The journey of child development is filled with remarkable milestones, and the age of five represents a particularly fascinating period of growth. In 2020, the St. Joseph's Child Care Center (STJCC) conducted an extensive observational study documenting the incredible achievements of 5-year-olds in their program. This research provided valuable insights into the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional capabilities that emerge during this critical developmental stage. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC identified through their research and how parents and educators can support children through these achievements.
Understanding the Developmental Leap at Age Five
The fifth year of a child's life marks a significant transition. No longer toddlers but not yet school-aged in the full sense, 5-year-olds exist in a fascinating developmental space where their abilities seem to expand dramatically. The 2020 STJCC study highlighted how this age represents a perfect storm of brain development, increased physical coordination, enhanced social awareness, and emotional regulation.
According to developmental psychologists at STJCC, the neural connections in a 5-year-old's brain are forming at an astonishing rate, creating pathways that will serve as foundations for future learning. This neurological growth enables children to master complex skills that seemed impossible just months before. Parents and educators who understand these developmental patterns can better support children through these transformative achievements.
The research from learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC provides a roadmap for recognizing and nurturing these emerging abilities. Let's explore each of these remarkable accomplishments in detail.
Achievement 1: Advanced Language & Communication Skills
The language explosion that occurs around age five is nothing short of remarkable. The 2020 STJCC research documented children's rapid advancement from simple sentences to complex communication strategies.
Vocabulary Expansion Beyond 5,000 Words
By age five, most children have vocabulary repositories containing between 4,000-5,000 words—a dramatic increase from the approximately 900-1,000 words typical of three-year-olds. The STJCC researchers noted that children at this age add approximately 5-10 new words to their vocabulary daily through environmental exposure and direct teaching.
This expanding vocabulary allows 5-year-olds to express increasingly nuanced thoughts and engage in more sophisticated conversations. They begin using specialized vocabulary related to their interests, whether discussing dinosaurs, space, or their favorite storybook characters with surprising accuracy.
Complex Sentence Structures and Storytelling
Five-year-olds typically master sophisticated grammatical structures, including conditional statements ("If we go to the park, I'll ride the swing"), future tense constructions, and complex clauses. The STJCC study observed children spontaneously using sentences containing 8-10 words with proper syntax.
Perhaps most impressively, 5-year-olds develop coherent storytelling abilities. They can construct narratives with clear beginnings, middles, and ends, incorporate dialogue between characters, and even include emotional elements to build tension or humor. This storytelling capacity represents a significant cognitive achievement, demonstrating their growing understanding of cause and effect, temporal relationships, and perspective-taking.
Achievement 2: Mathematical Thinking Beyond Counting
While younger children may recite numbers by rote, 5-year-olds begin developing true mathematical understanding. The findings from learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC revealed surprising mathematical capacities in these young learners.
Number Sense and One-to-One Correspondence
Five-year-olds typically develop solid number sense, understanding that numbers represent specific quantities. They master one-to-one correspondence—the ability to match each object in a set with exactly one number word. This fundamental mathematical concept allows them to accurately count collections of 20 or more objects and understand that the final number represents the total quantity.
The STJCC research showed that most 5-year-olds can:
- Count forward to 100 and backward from 20
- Recognize written numerals 0-20
- Compare quantities using "more than," "less than," and "equal to"
- Understand that adding means combining groups and subtracting means taking away
Early Addition and Pattern Recognition
Beyond basic counting, 5-year-olds begin to grasp addition concepts with small numbers. The STJCC educators observed children solving simple word problems like "If you have 3 blocks and I give you 2 more, how many will you have altogether?"
Pattern recognition—a cornerstone of mathematical thinking—also emerges strongly. Five-year-olds can identify, extend, and create patterns using shapes, colors, or actions. This ability forms the foundation for algebraic thinking and demonstrates their capacity for abstract reasoning.
Achievement 3: Self-Regulation and Emotional Intelligence
One of the most significant developments documented in learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC was the dramatic improvement in emotional regulation and self-control.
Impulse Control and Delayed Gratification
Five-year-olds demonstrate remarkable progress in controlling impulses compared to younger children. The famous "marshmallow test"—where children must wait to eat a treat to receive a larger reward later—shows dramatic improvement around age five. While 3-year-olds typically wait less than a minute, STJCC researchers found that most 5-year-olds could delay gratification for 7-15 minutes when motivated.
This newfound self-control extends to classroom behavior. Five-year-olds can typically:
- Sit through 20-30 minute lessons or story times
- Take turns without constant reminders
- Follow multi-step instructions without becoming distracted
- Control emotional outbursts more effectively than younger children
Emotional Vocabulary and Perspective-Taking
The STJCC study highlighted 5-year-olds' expanding emotional vocabulary. Beyond basic emotions like happy, sad, and angry, they begin using words like disappointed, frustrated, anxious, and proud. This rich emotional lexicon allows them to communicate their feelings more precisely and recognize emotional states in others.
Even more impressive is their emerging ability to understand that others may have different perspectives, feelings, and thoughts than their own. This theory of mind development represents a significant cognitive shift from the more egocentric thinking of younger children and lays the groundwork for deeper empathy and social skills.
Achievement 4: Sophisticated Physical Coordination
The fifth year marks a period of tremendous physical development, as documented in the learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC research.
Fine Motor Control and Handwriting
Five-year-olds develop significantly improved fine motor coordination. The STJCC educators observed children:
- Holding pencils with proper tripod grip
- Writing recognizable letters and numbers
- Cutting accurately along lines with scissors
- Tying shoelaces (though mastery varies)
- Using utensils effectively
- Buttoning and zipping clothing independently
This fine motor control enables emerging writing skills. Most 5-year-olds can write their names and several letters, though mirror writing (reversed letters) remains common at this age. Their drawings become increasingly detailed and recognizable, with human figures including bodies, limbs, facial features, and even clothing accessories.
Advanced Gross Motor Skills and Coordination
Gross motor development at five is equally impressive. The STJCC playground observations recorded children:
- Skipping with alternating feet
- Throwing and catching balls accurately
- Jumping rope
- Balancing on one foot for 10+ seconds
- Navigating playground equipment independently
- Pedaling and steering bicycles with improved control
These physical achievements reflect significant neuromuscular development and provide outlets for energy while building confidence and spatial awareness.
Achievement 5: Social Collaboration and Friendship Skills
By age five, parallel play largely gives way to truly collaborative interactions. The BigWriteHook approach to analyzing childhood development aligns with the learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC findings regarding social development.
Cooperative Play and Rule Following
Five-year-olds engage in complex cooperative play involving shared goals, negotiated roles, and sustained attention. The STJCC researchers documented play sessions lasting 30-45 minutes where children maintained consistent themes and characters. They observed children creating elaborate scenarios like restaurant play, complete with menus, customer roles, cooking, and serving.
This age group also begins genuinely understanding game rules rather than just following adult directions. They can play simple board games, remember turn order, and even enforce rules when others forget them. This rules-based play builds foundations for understanding social contracts and fairness.
Conflict Resolution Strategies
Perhaps most impressive is 5-year-olds' emerging ability to resolve conflicts without immediate adult intervention. The STJCC study documented strategies children employed, including:
- Using words instead of physical responses
- Taking turns with desired items
- Suggesting compromises
- Expressing feelings directly ("I don't like it when you...")
- Finding win-win solutions like parallel use of similar toys
While adult guidance remains necessary, these emerging conflict resolution skills demonstrate substantial social-emotional growth from earlier developmental stages.
Achievement 6: Independent Problem-Solving
The capacity for independent problem-solving represents one of the most significant cognitive leaps documented in the learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC research.
Critical Thinking and Logical Reasoning
Five-year-olds begin approaching problems methodically rather than through random trial and error. The STJCC educators observed children:
- Predicting potential outcomes before acting
- Testing hypotheses about how things work
- Drawing logical conclusions from evidence
- Recognizing cause-and-effect relationships
- Applying past knowledge to new situations
When faced with puzzles or building challenges, 5-year-olds demonstrate remarkable persistence and strategic thinking. They might rotate puzzle pieces mentally before placing them or plan a block structure before construction begins.
Creative Problem-Solving Approaches
Beyond logical reasoning, 5-year-olds display creative problem-solving. The STJCC documented children:
- Repurposing materials for novel uses
- Combining objects in unexpected ways
- Imagining multiple solutions to open-ended problems
- Explaining their reasoning when questioned
This blend of creativity and logical thinking enables 5-year-olds to approach problems flexibly, a critical skill for future academic success and life challenges.
Achievement 7: Early Literacy and Book Appreciation
The foundations for reading solidify around age five, as highlighted in the learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC study.
Phonological Awareness and Letter Recognition
Five-year-olds typically develop sophisticated phonological awareness—the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in spoken language. The STJCC researchers documented children:
- Recognizing and producing rhymes
- Clapping syllables in words
- Identifying beginning and ending sounds
- Blending sounds to form words
- Segmenting words into component sounds
Most 5-year-olds can recognize all 26 letters (though confusion between similar letters like b/d remains common) and know many letter sounds. This phonemic awareness forms the critical foundation for future reading success.
Print Concepts and Reading Behaviors
Even before formal reading, 5-year-olds understand key print concepts. They know:
- Books are read from front to back
- Print moves left to right and top to bottom
- Words are separated by spaces
- Text carries the story's meaning, not just pictures
Many begin "reading" favorite stories through memorization or picture cues, often holding books and turning pages independently. This emergent reading behavior demonstrates their understanding of books as valuable sources of information and enjoyment.
Achievement 8: Scientific Thinking and Natural Curiosity
The fifth year brings an explosion of "why" questions as children seek to understand their world. The learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC research documented impressive scientific reasoning abilities.
Observation Skills and Classification
Five-year-olds develop systematic observation skills. The STJCC science activities revealed children could:
- Notice detailed differences between similar objects
- Sort items according to multiple attributes simultaneously
- Create logical classification systems
- Make predictions based on observed patterns
- Record observations through drawings or dictated notes
These fundamental scientific skills lay groundwork for future STEM learning and critical thinking.
Hypothesis Testing and Experimentation
The STJCC study documented children's natural experimentation. When presented with water play materials, 5-year-olds spontaneously tested:
- Which objects would sink or float
- How water moves through different-sized tubes
- How much water different containers hold
- How soap changes water properties
Most impressively, they began making and testing predictions: "I think the metal key will sink because it's heavy, but the wooden block will float." This hypothesis-testing approach represents true scientific thinking, not just random exploration.
Achievement 9: Cultural Awareness and Identity Development
The final remarkable achievement documented in the learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC research involved children's developing sense of cultural awareness and personal identity.
Self-Identity and Family Understanding
By age five, children develop more sophisticated understanding of their personal and family identity. The STJCC researchers observed children:
- Describing themselves using multiple attributes (personality traits, abilities, physical characteristics)
- Understanding family relationships beyond immediate family
- Recognizing their place within family history and traditions
- Expressing pride in family cultural practices
This self-concept becomes increasingly stable and serves as an anchor during the significant transition to formal schooling.
Awareness of Diversity and Fairness
Five-year-olds develop genuine curiosity about human differences. The STJCC documented children asking thoughtful questions about:
- Different languages and communication methods
- Various family structures
- Cultural celebrations and traditions
- Physical differences and abilities
Importantly, 5-year-olds begin developing concepts of fairness that extend beyond their immediate needs. They consider how rules impact others and may advocate for classmates they perceive as being treated unfairly. This emerging moral compass reflects significant cognitive and social-emotional development.
Supporting 5-Year-Olds' Development: Key Takeaways from STJCC Research
The learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC study provided valuable recommendations for parents and educators supporting children through these developmental milestones.
Creating Optimal Learning Environments
The STJCC research highlighted environmental factors that best support 5-year-olds' development:
| Environmental Factor | Impact on Development | Practical Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Predictable Routines | Enhances self-regulation and security | Consistent daily schedules with visual cues |
| Open-Ended Materials | Fosters creativity and problem-solving | Access to blocks, art supplies, natural materials |
| Physical Space | Supports different play types | Defined areas for quiet and active play |
| Rich Language Environment | Accelerates vocabulary and communication | Daily read-alouds, conversations, and word games |
| Social Opportunities | Develops collaboration skills | Mixed-age play groups and cooperative activities |
Balancing Structure and Freedom
The STJCC researchers found that 5-year-olds thrive with a carefully calibrated balance of structure and freedom. Too much direction limits their developing autonomy and problem-solving abilities, while too little structure can create anxiety and behavioral challenges.
Effective approaches include:
- Providing clear boundaries and expectations
- Offering choices within appropriate limits
- Allowing child-directed play periods
- Planning structured learning activities that build on children's interests
- Supporting children through challenges without solving problems for them
By striking this balance, adults help 5-year-olds develop confidence in their growing abilities while providing the security they need to explore new challenges.
Conclusion: The Wonder of Five
The learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC research underscores what many parents and educators intuitively know: age five represents a magical moment in human development. The achievements documented in the STJCC study demonstrate the remarkable integration of cognitive, physical, social, and emotional growth occurring during this critical year.
Five-year-olds stand at an important threshold—having left early childhood behind but not yet fully immersed in formal academic learning. This unique developmental space allows them to accomplish feats that seem almost miraculous when we consider their starting point just a few short years earlier.
By recognizing and celebrating these nine key accomplishments, parents and educators can provide targeted support that honors each child's individual development while encouraging continued growth. The STJCC research serves as a valuable reminder that childhood development is not merely preparation for adulthood but a fascinating journey worth appreciating in its own right.
Frequently Asked Questions About 5-Year-Old Development
How can I tell if my 5-year-old is developing typically?
Development varies considerably between individual children. The achievements outlined in the learning the 9 most amazing things 5-year-olds accomplish 2020 STJCC study represent general patterns, not rigid expectations. Most 5-year-olds will show strengths in some areas and need support in others. If you have specific concerns about your child's development, consult with their pediatrician or an early childhood specialist.
What is the most important skill for 5-year-olds to develop before kindergarten?
The STJCC researchers emphasize that self-regulation—the ability to manage emotions, follow directions, and control impulses—predicts kindergarten success more strongly than academic skills. Children who can sit attentively, transition between activities, and express needs appropriately typically adjust more smoothly to formal schooling.
How much screen time is appropriate for 5-year-olds?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time to 1 hour per day of high-quality programming for children ages 2-5. The STJCC study found that excessive screen time correlated with decreased creative play and social interaction. When used judiciously, educational programming and apps can support learning, but they should complement rather than replace hands-on experiences.
How can I support my 5-year-old's literacy development?
Daily reading remains the single most effective strategy. The STJCC researchers recommend:
- Reading aloud at least 20 minutes daily
- Pointing out letters and sounds in environmental print
- Playing word games like "I Spy" focusing on beginning sounds
- Encouraging storytelling and drawing
- Providing writing materials for emergent writing practice
What type of play best supports 5-year-olds' development?
The STJCC study emphasized the value of varied play experiences. Five-year-olds benefit from:
- Sociodramatic play (pretend scenarios with roles)
- Construction play with blocks and building materials
- Creative arts exploration
- Physical outdoor play
- Simple board games and puzzles
Allowing sufficient unstructured time for self-directed play remains crucial for developing creativity, problem-solving, and social skills.
Note: While the St. Joseph's Child Care Center (STJCC) 2020 study provides valuable insights into child development at age five, always consult with child development professionals regarding specific concerns about individual children.