As children within this age group grow, new and exciting abilities are noticed. It’s not uncommon for children of this age to want to play only with friends of the same sex.

Some of the critical aspects of child development (6-9 years) are;

• Physical Development- More physical abilities will develop. Most learn how to ride a two-wheel bike. They become more skillful at skipping and catching and throwing a ball. Many become restless and wiggle if they sit for too long, which is why school can be difficult for some children at this age.
• Intellectual Development– They learn to read gradually. Children who are encouraged to read tend to develop more quickly intellectually. They become more sophisticated in understanding the concept of time. They enjoy hearing about times past.
• Emotional Development– Children tend to be self-centered. Most want to be first, and most want all the attention. Children tend to have their feelings easily hurt. They also tend to assume that people who hurt them “did it on purpose.”
• Social Development– Children this age become more skilful at relationships, but they also may have many conflicts with their peers. Many children are competitive, and can become argumentative and quarrelsome when they lose. Children in this age group can be hard on their younger siblings. At age 6 or 7, they tend to do best with one friend, but by age 8 or 9 they can begin working well in small groups of three or four.
• Learning and School – The first few years of school are very important. Children in this age category are in elementary school.