Age 8

At the age of eight, an average child is explosive, excitable, dramatic and inquisitive. Your child may have a "know-it-all" attitude and undertake more than can handle successfully. He is also able to assume more responsibility for his actions. The child becomes more self-critical, actively seeks praise and recognizes the needs of others.

At eight-years-old, your child is learning how to set goals and understand the consequences of his behavior. You can help by encouraging him as he:

• Explores the relationship of feelings, goals, and behavior.
• Learns about choices and consequences.
• Begins setting goals.
• Becomes more responsible.
• Learns how to work with others.

Signs of Difficulty

Trouble is on the horizon for any student who hasn't mastered basic reading and math skills by the end of third grade. Any deficiencies in these areas must be addressed before they adversely affect future learning.

Your child will have trouble if he isn't able to: Apply the basic phonics rules in their reading, write complete sentences, automatically read high-frequency words, solve simple story problems in math, write legibly in cursive.

• How to buy the right Toy for Ages 6 through 12
  • For all children, adults should check toys periodically for breakage and potential hazards. Damaged or dangerous toys should be repaired or thrown away.
  • If buying a toy gun, be sure the barrel, or the entire gun, is brightly colored so that it's not mistaken for a real gun.
  • If you buy a bicycle for any age child, buy a helmet too, and make sure the child wears it.
  • Teach all children to put toys away when they're finished playing so they don't trip over them or fall on them.

Teach them the Value of Money

Make a trip to the bank to open a savings account. Let your child fill out the deposit slip, and explain that the bank will pay interest.

Include your child in family discussions of finances, such as budgeting and planning for family vacations. Explaining how you decided to forgo the fancy sports car in exchange for a sedan and a family trip to the beach can teach about trade-offs and your family's values.  More...

Skills Your Child Should Learn this Year

Third grade is the last of the primary grades devoted to teaching children the very basic skills. Unlike second grade, where so much time is spent reinforcing the skills taught in first grade, many new and more sophisticated skills are introduced. At this level, most children will now have nightly homework assignments.

Your child will learn to:

• Work out the pronunciation and meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Use comprehension skills in reading.
• Identify the plot, setting, and main characters of a story.
• Use the dictionary.
• Recognize simple subjects and predicates.
• Write sentences with subject/verb agreement.
• Write paragraphs with a topic/main idea sentence and supporting details.
• Add and subtract any numbers 100 - 1,000.
• Multiply numbers to 9 x 9 and be able to determine each related division fact.
• Measure using standard and metric units.

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