Characteristics of Youth Ages 5 to 8 Years
Characteristics
(Because 5 to 8 year-olds are like this…)
Physical
 Have better control of large muscles than
small muscles.
 Slow, steady growth.
 Are mastering physical skills.
Social
 Opinions of peers are becoming more
important. Often care more about being
successful in front of peers than parents.
 Are beginning to better observe other
people.
 Are beginning to experience empathy for
others, but still learning about and wrapped
in self.
 Are family-oriented
 Dependence on another adult besides
parent becomes a new experience
 Are learning how to be friends and may have
several “best friends” at a time.
 Fighting occurs but doesn’t last long.
 Towards end of the phase, boys and girls
separate.
Implications for Programming
(Their 4-H leaders should…)
Characteristics of Youth Ages 5 to 8 Years
Characteristics
Implications for Programming
(Because 5 to 8 year-olds are like this…) (Their 4-H leaders should…)
Emotional
 Are self-centered
 Seek approval from adults, but are becoming
emotionally steadier and freer from parents.
 Cooperative and helpful; they want to
please.
 Tend to behave in ways to avoid
punishment.
 Are sensitive to criticism; don’t like to fail.
 See fairness as “the golden rule.”
 Like to play games. Rules and rituals
become paramount, but not yet ready to
accept losing.
 Cooperative games are especially enjoyable.
Intellectual
 Are concrete thinkers – base thinking in
reality.
 More interested in process than the final
product. Will continue working on a project
rather than completing it.
 Are learning to sort things into categories
and series.
 Are beginning to develop a sense of causeeffect.
 Handle well only one mental operation at a
time. Can’t multi-task well.
 Can distinguish between reality and fantasy
– but still afraid of scary figures.
 Enjoy activities that are real and tangible.
 Generalize from their own experiences.
 Very concrete at this age- like to see it, hear
it, taste it, feel it, smell it.
Characteristics of Youth Ages 5 to 8 Years
Characteristics
(Because 5 to 8 year-olds are like this…)
Implications for Programming
(Their 4-H leaders should…)
Physical
 Have better control of large muscles than
small muscles.
 Slow, steady growth.
 Are mastering physical skills.
 Plan activities that encourage use of large
motor skills and introduce fine motor skills,
one at a time.
 Plan activities that encourage physical
activity such are running, playing games, etc.
 Provide projects that don’t require
perfection.
Social
 Opinions of peers are becoming more
important. Often care more about being
successful in front of peers than parents.
 Are beginning to better observe other
people.
 Are beginning to experience empathy for
others, but still learning about and wrapped
in self.
 Are family-oriented
 Dependence on another adult besides
parent becomes a new experience
 Are learning how to be friends and may have
several “best friends” at a time.
 Fighting occurs but doesn’t last long.
 Towards end of the phase, boys and girls
separate.
 Small group activities let this group practice
their social skills, but still allow for individual
attention.
 Organize activities that involve 2 or 3
children. If there is a larger group, break
activities into sections so that only 2 or 3 are
involved at one time.
 Organize activities with high adult/child
ratios.
 Help children develop friendships, through
learning to share, to take turns, to follow
rules, and to be trustworthy (not tattling).
 Role-playing helps children gain empathy.
 Select activities that involve or focus on the
family.
 Encourage children to participate in mixedgender activities.
Characteristics of Youth Ages 5 to 8 Years
Characteristics
(Because 5 to 8 year-olds are like this…)
Implications for Programming
(Their 4-H leaders should…)
Emotional
 Are self-centered
 Seek approval from adults, but are becoming
emotionally steadier and freer from parents.
 Cooperative and helpful; they want to
please.
 Tend to behave in ways to avoid
punishment.
 Are sensitive to criticism; don’t like to fail.
 See fairness as “the golden rule.”
 Like to play games. Rules and rituals
become paramount, but not yet ready to
accept losing.
 Cooperative games are especially enjoyable.
 Be positive!
 Provide lots of encouraging words for effort.
 Provide lots of opportunities for adult
interaction with children.
 Let children help in “adult-like” ways, such as
setting up an activity.
 Involve them in doing things for others.
 Plan activities where everyone can
experience some success.
 Competition with others is inappropriate.
 Avoid competitive activities that select a
“winner” or “best person”.
 Foster cooperation, not competition.
Intellectual
 Are concrete thinkers – base thinking in
reality.
 More interested in process than the final
product. Will continue working on a project
rather than completing it.
 Are learning to sort things into categories
and series.
 Are beginning to develop a sense of causeeffect.
 Handle well only one mental operation at a
time. Can’t multi-task well.
 Can distinguish between reality and fantasy
– but still afraid of scary figures.
 Enjoy activities that are real and tangible.
 Generalize from their own experiences.
 Very concrete at this age- like to see it, hear
it, taste it, feel it, smell it.
 Plan active learning around concrete objects.
 Plan lots of activities that take a short time
to finish.
 Focus on the process rather than the final
product.
 Avoid a lot of paper and pencil activities that
require writing.
 Allow for exploration and inquiry.
 Demonstrate an activity- not just verbally
describe how to do it.
 Give instructions verbally and visually. Don’t
expect youth to read.
 Provide lots of materials and mediums for
learning (paper, paint, brushes, glue,
building blocks, games, puzzles, etc.)
 Introduce activities that require sorting,
organizing, or classifying.
 Guide youth in reflecting on their learning
Experiences, but make sure that the
experiences themselves are very “hands-on”.