Developmental Milestone for 8 and 9-Year-Old & Health Delay Signs
Middle childhood is a time of physical, mental, and emotional growth.
Age 8 is a magical year while at 9 years old, children are poised for major transition as they stand on the cusp of adolescence. They are more independent and more mature.
Movement, Hand, and Finger Skills Milestones
- Able to balance better and move more intentionally. Their locomotor and motor skills, such as turning, spinning, and jumping, become more fluid.
- Fine motor skills will generally become more precise – Handwriting will become smaller, neater, and all of the letters will likely be the same size.
- Jump, skip, and chase
- Dress and groom self completely
- Use tools (i.e., hammer, screwdriver)
- Have stronger and smoother muscle control that allows them to expand their physical limits and interests.
Language Milestones
- great vocabulary growth
- may show an interest in reading as a favorite activity,
- Nine-year-old children are able to write and read skillfully and will be able to express themselves using complex and sophisticated vocabulary and ideas.
- able to use research material from the library and the internet to gather information for reports on various subjects including historical events and figures.
Cognitive Milestones
- Can count backward
- Know the date and can name months and days of the week, in order
- Read more and enjoy reading
- Understand fractions and the concept of space
- Draw and paint
- Enjoys collecting objects
- move into more abstract thinking – allows them to rely on symbols rather than being mostly dependent upon the use of counters or other manipulative materials.
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Shows genuine empathy for others and start to put others first in situations
- Aare better able to handle conflict
- Growing independence will lead them to seek relationships independent of their family, including sleepovers at friends’ houses
- Capable of taking on a wider range of chores and responsibilities around the house and start participating in decisions affecting the family
- Still greatly influenced by their parents
- Nine-year-old children may also be moody, and maybe upset one minute and then fine the next.
- Peer relationships take on more importance
- Most 9-year-olds prefer to play with same-sex playmates
- Engage in less pretend play and more sports-related activities or board games.
- Like competition and games
- Start to mix friends and play with children of different gender
- May be modest about body
- Enjoy clubs and groups, such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts
- May become curious about relationships but does not admit it
Developmental Health Watch
- Face bigger academic challenges at school
- Struggling to make friends
- Has trouble managing his/her emotions
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