It’s exciting to be a six-year-old. This is a time of tremendous growth, and children this age possess copious amounts of energy and enthusiasm.

Recently I was reviewing a book I’d read several years ago, and a saw this quote:

 “The eagerness, curiosity, imagination, drive, and enthusiasm of the six-year-old are perhaps never again matched in quantity or intensity during the life span.”  Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4-14. Chip Wood. 2007. Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.

 That’s an apt description of the six-year-olds in the classroom. Six-year-olds are becoming more independent. They are capable of dressing themselves and of learning to tie their shoes. Six-year-olds are curious about the world, and they love to create.

This week the students had lots of questions as we explored the topic of “Space” in our science lessons. They were eager to make craters by dropping balls of varying sizes and mass into the dust (actually hot cocoa mix).

In science lab the students learned about constellations and created their own constellations with star stickers.

Then at centers time the students used toothpicks and marshmallows to create more constellations ---as well as other 2D and 3D shapes.

I’m encouraging students to become more independent in their work and to become responsible for following directions, taking care of classroom materials, and complete assignments. The students are learning to work together in groups. “Stations Time” provides opportunities to practice independence, cooperation, and responsibility. 

 

The early years are critical in brain development. 

I read another interesting quote in an article by Rishi Sriram entitled: “Why Ages 2-7 Matter So Much in Brain Development”

“Children’s brains can uniquely absorb information during this critical phase. If intelligence is defined as the ability to learn, children between the ages of 2 and 7 may be the most intelligent humans on the planet.”

The article urges parents not to regard early childhood education as simply a precursor to “real” learning. 

For more information on characteristics of six-year-olds and tips on how to parent them, here are a couple of interesting articles:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/middle.html

https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/development/development-tracker/6-8-years#:~:text=At%206%2D8%20years%2C%20you,and%20talking%20about%20tough%20topics.

” Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6