Alternative names 
Normal childhood growth milestones - 5 years; Developmental milestones record - 5 years; Growth milestones for children - 5 years

Definition
This article describes the skills and growth markers relevant to 5-year-old children.

Information

Physical and motor skills milestones for a 5-year-old may include:

 
• Erupting the first permanent teeth (the majority of children do not get their first permanent teeth until age 6)  
• Developing increased coordination  
• Skipping, jumping, and skating with good balance  
• Maintaining balance while standing on one foot with eyes closed  
• Tying own shoelaces  
• Showing increased skill with simple tools and writing utensils

Sensory and cognitive milestones include:

 
• Increasing vocabulary to over 2100 words  
• Composing sentences of 6 to 8 words, and with all parts of speech  
• Identifying coins  
• Properly naming the primary colors and possibly many more  
• Questioning more deeply, addressing meaning and purpose  
• Behaving more responsibly  
• Decreasing aggressive behavior  
• Outgrowing earlier childhood fears  
• Accepting the validity of other points of view (while possibly not understanding them)  
• Demonstrating increased mathematical skill  
• Questioning others, including parents  
• Strongly identifying with the parent of the same sex

Ways to encourage a 5-year-old’s development may include:

 
• Providing the necessary space for physical activity  
• Instructing the child to participate in - and learn the rules of - sporting activities  
• Encouraging the child to play with other children, which helps develop social skills  
• Playing creatively with the child  
• Monitoring both the time and content of television viewing  
• Visiting local areas of interest  
• READING TOGETHER

Medical Encyclopedia

All ArmMed Media material is provided for information only and is neither advice nor a substitute for proper medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional who understands your particular history for individual concerns.