Milestones: six to twelve

During middle childhood, your child will refine motor skills acquired during early childhood. Children gain greater control over their bodies and fine motor skills improve considerably. Have a look at the milestones for this age group.

6 years:

• Steady increases in height and weight
• Steady growth in strength for both boys and girls
• Growing awareness of the placement and actions of large body parts
• Increased use of all body parts
• Improvement in gross motor skills
• Performance of motor skills singly

7 to 8 years:

• Steady increase in height and weight
• Steady increase in strength for both boys and girls
• Increased use of all body parts
• Refinement of gross motor skills
• Improvement in fine motor skills
• Increasing variability in motor skill performance but still performed singly
• The brain is 90% of its adult size.

9 to 10 years:

• Growth spurt begins for girls
• Increase in strength for girls accompanied by loss of flexibility
• Awareness and development of all body parts and systems
• Ability to combine motor skills more fluidly
• Balance improvement

11 years:

• Girls generally taller and heavier than boys
• Growth spurt begins for boys
• Accurate judgement in intercepting moving objects
• Continued combination of more fluid motor skills
• Continued improvement of fine motor skills
• Continued increasing variability in motor skill performance

Source: Craig, G. Human Development. Prentice Hall.

(Ilse Pauw, Health24)