Your Five-Year-Old

Typical Behaviors of Five-and-a-Half-Year-Olds

The five-and-a-half-year-old is often hesitant, dawdling, and indecisive. Behavior at this stage may be characterized by opposite extremes such as happy/sad, quiet/loud, or agreeable/defiant. The five-and-a-half-year-old may seem to be in a constant state of tension.

Motor Behaviors

• Is more restless and less composed; finds sitting still increasingly difficult
• May have an awkward pencil grasp
• Frequently reverses letters and numbers when writing Language Behaviors
• Has difficulty making decisions
• Uses more diverse and complex language
• Offers or asks for explanations

Personal-Social Behaviors

• Is oppositional in nature, moving from one emotional extreme to the opposite
• Disobeys readily; can be brash or combative
• May show an increase in tensional outlets such as nail biting, hair pulling, or crying
• Is insecure and tentative in nature
• Complains readily
• Plays well one moment, argues the next
• Is torn between choices, often tries to choose both options at once in play and other activities

Learning Behaviors

• Tends to exhibit oppositional behavior in play activities
• Has difficulty making decisions
• Has frequent reversals of letters/numbers
• Is prone to tattle on others due to an emerging sense of right and wrong

Parenting Strategies

Although gentle, compliant, and eager to please, the five-year-old does not find it easy to admit the occasional wrongdoing. Due to the five-year-old’s desire to be good and to do the right thing, parents may grow to expect this kind of behavior all of the time.

It is important to know that while the five-year-old tries hard to tell the truth or to resist taking another’s belongings, he or she is not always successful. Prevention is infinitely better than punishment. Discipline techniques are best delivered to the five-year-old calmly and in a matter-of fact tone.

When considering your child’s readiness for kindergarten, think about how you might answer the following questions:

• Is your child comfortable being away from you for an entire day? Does he or she have the ability to express ideas and feelings to adults other than you?
• Can he or she accept minor disappointments or limits without tears?
• Can your child listen to and follow directions?
• Is he or she able to work independently without constant adult supervision?
• Can he or she find ways to resolve conflicts and solve problems?
• Can he or she make simple decisions given a few choices of play activities?
• Can your child take care of personal belongings and toileting needs independently?

While this is not an exhaustive list of questions related to readiness, it may help you when considering your child’s unique needs and abilities at this time. It is equally important to understand what specific behaviors or skills the kindergarten program expects of your child and how aware the program is of developmental levels and meeting the needs of individual children.