Developmental Overview
by Nancy Richard
Fifth grade is viewed as a paradoxical year: one moment the children seem to be entrenched in the innocence of childhood; the next, portraying the traits associated with beginning adolescence. In this year of passage, most fifth graders are happily grounded in the security of familiar childhood routines and patterns, while at the same time beginning to reach out to find their own identities.
Not all children in the fifth grade are alike, nor will they learn in the same way. Every child is unique. In any grade, children will range in age. It is also important to remember that your child has an individual rate of growth as wen as an individual pattern of growth that must be respected. Some children grow fast -- others, more slowly. However, because of school law, most fifth graders will be ten to eleven years old at the beginning of the school year, eleven to eleven and a half at the end. The curriculum of fifth grade is geared to this age and this stage of development.
As children differ, so do schools. Some fifth grades are self-contained with one or two teachers. Others are in multiage configurations. Still others are housed in middle schools where the children have multiple teachers. Also, classes differ from year to year, school to school. Good teachers at this age level understand and work with the complexities of the age, but they also use the strengths of the age to help children learn.
Love of Movement
In her awesome and ingenious design for human development, Mother Nature seems to emphasize one aspect of growth at one stage, another aspect at another stage. In the fifth grade, a noticeable characteristic is the need for lots of activity and movement. Fifth graders love to be outdoors running and chasing each other.
Most fifth graders like nothing better than to play. When they come home from school, they have barely time to change their clothes and grab a snack before they're bolting out of doors to hop on their bikes, go rollerblading, or join their friends in shooting baskets. These are just a few of the activities that engage them. Very fond of their neighborhood buddies, they love neighborhood games -- such as red rover, capture the flag, and tag -- that involve racing and chasing.
One would expect, then, with all this love of movement, that physical education would be a favorite subject in school. Most fifth graders look forward to it, but it often creates a dilemma for them. Should they compete or not compete? On one hand, they want to be a part of the group and they try to not exclude anyone or hurt anyone's feelings. On the other hand, they want to be seen by their peers as competent in sports, and even when cooperation is stressed, they will compete vigorously.
This is an age when sports heroes emerge. In team sports, then, they will blame the less competent players if the team doesn't win. They win brag when they do well: "I was the best." To deal with this dilemma, some schools allow only cooperative games to be played in fifth grade and set up situations where fifth graders can show off their skills by competing against themselves.
This need for movement can create other problems in school if the teacher isn't sensitive to it. Unable to sit in their seats for long periods of time, fifth graders need to shift activities often. They need frequent breaks for movement -- in the afternoon, especially -- and they can get very "antsy" if there is no recess or built-in activity in the curriculum. Some teachers will plan science and social studies around hands-on activities and field trips. Others will plan periods of time for structured movement such as yoga, tai chi, or calisthenics.
Naturalists
Besides being outside for fun, fifth graders want to be out of doors for another reason. Many are very fond of nature and want to be a part of it. They like exploring their immediate environment, as well as learning about environments that are different from their own. They are interested in conservation and environmental problems and will participate in efforts to improve the environment. They even like studying environmental problems on a global scale. Some children at this age create nature trails; others like cleaning up a park or planting and watching things grow. Some children at this age like observing and classifying birds or fish. Almost all are interested in animals.
Most fifth graders like adventure. They also like learning survival skills and will seek out books with these themes. Fifth grade is a time when children will find a special spot for themselves in the park or woods, in a hedge, or in a tree. These cherished places become their houses, dens, and forts. This is a highlight year for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and just about the best year for summer camp.
Perhaps connected to this love of the environment is another predominant trait: a desire to help people and animals. Many fifth graders aspire to one of the helping professions such as teaching or medicine. Becoming a veterinarian is especially popular. While they love animals of all kinds, boys seem content with dogs, while horses are by far the favorite of the girls. Much to the chagrin of their parents, some fifth graders will spend the year begging for a dog or a horse.
Relating to Parents
Family is very important to fifth graders. They love to talk about their families, and their writing often contains family stories. They will make up original stories about family life. They especially love family get-togethers and outings: holidays, picnics, and reunions. These outings often provide cherished lifelong memories.
Although they are not very good at helping around the house, and not always nice to siblings, usually fifth graders are pleasant to have around. They are affectionate and companionable, and will sometimes spontaneously give a parent a hug or a kiss. Close to parents in general, they try to be good and are usually both obedient and loyal to family values.
There are a couple of traits often seen in fifth graders that do bother parents. One is bathing. Fifth graders often have difficulty leaving their play to take a bath. In some households this can become a battle. It's best to schedule a bath for certain times on certain nights -- and then stick to it. For most parents and children, the issue of bathing will disappear in a year or two. It's difficult to get adolescents out of the shower.
Another issue is clothing. Not only do they leave it on the floor or piled on a chair, they usually don't like new clothing and prefer old and comfortable outfits. Clothing might still be an issue next year, but it will be of a different nature. Instead of wearing clothes for comfort, most sixth graders will emulate the "in" clothing of the peer group.
Ten-to-eleven-year-olds are also not very good at cleaning their rooms. However, most are good at taking direction and will accept your help and supervision in room cleanup on a Saturday morning. However, the job of cleaning the whole room is too much for most of them; they need specific tasks to do, such as putting away their collections or hanging up their clothes.
Fifth graders are beginning to see that other children's homes and families are different from their own, with different outlooks and standards. They like to go to their friends' houses to observe differences in both the physical environment and style of living. They make comparisons in nonjudgmental ways: "I went to Michael's. His house is big."
This curiosity about home and lifestyles extends beyond their immediate boundaries to children in other areas of the country, to other countries, to different cultures. Fifth graders like to connect with other children through writing letters or on the Internet to find out about family life and traditions
