Understanding 6-7-Year-Olds

Book excerpt: What challenges do 6-7-year-olds face as they learn new skills and face different social situations? How do their perceptions of the world change? How can we best support them in their move towards greater independence? This accessible book provides a wealth of information to help parents, educators and carers better relate to children at this exciting, yet demanding, stage of development. From the new-found sense of rivalry between siblings or classmates, to the anxieties children feel when making new friends, Corinne Aves offers guidance on encouraging children's development and helping them to cope with changing expectations of their behaviour. She discusses the various struggles in these children's lives – such as the conflict between a child's continuing desire to please his parents and the pressure to follow the leads of his friends – and gives tips for supporting children's increasing understanding of morality. Chapters on both school and family life explain the need for discipline and order in 'middle childhood', while specific areas of development such as reading skills and learning difficulties are addressed with sensitivity and insight. Understanding 6-7-Year-Olds will prove an enlightening read for anyone hoping to better understand children at this important stage of their lives.