eye coordination
• catch and throw
• fine motor development

Intellectual changes

By the end of early childhood, a huge change will have taken place in intellectual ability. A child will no longer just experience the world through their senses, but will be able to begin to think about things, even if this mainly only from their own viewpoint.

• communication and language development improve greatly- can now use full sentences, can count and start to sequnce and order events
• learn to read and write
• begin to organise and classify objects and thoughts
• begin to work out solutions to problems
• children learn by asking questions and by watching the behaviour of others

Emotional changes

• will experience a range of new feelings and will have to learn how to handle them
• they have learnt to work with others- now know how to play and work with others
• learn how to share and cooperate
• development of close relationships
• becoming more independent
• development of personality
• listening to others
• beginning to empathise
• children still very self centred- have temper tantrums

Social changes

• development of friendships
• common to have gender based friendships
• social play- cooperative play begins
• listening to others