School Age

5 & 6 Year Old | 7 & 8 Year Old
Use these links to jump to different topics

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5 & 6 Year Old

Use these links to jump to different topics
 
Developmental Milestones
Feeding and Nutrition
Well Child Check
Recommended Immunizations
School Readiness

 

Developmental Milestones

Social/Emotional:

• wants to please and be like friends
• more likely to agree with rules
• likes to sing, dance, and act
• is aware of gender
• shows more independence

Language:

• clearly speaking
• tells a simple story using full sentences
• says name and address

Cognitive:

• counts 10 or more items
• draws a person with at least 6 body parts
• can print some letters or numbers
• copies geometric shapes

Physical:

• stands on one foot for many seconds
• jumps, hops, and may skip
• uses eating utensils correctly
• toileting independently
• swings and climbs

Tell Your Health Care Provider If Your Child

• doesn’t show a wide range of emotions
• shows extreme/unusual behavior
• is unusually withdrawn and not active
• has trouble focusing on one activity for more than 5 minutes
• doesn’t respond to people, or responds only superficially
• has limited grasp on reality
• is not playing a variety of games and activities
• cannot give first and last name
• doesn’t use plurals or past tense properly
• not speaking about daily activities or experiences
• doesn’t draw pictures
• can’t prepare self for day without help
• loses skills once learned

* Remember: All children develop and grow at their own pace.*

 

Feeding and Nutrition

• Set designated mealtimes for whole family-Turn off TV and other electronics
• Offer a rainbow of colors on the plate
• Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, proteins, whole grains and dairy
• Decide when and where your mealtime happens and offer 2-3 healthful choices
• Allow child to choose which food and how much to eat
• A serving size for this stage is 1 slice of bread, ½ cup of milk, 1 slice of cheese, 4 or more tablespoons of vegetables, 4 or more tablespoons of fruits, 4 tablespoons meat (or 2 tablespoons peanut butter)
• Avoid sugary drinks – Good choices are water and milk
• 4 oz of 100% juice (no sugar or high fructose corn syrup added) per day can be a good choice
• Always have child sit to eat
• Ask your healthcare provider about your child’s growth curve, this is a great way to tell if your child is getting adequate nutrition
• Limit foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt
• Offer three meals and three healthful snacks each day and strive to provide 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
• Include at least one hour of physical activity for a child daily, attempt to include the whole family in this routine

*Although these guidelines are appropriate for most children they may not fit all. Always consult your health care provider about specific nutrition needs of your child*

5.2.1.0.

• 5 servings of fruits & veggies
• 2 hours or less screen time
• 1 hour or more exercise
• 0 sugary drinks daily!

 

School Readiness

• Getting children prepared for kindergarten starts before birth with good prenatal care and habits
• as they grow the most important things to do are to read, talk and play with them daily
• Sharing these interactions builds brain power and important pre-reading skills
• Preparing your kids emotionally and socially for school is critical to learning success
• Children need to feel safe and loved to reach their full potential
• Academic skills are important, but can be added if the child is ready to learn, knows how to behave in a classroom setting, and can interact with other children and adults
• Preparation for school leads to learning success for years to come!

Healthy Kids are Ready Kids!

5 Ways to be Ready for Kindergarten

Ready to Share and Care-

• Social/emotional skills are most important- children should:
  • take turns
  • try new things
  • share
  • control and express feelings
  • independently use the bathroom
  • dress and undress self
  • clean up after self
• Ready to Learn and Listen- Teaching kids the “art of learning” is very important – children should:
  • keep trying to master tasks when encouraged
  • be building self-esteem
  • be prepared to learn in the classroom
  • have listening skills and follow directions

 

• Ready to Talk, Read and Write- Talking with and reading to children helps develop larger vocabularies, increased attention span and a desire to read more – children should:
  • recognize letters
  • write their own name

 

• Ready to Count and Experiment- Basic math and science skills, such as counting and curiosity, help prepare early learners – children should:
  • explore the world around them
  • ask questions
  • know some numbers and count to 10

 

• Ready to Exercise and Eat- Exercise, healthy eating and getting enough sleep are critical for success in school – children should:
  • follow Routines, especially bedtime and mealtime
  • get 10 hours of sleep per night
  • eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily and eat healthful foods for good nutrition
  • limit TV and game time to 2 hours or less daily
  • get 1 hour or more of physical exercise daily
  • drink only water and milk, and have 0 sugary drinks daily

 

*If your child is in the care of family, friends or neighbors during preschool years, or you are concerned about Kindergarten readiness contact the Montelores Early Childhood Council about opportunities and activities to help prepare you and your child for the transition.*

 

Well Child Check

Topics to discuss with your health care provider:

• school readiness for self and child
• family routines and appropriate chores for child
• reading with your child
• modeling emotions in a healthy way
• tools that can be used to solve conflict
• nutrition, physical activity and oral health
• teaching child safety

 

Recommended Immunizations

• Influenza (yearly)
• Between 4-6 year of age:
  • DTaP
  • IPV
  • MMR

*For more information on Immunizations and the diseases that they protect us from go to the Center of  Disease Control and Prevention website at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/index.html*

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7 & 8 Year Old

Use these links to jump to different topics
 
Developmental Milestones
Feeding and Nutrition
Well Child Checks
Recommended Immunizations

 

Developmental Milestones

Social/ Emotional:

• becoming more independent from parents and family
• friends becoming increasingly important
• thinking about future
• desires to be accepted by peers

 

Language:

• rapidly developing effective communication skills
• reading independently
• can correctly use telephone
• enjoys jokes or riddles

 

Cognitive:

• learning basic arithmetic and grammar
• understands past, present and future
• tells time
• knows left from right

 

Physical:

• can throw and catch a ball
• likes to climb and swim
• rides bicycle
• draws scenes in pictures (such as house and sky)

Tell Your Health Care Provider If Your Child:

• doesn’t show a wide range of emotions
• shows extreme/unusual behavior
• is unusually withdrawn and not active
• becomes easily distracted
• has trouble focusing on one activity for more than 5 minutes
• is not playing a variety of games and activities
• is not making friends
• not speaking about daily activities or experiences
• doesn’t want to go to school
• doesn’t draw pictures
• loses skills once learned

*Remember: All Children grow and develop at their own pace.*

 

Feeding and Nutrition

• Set designated mealtimes for whole family -Turn off TV and other electronics
• Offer a rainbow of colors on the plate. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, proteins, whole grains and dairy
• Decide when and where your mealtime happens and offer many healthful choices
• Allow child to choose which food and how much to eat
• Avoid sugary drinks – Good choices are water and milk
• 4 oz of 100% juice (no sugar or high fructose corn syrup added) per day can be a good choice
• Always have child sit to eat
• Ask your healthcare provider about your child’s growth curve, this is a great way to tell if your child is getting adequate nutrition
• Limit foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt
• Offer three meals and three healthful snacks each day and strive to provide 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
• Include at least one hour of physical activity daily into the families routine

*Although these guidelines are appropriate for most children they may not fit all. Always consult your health care provider about specific nutrition needs of your child*

5.2.1.0.

• 5 servings of fruits & veggies
• 2 hours or less screen time
• 1 hour or more exercise
• 0 sugary drinks daily!

 

Well Child Checks

Topics to discuss with your health care provider:

• child’s progress in school
• interests and special activities
• behavior or learning issues
• issues with bullying
• encouraging independence
• showing affection
• rules, consequences and discipline
• teaching child about puberty and body changes
• good nutrition
• physical activity and organized sports
• limiting screen time and monitoring computer usage

 

Recommended Immunizations

• Influenza (yearly)

*For more information on Immunizations and the diseases that they protect us from go to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention website at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/index.html*