Age 5 Takeaways

Incoming Kindergartners can be young fives or older fives, each progressing through a range of characteristics that should be considered. When thinking about Kindergarten lessons, keep in mind the typical abilities and characteristics of not only five year olds, but how those needs change as they transition to six.
Favorite Themes for children this age:
  • Families
  • All about me
  • My Body
  • Babies
  • Pets
  • Our School
  • Seasonal themes in nature (snow, winter, hibernation)
  • Stories (fairy tales, stories about pets, good & evil, themselves and best friends)
Yardsticks is a fantastic resource that offers age-by-age characteristics of typical child development. These general indicators are helpful to be aware of as you develop curriculum and help children grow. I have included characteristics that I find helpful when thinking specifically about art curriculum, but there is much more included for each age. I highly recommend reading the entire book.

Drawing on decades of educational experience and a wealth of research, Yardsticks invites every adult who teaches or cares for children to celebrate the incredible developmental journey that occurs from ages four through fourteen. Combining easy-to-access information about the cognitive, social-emotional, and physical characteristics unique to each age with practical advice for how to apply this knowledge, Yardsticks offers parents and educators a foundation for helping children grow and thrive.
Cognitive Growth:
Younger Five Year-Olds Growth Patterns -
  • Like to copy and repeat activities
  • Often see only one way to do things
  • Learn best through active play and hands-on activities
In the Classroom - 
  • Learn best through repetition
  • Some become stuck in repetitive behavior (for example, always drawing rainbows or flowers)
  • Learn best through active exploration of materials
  • Think out loud; will say for example, "I'm going to move the truck!" before doing so.
Older Five Year-Olds -
  • Begin to try new activities more easily
  • Make lots of mistakes and recognize some of them
  • Learn well from direct experience
In the Classroom - 
  • Need many avenues to express what they know
  • Need time to try their own ways of doing things, even though these ways may not prove to be productive
  • Crave constant validation of their initiative