Eyes reach maturity in both size and function. Mental Development Children can begin to think about their own behavior and see consequences for actions. As children near adolescence, they master sequencing and ordering, which are needed for math skills. Children begin to read and write early in middle childhood and should be skillful in reading and writing by the end of this stage. They can think through their actions and trace back events that happened to explain situations, such as why they were late to school.
Children learn best if they are active while they are learning.
For example, children will learn more effectively about traffic safety by moving cars, blocks, and toy figures rather than sitting and listening to an adult explain the rules. Attention span gets longer with age. Toward the beginning of middle childhood, children may begin projects but finish few. Allow them to explore new materials. Nearing adolescence, children will focus more on completion.