3rd - 5th Grade
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Description of Developmental Stage
   

 

According to Piaget's theories on development, students in Third through Fifth Grades fit into the general stage, "Concrete Operational." Piaget defined the characteristics of these children as:
  • Increase in abstract reasoning ability and ability to generalize from concrete experiences
  • Can do conservation tasks
  • Display less egocentric thought
  • Language becomes more social
  • Able to reverse ideas
  • Can classify
  • Draw on personal experiences in forming an understanding

Another theorist, Lev S. Vygotsky, believed that children's delopmental growth was dependent upon their social environment. He believed that most learning (concepts, skills, facts, attitudes, etc.) was taken from the child's social world and that teachers should address these individual needs.

Teachers should be aware of both theories as they relate to the typical 8 to 11-year-old child. By developing lesson plans that focus on their developing abilities while relating to their social environment, teachers will be more successfully advancing the development of these 3rd to 5th Grade students.

NET Standards


These generalized statements of development easily relate to the NET Standards. Upon the completion of Fifth Grade, students will be successful within 3 major areas of technology:

  1. Learn to use a variety of technology-based tools.
  2. Learn and utilize the communication features available on the internet.
  3. Learn to evaluate the resources used in technology education.