Parenting Resources | Understanding & Stages
Ages 6–9
Developing Competence During Elementary School
As children enter and grow through elementary school, their world and their sense of possibilities expand. They are developing the knowledge and skills that help them be competent in many areas of development. Their sense of the world’s possibilities expands—both its opportunities and its dangers. And they are also spending much less time, on average, with their parents than they used to.
Each new experience offers opportunities and challenges for connecting with elementary school age kids. On the one hand, parents may feel like their kids are getting big enough to be much more independent. At the same time, they may also want to protect their kids from the risks they worry about. The balancing act for parents is to “have their back” while also giving them opportunities to discover their own voice, power, and potential.
Intellectual Milestones
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Emotional Milestones
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Physical Milestones
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Social Milestones
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Spiritual Milestones
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* Search Institute describes spiritual development as “a constant, ongoing, and dynamic interplay between one’s inward journey and one’s outward journey.” It occurs both within and outside of religious traditions, beliefs, and practices. See our international, multi-faith, and multicultural research in this area of human development.