Ages + Stages: Features of Child Development

Physical

• Steady increases in large-muscle development

• Increasing strength, balance and coordination

• Displays boundless energy, often relentless and fidgety

• Boys are slower to mature

Social

• Sees adults as authority

• Follows rules out of respect for authority

• Displays noisy and argumentative behaviors at times

• Displays humorous behavior

Emotional

• Accepts parent/family beliefs

• Admires and imitates older children

• Develops decision making skills

• Looks to adults for guidance and approval

• Needs recognition/ praise for good work

• Is self-conscious, afraid to fail, sensitive to criticism

• Responds to being upset by name-calling and teasing others

Intellectual

• Becomes quick, eager and enthusiastic

• Varies greatly in academic abilities, interests and reasoning skills

• Increases attention span but interests changing rapidly

• Begins to think logically and symbolically

• Wants to know the how, what, and why of things; extremely curious

• Sees things as "black and white" and "yes or no"

Physical

• Changes rapidly in physical appearance

• Experiments with behavior to enhance sensory stimulation (e.g. drug and alcohol use)

• Loves food

Social

• Looks more towards peers than parents, seek peer recognition

• Seeks acceptance and trust; lacks self-confidence

• Searches for adult role-models, and often identify with admired adult appearance and mannerisms

• Questions authority and family values

• Joins friendship groups or cliques that are often small but intense

Emotional

• Compares self to others

• Shows concern about development and emerging sexuality

• Is uneasy about being liked by friends, social graces, grooming

• Strives for independence, yet want and need parent help 

• Wants to be part of something important

• Exaggerates and uses sarcasm to describe subtle meanings

Intellectual

• Needs information for making decisions

• Finds justice and equality to be important issues

• Thinks abstractly and hypothetically

• Imagines consequences of acts

• Is ready for in-depth, long-term experiences

Physical

• Is concerned about body image

• Discovers various ranges in size and maturity among peers

• Desires to do things that give an adrenaline rush, or the extraordinary

• Has varying appetite and weight issues

Social

• Has high degree of social needs and desires

• Shows interest in coed activities

• Beginning to achieve independence from family

• Prefers to set own goals rather than accept those set by others

• Accepting of differences more readily

• Makes and keeps commitments

• Wants adult leadership roles

Emotional

• Has strong identification with admired adult

• Desires respect

• Begins to accept and enjoy own individuality, but still seek status and approval of peer group

• Is introspective

• Is able to initiate and carry out own tasks without supervision of others

Intellectual

• Begins to think of occupational choices

• Wants point of view heard and to participate in planning

• Enjoys demonstrating acquired knowledge

• Thinks abstractly

• Will lose patience with meaningless activity