Blog Post #2

The development of children at every age is very different. The growth that happens from birth to the age of 18 changes dramatically from age to age. Even the growth that happens from the age of 5 years old to 6 years old changes a lot. Change is happening all around us, and as educators we have to be adaptive to that change. We have to understand at which developmental our children we are working with are at. I am hoping to be an Elementary Teacher and more specifically focusing on 1st grade. Majority of 1st graders are 6 years old turning 7, so throughout this post I am going to be focusing on the developmental process of children at the age of 6 years old. 

I have a very special connection with children of all ages, but I understand the age of 6 is a very important time in a child’s life. They are no longer in kindergarten, and they are reaching a place where they are comfortable in the school atmosphere. They know the fundamentals of how they are supposed to act within the classroom, and even outside of school. This summer I worked at Camp Y Koda, which is a summer camp for children of ages 4-13 which is a wide variety of children that we are all responsible for. Of course we split the children based on age, for example 4-5, 6-8, 9-13. I love working with all of these ages, but I do enjoy working with the range of 6-8 very much. There is something so unique about that age where I just feel drawn to them more. I love making connections with my campers, and I feel like making connections with 6 year olds is so much fun. Part of that has to deal with their developmental pathways at that age. 

Let us take a deeper look at what 6 year olds are like. What makes them different from 5 year olds or even 7 year olds? 6 year olds are classified in the “middle childhood” developmental stage. This is where many changes happen in their life. Friendships are a major component of children of this age, they take their friends and feelings very seriously. They usually play with those of the same gender “boys with boys” and “girls with girls”. At this age there is a thing called “cooties” which makes boys and girls not want to work in the same groups as each other. At camp I hear, “boys against girls” more times than I can count when working with 6 year olds. When playing in this age, they are getting better at distinguishing between fantasy and reality, which gives them a better understanding of what a lie is. They love to feel belonging to a group, and it is very important at this age to be accepted from your peers. Feelings are heightened at this age when it comes to making friends, and it can be difficult for children to adjust. At this age they are really starting to understand the feelings of others such as their peers, but also understanding that people such as teacher, and parents also have feelings too. Their emotions are heightened due to their brains developing and maturing. It is important to them to “fit in” within their peer group. They like to be “ big kids’ ” which can sometimes lead to dangerous behaviors and questionable decisions, but it is all a part of their learning process at this age. They are learning to share and cooperate with others when doing activities. A lot of school work done at this age is very individualized, where I grew up it was. I think these students would benefit a lot more from quality group work in the classroom to learn more about collaboration. Having table groups for these age groups would be so helpful for them to have them learn more about each other. Every student brings their own experiences to the classroom, and having students work together can create a healthy learning environment for all. Sometimes at this age they do not like to necessarily work with people they do not know or are not comfortable around, so I feel like switching it up and having your students explore outside of their comfort zone is a key component to teaching 1st graders. Speaking of more of a classroom focus, there is also a lot to know about 6 year olds and their connections with adults such as educators, family, and other caregivers. For adults, 6 year olds can be very fun to have in a classroom because they look up to you as a leader. They want to be like you which is why they most likely listen to what you have to say. They understand rules and why they are important at this developmental stage. Family for these 6 year olds is a bit of a different situation, they like to feel an independence in their life. They still love their families, but they like to “get away” for a bit of time and be in a social environment with their friends where they can flourish. This age brings a lot of ups and downs, but it is a very important part of the development process. 

I know a lot about the development process of this age from personal experience, but some things I am still unsure of within the lovely age of 6 years old. I can not wait to be an educator to the amazing learners and human beings. I am so ready to be with them through every step of my education. I look forward to having my own classroom to take these fundamental ideas and bring them to life within my teaching. I love learning new things everyday about all developmental ages from birth-18. Cognitive development, emotional development, and social development are all so interesting to me, and I can not wait to learn more!