Milestones: Your Six-Year-Old

Children’s wellness is often measured by milestones: What can they do, and when can they do it? How are they growing and developing physically, emotionally, and socially? How are their language skills developing?  

Regular wellness visits with your child’s pediatrician are great opportunities for these check-ins — they’re the perfect time to ask questions and raise concerns about your child’s growth and development. 

It’s good to ask for help as early as you have concerns — you are your child’s first and best advocate! The early years are a period of rapid brain development, so by raising any concerns early, you can make sure your child gets the support they need to thrive. Early intervention may also help prevent or lessen the need for more support later on.   

Here’s what you may be noticing in the sixth year of life.  

Learn more about developmental milestone checklists here. 

Wellness visits are regular opportunities for these check-ins — they’re a great time to ask questions and raise concerns about your child’s growth and development! All children grow and develop at their own pace. Here’s what you may be noticing at age 6.

Physical growth and development:

• Learn about height and weight milestones at www.cdc.gov/growthcharts.
• Are developing their first molars and starting to lose baby teeth.

Thinking and reasoning:

• Can tell you their age.
• Can count to and understand the concept of “10” (for example, they can count 10 pieces of candy.)
• Are learning to express themselves well through words, and are learning to write.
• Start to understand cause-and-effect relationships and the concept of time.

Emotional and social development:

• Still have fears, such as fear of monsters.
• Want their parents to play with them, but begin to meet more of their social needs with friends and other adults.
• Play in ways that include fantasy and imagination.
• Often like to be the “big kid” and feel as if they are taking care of a younger child.
• Start to understand the feelings of others, with the support of parents and other caregivers.
• Are developing a sense of humor (enjoying simple jokes and funny books and rhymes).

Language development:

• Are able to describe a favorite movie, show, story, or activity.
• Can spell their first name and write some letters and numbers.
• Read some simple words.

Senses and movement:

• Can balance, run, catch a ball, skip, jump, and try other forms of physical play.
• Draw a person with at least 8 parts. They can also copy different shapes and like to make designs.
• Dress themselves (but may still need help with difficult buttons or laces).