Fourth Grade

8-10 years old

Development Characteristics of 4th Graders

Cognitive Development in 4th graders:

Age 8-9...

  • Show signs of becoming more responsible and an independent learner
  • Appreciate being trusted by others, teachers and peers
  • Interested in different types of reading: fictional stories, magazines, project books, and non-fiction information books
  • Develop a special intereset in hobbies or collections
  • Able to understand harder concepts
  • Becoming less egocentric and are able to understand the perspectives of others; better at understanding the concept of "audience" in writing
  • Students become less interested in fantasy, more involved in real world things
  • May have problems with increased homework demands
  • Age of negatives, "I can't," "thats boring"
  • Imagination decreases

Age 10...

  • Become talkative, like to explain thoughts and are expressive
  • Cooperative, competitive and inquistive
  • Like to organzie
  • Problem solvers
  • Interest span becomes short
  • Fairness becomes a concern
  • Very schedule focused, cannot plan out work
  • Like to talk and listen more than work
  • Can see persepecitves of others

Physical Development in 4th graders:

Age 8-9...

  • Girls generally are ahead of boys in physical maturity
  • Reaction time and coordination are both improved
  • Poor posture, lots of physical habitual movements; fingers in hair, slouching, picking or biting at nails
  • Headaches, stomach aches and leg pains are common
  • Often play to the point of fatigue, lots of high engery
  • Sleeping and appetite patterns are inconsistent

Age 10...

  • Onset of puberty
  • Increase body strength and hand dexterity
  • Large muscle development
  • Handwriting is often much sloppier than pervious years
  • Need outdoor time and a physical challenge
  • Snacks and rest periods are needed for growing bodies
  • Appetite fluctuates but is generally good

Social- emotional development in 4th graders:

During this age, children are advancing towards adolescence. It is important to understand that during this time, your child(ren) may need to receive or may exhibit the following:

  • be given opportunities
  • to solve problems
  • learn to cooperate in group settings/ working with others
  • find common interests through games
  • develop independence
  • develop sportsmanship (community/school sport)
  • consider or try clubs (ex. 4-H)
  • emotions change quickly
  • may be quiet or shy in public
  • begin to develop their own point of view
  • feel the power of peer pressure

What Parents and Teachers can do:

  • encourage students to try new activities, sports, or clubs
  • talk to your child(ren) about peer pressure and about respecting others
  • encourage children to think through before completing an action
  • support your child(ren)'s interest in groups, clubs, or activities
  • notice how your child(ren) are responding to the changes among their friends/peers
  • talk to your child about emotions and physical changes
  • discuss what is right and what is wrong

Resources for social-emotional learning

CommonSense.org is a great resource for parents and teachers. They offer lesson planning options and resources for the family.

Movies that Inspire Empathy and How to Raise a Kid with a Conscious are examples of the parent resources available.