Brain Development

Children in the early grades of elementary school are at a period of slow, but steady growth.  The rapid changes of the infant and preschool years are behind them.  They are still busy mastering physical skills like learning to ride a bike without training wheels or learning to tie their shoes.  Children are slowly moving away from total dependence on parents, while school, friends and teachers are playing a more important role than ever before.

What should my child be doing?

• Knows first and last name.

• Can recognize categories and group similar objects.

• Understands concepts of today, tomorrow and yesterday.

• Begins to identify most letters and numbers.

• Can count up to 10 objects (or more).

• Knows all of the basic colors.

• Understands concepts, like “more,” “less,” and “same.”

Your child may be able to…

• Identify and/or write all uppercase and some lowercase letters.

• Recognize some or all letter-sound matches.

• Show familiarity with rhyming and beginning sounds.

• Identify sight words and read simple beginning readers

• Write letters of the alphabet, his or her name and other simple words.

• Use invented spelling to spell words that are unfamiliar. 

Developmental stages  are provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Child development page for children ages one through six from PBS parents.

Developmental Milestones for children from age three through sixteen from Schwab Learning.