Stages of Child and Adolescent Development Study Guide
Part 1: Characteristics and Milestones
Identify the characteristics and milestones of each developmental area for each grade band.
Developmental Grades K-1 Grades 2-3 Grades 4-5 Grades 6-8
Areas
Cognitive • Students will begin • Students understand • Students begin using • Students can memorize
understanding more complex logical for responses more effectively when
different types of scenarios to make that require their it comes to classroom
sequencing such as connections when personal input instruction.
days or time as it answering worksheet • Students begin to • Students begin setting
develops. Able to problems. make connections themselves academic
• count numbers all • Attention span for 23 about topics like the goals and become more
the way to 10 or graders increases to creation of the sun, structured to complete
even more. Students 30 minutes in a nature, and those goals.
• are capable of classroom understanding • Critical thinking skills
writing their names environment. emotions. Children are improved with
with only knowing a • Students learn to be • in these grade levels group activities and
few letters. more organized with understand their assessment practices.
First graders’ the materials that responsibilities as a The use of hypothetical
•
attention span is only they bring to class student and the task thinking becomes more
•
10-15 minutes, and label them into that they are common in discovering
categories. assigned. Students
depending on the the consequences of
• Understand the value have increased
activity that they are one’s own actions.
of each coin and use • memory for •
participating in Students often learn
them in real-world comprehension.
(Morin, n.d). about real-world events
situations (Morin,
through the news and
n.d).
have opinions based on
, • Students learn to • Students begin their thoughts (Morin,
brainstorm before watching the news to n.d).
performing a specific formulate opinions
action. when collaborating
(Morin, n.d)
Linguistic • Students are • Fluency greatly • Reading • Students are expected
consistently learning increases along with comprehension is to obtain a more
new vocabulary the smoothness of greatly increased in advanced level of
words every single reading passages. understanding the understanding of
day, so that their • Students begin to themes of different vocabulary words.
linguistic summarize text from stories. • Students are expected
comprehension the stories that they • 4-5th grade is the start to understand and
expands. read in class for of constructing practice persuasive
• Learners are able to greater essays and narratives essays.
hold conversations comprehension. in formulating their • Students become more
for a longer period • Students are more own thoughts and interested in class
using words that they open to speaking ideas. discussions and in
have been taught in about their emotions • Students understand providing their own
vocabulary lessons. to work out academic many different input.
• Able to speak in problems. examples of The use of slang has
•
complete sentences Students become figurative language, greatly increased
•
more fluently from more aware when such as similes, among students and
reading idioms, and their peers.
working with
comprehension or alliterations. The Students communicate
reading activities that complex instructions. •
• use of vocabulary more effectively with
require speech. • Students in grades 23
becomes more peers and educators
First graders can learn more about specific when
• decoding words that regarding classroom
formulate responses constructing
they are learning in sentences. topics (Morin, n.d).
using context clues
class (Morin, n.d) Spelling mistakes are
regarding what they •
have read during less common for
class instruction or in students in the 5th
a collaborative grade (Morin, n.d).
activity (Morin, n.d)
•
Students understand
rhyming with
different words that
Part 1: Characteristics and Milestones
Identify the characteristics and milestones of each developmental area for each grade band.
Developmental Grades K-1 Grades 2-3 Grades 4-5 Grades 6-8
Areas
Cognitive • Students will begin • Students understand • Students begin using • Students can memorize
understanding more complex logical for responses more effectively when
different types of scenarios to make that require their it comes to classroom
sequencing such as connections when personal input instruction.
days or time as it answering worksheet • Students begin to • Students begin setting
develops. Able to problems. make connections themselves academic
• count numbers all • Attention span for 23 about topics like the goals and become more
the way to 10 or graders increases to creation of the sun, structured to complete
even more. Students 30 minutes in a nature, and those goals.
• are capable of classroom understanding • Critical thinking skills
writing their names environment. emotions. Children are improved with
with only knowing a • Students learn to be • in these grade levels group activities and
few letters. more organized with understand their assessment practices.
First graders’ the materials that responsibilities as a The use of hypothetical
•
attention span is only they bring to class student and the task thinking becomes more
•
10-15 minutes, and label them into that they are common in discovering
categories. assigned. Students
depending on the the consequences of
• Understand the value have increased
activity that they are one’s own actions.
of each coin and use • memory for •
participating in Students often learn
them in real-world comprehension.
(Morin, n.d). about real-world events
situations (Morin,
through the news and
n.d).
have opinions based on
, • Students learn to • Students begin their thoughts (Morin,
brainstorm before watching the news to n.d).
performing a specific formulate opinions
action. when collaborating
(Morin, n.d)
Linguistic • Students are • Fluency greatly • Reading • Students are expected
consistently learning increases along with comprehension is to obtain a more
new vocabulary the smoothness of greatly increased in advanced level of
words every single reading passages. understanding the understanding of
day, so that their • Students begin to themes of different vocabulary words.
linguistic summarize text from stories. • Students are expected
comprehension the stories that they • 4-5th grade is the start to understand and
expands. read in class for of constructing practice persuasive
• Learners are able to greater essays and narratives essays.
hold conversations comprehension. in formulating their • Students become more
for a longer period • Students are more own thoughts and interested in class
using words that they open to speaking ideas. discussions and in
have been taught in about their emotions • Students understand providing their own
vocabulary lessons. to work out academic many different input.
• Able to speak in problems. examples of The use of slang has
•
complete sentences Students become figurative language, greatly increased
•
more fluently from more aware when such as similes, among students and
reading idioms, and their peers.
working with
comprehension or alliterations. The Students communicate
reading activities that complex instructions. •
• use of vocabulary more effectively with
require speech. • Students in grades 23
becomes more peers and educators
First graders can learn more about specific when
• decoding words that regarding classroom
formulate responses constructing
they are learning in sentences. topics (Morin, n.d).
using context clues
class (Morin, n.d) Spelling mistakes are
regarding what they •
have read during less common for
class instruction or in students in the 5th
a collaborative grade (Morin, n.d).
activity (Morin, n.d)
•
Students understand
rhyming with
different words that
