Emerging Self-Control in Third Grade

You asked for it. Here’s a list of what’s normal for third graders.

What You Need to Know

In third grade your child will learn and apply new skills, form friendships, be competitive, and gain physical strength. He will exercise better self-control and feel accomplishment in his new abilities. A listing of development milestones to look for—and strategies for dealing with them—is in the full article and includes:

• physical,
• intellectual,
• social,
• emotional, and
• moral characteristics.

There are also warning signs to look for, which include:

• excessive concern about competition or performance;
• extreme behavior such as rebellion or procrastination;
• physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach problems, or nervous tics;
• social isolation, and
• stealing and pathological lying.

How You Can Help

Knowing how to react to your child as he develops will help you ease his transition. Here are a few tips.

• Be tolerant of shortcomings that your child may display, such as urinating because of anxiety.
• When your child exhibits normal silly behavior such as making faces or giggling, don’t give it a lot of attention or focus.
• Deal with feelings of self-criticism by directing the child toward what can be accomplished and progress he’s already made. When your child complains that she can’t do division, remind her of simple division problems she has solved and say you’ll work with her to master harder ones.

For more information about your child’s development, please see the full article:

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Child_Guide_Eight/.