A child’s cognitive skills and attention span continue to expand throughout middle childhood. By age 5 or 6, most children are able to recall parts of a story, speak sentences consisting of more than five words, use the future tense, tell longer stories and recite their address correctly.

Other developmental milestones typically achieved by this time include the ability to count 10 or more objects and correctly name at least four colors in addition to having a better understanding of the concept of linear time. Children this age also know about items used in the home every day, including money, food and electric appliances.

As children start school, they begin formal academic learning. The first two years of elementary or primary school are structured for acquiring the fundamentals including reading, writing and basic mathematics skills. Most children learn to read by age 6 or 7. However, some children may learn as early as age 4 or 5. They can also perform simple math equations such as addition and subtraction.

During the elementary school years, children build upon the basic skills they have acquired. For instance, by the third or fourth grade, the goal of reading a paragraph is no longer to decipher the words, but also to understand the content. The goal of writing is not just to demonstrate correct spelling and good penmanship, but also to be able to compose a sentence and eventually entire paragraphs.

Middle childhood marks the beginning of concrete operational thinking, occurring at around age 7, in which fantasy or “make-believe” type of thinking gives way to logical thinking and the ability to understand cause-and-effect relationships. However, it is common for children – or for that matter, adults – to occasionally revert to pre-logical thinking patterns under stressful situations. This is normal and results from a healthy, active imagination.

Throughout a child’s school years, the volume of school work will increase along with the complexity. Children can only meet these demands and move on to the next level if they have learned the fundamentals.

Sometimes children can encounter difficulties when they are learning in school. At one time or another, almost all children have difficulty reading, writing or performing mathematics, especially when first acquiring these skills. However, if no improvements are made with age, learning difficulties may be due to a learning disorder, such as dyslexia, in some children.  

Commons signs of a learning disorder in children include, but are not limited to:

• Reversing letters or numbers or seeing them upside down
  
  
• Reading extremely slowly and struggling with every word
  
  
• Continuously misspelling words, including those that other children find simple
  
  
• Confusing math symbols and misreading numbers
  
  
• Mispronouncing words and/or using wrong words that sound similar

Left untreated, learning disorders can impact a patient’s self-esteem, trigger behavioral problems and cause poor academic achievement that tends to compound over time. Therefore, it is crucial that parents, teachers and other caring adults ensure that a child with a learning disorder is taught proper learning techniques.

A specialist in learning disorders can help children with new methods of learning that focus on learning strengths while compensating for areas of weakness. In addition, federal law in the United States guarantees that children in public schools with learning disabilities have the right to receive extra help. The approaches used depend on the extent and cause of the problem – for example, a specific children’s learning disorder (such as reading) or mental retardation.

As they get older, children’s intellectual sophistication often extends well beyond the school setting. Beginning in the third or fourth grade, children enjoy playing strategy games (e.g., board games, checkers) and using word play – puns and insults – to exercise and show off their growing cognitive and language abilities. Although children mostly think in present terms, older children may begin to fantasize or daydream about the future.

Throughout middle childhood, children gradually become more goal-oriented and enjoy planning and organizing tasks. Many older children also become experts on favorite subjects, such as sports trivia or building model airplanes, while others become avid readers.

However, a child’s cognitive reasoning is not fully mature at this time. Nine- and 10-year-olds are generally not good at problem solving because it requires abstract thinking – a skill that is usually acquired during adolescent development.