Below are typical benchmarks most commonly associated with first graders.  Benchmarks refer to characteristics of a child at different stages in his/her development.

Socially and emotionally, first graders

-love to be first

-are most concerned with themselves, self-conscious

-are competitive, sometimes a “poor sport”

-do not like to lose....anything!

-are loud, especially when upset

-do not always think before they respond

-can be moody

-want friendships but can be bossy and not understand why their friendships are rebuffed

-are fascinated by rules but do not always follow them and tend to invent their own to win

-are very sensitive to criticism but thrive on encouragement, love, and attention

-have a strong desire to perform well, do things right

-generally enjoy caring for and playing with younger children

-tend to prefer playmates of the same gender

-can be very helpful with chores

-determine what is “good” and “bad” based on parent and teacher opinions.

-begin to develop a moral sense (such as understanding honesty)

Physically, first graders

-grow and lose teeth

-can't sit still, perpetual motion; run, tumble, throw, gesture when talking                                    

-speak quickly, move quickly, and sometimes do their work quickly

-try new things

-tire quickly

-gain control of fine motor activities; writing, cutting, coloring

-enjoy testing muscle strength and skills

-love skipping, running, catching, and dancing to music

-develop a good sense of balance

-can tie shoelaces, manage buttons, and zippers

-learn to distinguish left from right

-sometimes chews on pencils, hair, fingernails

Cognitively, first graders

-want to learn everything at once

-are hands-on learners, learn best with discovery and active involvement with people and materials

-ask lots of questions

-learn cooperation

-play games

-form ideas

-discover new things every day

-view things as right or wrong, wonderful or terrible, with very little middle ground

-may reverse printed letters (example b,d and p,q)

-have increased problem-solving ability

-have a short attention span but love more involved stories

-rapidly expand their speaking and listening vocabulary

-can begin to understand time and understand days of the week

Thompson, Ellen A. A Treasure Chest of Teaching Wisdom:I Teach First Grade! New Hampshire: Crystal Springs, 2001.

"GCISD - Curriculum Guides and Developmental Characteristics." 2002. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. 7 Dec. 2007 .