Developmental Milestones - 5 Years Old
At 5 years old, most children
Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Can stand on one foot for at least 10 seconds, hop, do a somersault (i.e. roly-poly) and may be able to skip.
Can use a fork, spoon, and sometimes a knife at the dinner table.
Able to use the toilet without help.
Swings and climbs.
Language and Communication
Knows their name and address.
Their speech is much clearer and they can use future tense.
Able to tell a story using full sentences.
Intellectual
Can count at least ten objects.
Draws a person with six or more body parts.
Can copy a triangle and other geometric shapes.
Prints some letters or numbers.
Knows about objects and things we use everyday, such as money.
Understands more complex prepositions such as in ‘front of’, ’ ‘behind’, ‘ and ‘next to.’
Is able to count to 20.
Social and Emotional
They want to please their friends, and be like them.
More amenable to rules.
Enjoys singing, dancing or acting.
Can differentiate between real and make-believe.
Is aware of gender.
Independence is continuing to increase, although adult supervision is still needed.
Moods can vary between demanding and cooperative.
REMEMBER THIS IS MEANT AS A ROUGH GUIDE TO WHERE YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE WITH THEIR DEVELOPMENT, BUT IF YOU ARE AT ALL WORRIED THAT THEY MAY BE LAGGING BEHIND IN ANY AREA, OR THEY LOSE A SKILL THEY PREVIOUSLY HAD, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.
Source:
(Taken from book sample online)
Savory, L., Bulman, K., 25 August, 2006, BTEC First Children’s Care, Learning and Development - Understanding Children’s Development, 1st edition, Heinemann, accessed on: 21 August 2020, available at: (sample found at:) https://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/FEAndVocational/Childcare/BTEC/BTECFirstChildrensCareLearningandDevelop/Samples/SampleMaterial/UCD%20Unit%201.pdf
CDC – Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 June, 2020, CDC – Centre for Disease Control and Prevention - Milestones, accessed on: 21 August, 2020, available at: