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Characteristics of Third Graders

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DevelopmentalCharacteristicsofThirdGraders
Everychildsdevelopmentisunique.Althoughchildrendevelopthroughagenerallypredictablesequenceof
milestones,wecannotsayexactlywhenachildwillreacheachandeverystage.Everychildhashisorherown
timetable.Thecharacteristicsbelowareofferedonlyasareferencetogiveyouabetterunderstandingofyourchild.
Feelfreetocontactyourpediatricianand/oryourchildsschoolifyouhaveanyquestions.

TheEightYearOld
PhysicalDevelopment
Highenergy
Enjoyroughandtumblegames,aswellasteamsports
Maybephysicallydaring
Finemotorskillsshowingincreasedspeedandsmoothness
Somewritewithtinylettersandartworkbecomesmoredetailed
Largemusclesinarmsandlegsaremoredevelopedthansmallmuscles
Seventonineyearoldsarelearningtousetheirsmallmusclesskills(printingwithapencilusingscissorsand
smalltools)andtheirlargemuscleskills(throwingandcatchingaball)
Largedifferencesinsizeandabilitiesofchildrenmayaffectthewaytheygetalongwithothers,howtheyfeel
aboutthemselves,andwhatphysicalactivitiestheydo
Enjoytestingmusclestrengthandskills
Goodsenseofbalance

SocialandEmotionalDevelopment
Begintodefineselfbasedoncertainattributesorachievements,suchasIwearglasses,etc
Canbecomeselfconsciousbasedonhowtheybelievetheylookintheeyesofothers
Establishingfriendshipsisveryimportant,althoughtheymaylackskillstodoso
Emergenceofasenseofhumortellingjokes
Lessdependentonadultsandmoredependentonpeers
Beginstoquestionauthorityandtestlimits
Oftenoverestimateabilitiestheybiteoffmorethancanchew
Interestedinrulesandrituals
Generallygirlstendtoplaymorewithgirlsboyswithboys
Mayhaveabestfriend
Strongdesiretoperformwell,dothingsright
Findcriticismandfailuredifficulttohandle
Viewthingsasrightorwrong,wonderfulorterrible,withlittlemiddleground
Needasenseofsecurityingroups,organizedplayandclubsfriendshipgroupsmaybelarger
Generallyenjoycaringforandplayingwithyoungerchildren

IntellectualDevelopment
ConcreteOperationsStageofThinkingissolidifyingformostchildren.Theycanreasonlogicallyaboutactual
objectsandorganizethoughtscoherently.Theycannothandleabstractreasoningverywellunlessitrelatesto
realexperiences.
Learnbestthroughactive,concreteexperiences,butarelearningtoseebooksassourcesofinformation
readingmaybecomeamajorinterest
Developingalongerattentionspan
Enjoycollecting,organizing,andclassifyingobjectsandinformation
Imaginativeplayintheformofskits,plays,andpuppetshows
Likesgroupsandgroupactivities
Mayreverseprintedletter(b/d)(untilmidthirdgrade)
Enjoyplanningandbuilding
Speakingandlisteningvocabulariesareexpandingrapidlytalkative
Increasedproblemsolvingability
Interestedinmagicandtricks
Learningtoplanaheadandevaluatewhattheydo
Whensomethingissuggested,theymaysay,ThatsdumborIdontwanttodothat.
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7/28/2015

Characteristics of Third Graders

Beginningtoseeandunderstandtheperspectivesofothers.
Listenwell,buttheyaresofullofideasthattheycannotalwaysrecallwhathasbeensaid
Liketoexplainideasmayexaggerate
Engrossedinactivityathandlovetosocializeatthesametime
Industriousoftenworkquickly
Basicskillsbegintobemasteredbegintofeelasenseofcompetencewithskills

TheNineYearOld
PhysicalDevelopment
Girlsgenerallyaheadofboysinphysicalmaturity
Improvecoordinationandreactiontime
Mayhavepoorposturelotsofphysicalhabitualmovementsfingersinhair,slouching,pickingatnails
Stomachaches,headaches,legpainscommon
Highenergy,oftenplayingtothepointoffatigue
Inconsistentappetiteandsleeppatterns

SocialandEmotionalDevelopment
Enjoybeingamemberofaclub
Increasedinterestincompetitivesports
Learningtotakeresponsibilityforhis/herownactions
Begintoseeparentsandauthorityfiguresasfalliblehumanbeingsseesadultinconsistenciesand
imperfections
Peerconformityindressingisimportant
Maybegintobeinterestedintheoppositesex
Selfaware
Concernedaboutbeingrightorwrong,beingfairmaycomplainaboutfairnessissues
Havegreatneedtobeinagroup,butarealsoindividualistic
Needtobeincontrolofsomechoices
Maybecomedeeplyattachedtoabestfriend
Canbesullenandmoody

IntellectualDevelopment
ConcreteOperationsStageofThinkingissolidifiedformostchildren,theycanreasonlogicallyandorganize
thoughtscoherently.However,mostthinkingisdoneaboutactualphysicalobjects.Theycannothandle
abstractthinkingverywellunlessabstractionsarerelatedtosomethingtheyhavedirectlyexperienced.Evenif
theycanmakeabstractions,theystilllearnbestthroughactive,concreteexperiences
Showingsignsofbeingmoreresponsible,innerdirected,anindependentworker
Appreciatebeingtrusted
Interestedinmanydifferenttypesofreading:fictionalstories,magazines,howtoprojectbooks,andnon
fictioninformationalbooks
Maydevelopspecialinterestincollectionsorhobbies
Betterabletounderstandconcepts
Arebecomingmuchlessegocentricandareabletounderstandtheperspectivesofothers
Betterunderstandingtheconceptofaudiencewhenwriting
Lessinterestedinfantasymoreinvolvedintherealworld
Mayhaveproblemswithincreasedhomeworkdemands
Ageofnegatives:Icant,boring
Maybelessimaginativethanatearliergrades
Reference:"GCISDCurriculumGuidesandDevelopmentalCharacteristics."2002.GrapevineColleyvilleISD.7Dec.
2007.

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