THE SCHOOL-AGE CHILD: 6yrs to 12yrs

School-age children seem to have a steadier pace of growing and learning. Children at this age are interested in real-life tasks and activities, they want to make “real” jewelry or take “real” pictures. School age children are more likely to stick with things until the project is finished, problem solved or argument resolved. Doing things with friends, teamwork and following rules are very important. At this age it is more important to gain acceptance and experience achievement. At Preston Kiddie Kollege we will promote the development of your school-age child by offering activities in the following areas:
- Age appropriate arts and crafts
- Programs geared toward self improvement
- Opportunities to socialize
- Cooperative group projects
- Competitive games
- Quiet time for home work or calm reflection
- Community projects
- Character development

We will work closely with your child in these early childcare education phases, easing the frustration of some of these milestones and encouraging the growth of others.

Social
• Take part in group activities and can share materials, equipment and attention.
• Tell jokes and make rhymes that show off new verbal dexterity and cognitive ability.
• Helping with chores and tasks cheerfully.
• Continue to need adult support and comfort but sometimes embarrassed to ask for    help.
• Overcome reluctance to showing affection.
• Resort to clingy, whiny or aggressive behaviors during stressful times.
• Enjoy group games, especially board games and often compete to be the winner.
• Become rigid in defining what is right and wrong. Compromise is difficult.
• Defend sex-role stereotypes and usually prefer to play with children of the same sex.

Language
• Can pronounce and use most sounds. Some children have difficulty pronouncing sh,
   l, th, and r until age six or later.
• Share elaborate stories - real and fantasy in complex sentences with up to 10 words.
• Sometimes use unacceptable vocabulary exploring powerful words that guarantee
   a swift adult response.
• Use speech that is almost 100-percent intelligible.
• Use past tense accurately.
• Use visual (what they see) and auditory (what they hear) symbols to begin learning to    read.
• Frequent errors when trying to integrate word sounds with printed letters and words.    Letter and word reversals are common.
• Continue to expand vocabulary, explore complex sentence constructions and formulate    questions about the natural world and relationships among people.
• Creatively explore and devise word play and games with rhymes, definitions,    sequences and puzzles.

Emotional
• Have sudden and unpredictable mood changes.
• Respond to stress with a range of behaviors including tantrums, moodiness,    despondency, depression, over-activity and sleep.
• Feel deep pain when excluded from an activity but usually forgive quickly and easily.
• Help with chores like setting the table, cooking dessert and feeding a pet to    demonstrate independence and ability.
• Choose friends who mirror their tastes, interests and skill levels.

Cognitive
• Begin to understand symbols like clocks, written words and quantity.
• Able to follow multi-part directions and instructions.
• Use toys and action figures to act out their hostile or aggressive feelings .
• Begin to recognize that the views and interests of others may not be the same as    their own.
• Need written word and rich conversation for vocabulary and language exploration.
• Incorporate cause and effect and logical consequences in making behavioral choices.
• Enjoy trial-and-error experiments and projects. Repeated failures result in frustration    and negative behaviors.