Dr. Lise Eliot
Early Childhood Mental Development Expert
VTech Expert Panel Member
Five is the age when most children begin mainstream schooling – which is an exciting and somewhat scary transition. However, five-year-olds are enthusiastic learners who delight in solving problems and discovering more about the wider world. Friends also take on greater importance as your five-year-old develops a better understanding of other’s thoughts and feelings.
Here are some typical milestones you may see in your five-year-old:
Language & Cognitive Development
- Uses five to eight words in a sentence
- Likes to argue and reason; uses words like “because”
- Knows their address and phone number
- Understands that stories have a beginning, middle, and end;
- knows opposites like big and little
- Draws pictures that represent animals, people, and familiar objects
- Knows uppercase and most lowercase letters and beginning phonetics
- Sorts objects by size, shape or number, counts up to 20 objects; carries out simple addition and subtraction problems
- Sequences events chronologically and is learning to tell time
- Can use measuring tools like a ruler, scale, or thermometer
- Has a good attention span; can concentrate on projects like block building and drawing
- Interested in cause and effect
Physical & Motor Development
- Gallops smoothly and skips using both feet
- Rides bicycle with training wheels
- Balances on either foot for 5-10 seconds
- Jumps rope and catches bounced balls
- Learns complex coordination skills like swimming, dancing, ice or roller skating
- Uses a fork and knife well
- Manages zippers and buttons and may be able to tie shoelaces
- Reliably uses right or left hand to eat and draw
Social & Emotional Development
- Enjoys sharing jokes and laughter with others
- Helps with chores like folding laundry or emptying the dishwasher
- Plays independently but also enjoys peer company
- May tattle, name-call, hit and shove at times but is generally in control of aggressive impulses
- Takes turns and cooperates in simple group tasks or play
- May act bossy or exclude other children (”best friends” become important)
- More sensitive to feelings of others; shows kindness and says “please” and “thank-you”