Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination

Gross and fine motor skills have become much more sophisticated and used by the time a child reaches ages 6 to 8 years old. One of the most noticeable changes is related to a child's coordination. They now have the ability to finely coordinate single movements of both the upper and lower body parts into a synced motion. Conquering riding a two wheel bike requires repetitive leg motion, one side applies force to the pedal while the other leg is relaxed, combined with arm motions to maintain their selected direction while maintaining the proper balance necessary to keep from falling. There are some sports that require the upper and lower body part skills to be developed together, such as swimming, gymnastics, ice staking and hockey. Then there are other sports that have an emphasis on the upper body, such as baseball and basketball or lower body parts skills such as soccer. It is worth the effort for children to practice a number of different sports to let them experiment in as many different sports as possible. The key here is to focus on enjoyment rather than success. Remembering to praise your child often.

In the stages of cognitive development, the 6 to 8 year old child has come into the intuitive phase. Speech patterns have grown, long and complex sentences are now being used. The occasional stuttering may be noticeable and should not be considered abnormal, unless it is interfering with academic or social success. The thought process is less about themselves and the child begins to understand that their actions have consequences. It should also be remembered that children at this age are bound by solid thought processes. Behaviors and actions are either black or white, gray areas do not exist. This makes the specific dos and don'ts very important. Many parents have found out by experience that using single step instructions work best at this age.

One thing that may present itself during this stage may be the label that a child is gifted. It is necessary for parents to keep in mind that a gifted child may mean either an intellectual advancement or a more focused enhancement, such as math, while other subject areas are age appropriate at this stage. It is important to keep in mind that the emotional development of a gifted child is generally synced with their age. It is important to remember to always praise your child, no matter what their developmental level is.

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