At times, your 8-year-old may surprise you with his depth of thinking and insightful observation about something he learned or experienced at home or at school. Having regular conversations with your child -- for example at dinnertime or while walking to school -- can be an excellent way to set up a good foundation for communication.
Many 8-year-old children develop an interest in money, and may even become obsessed with making money and saving (this is a phase parents may want to take advantage of, by teaching their child about money or paying him an allowance for performing age-appropriate chores).
Eight-year-old children may become interested in a particular subject or interest and delight in learning everything they can about it. Obsession with a game, sport, or hobby is common among 8-year-old children.
Attention span will also increase in 8-year-old children, and you can expect them to be able to concentrate on an activity or lesson for as long as an hour or more. Eight-year-olds will also be able to think critically and may enjoy expressing their opinions about things using their rapidly-developing language skills and expanding vocabulary.
Reading and Writing
Your 8-year-old will really hit his stride with reading. That old adage about children switching from learning to read to reading to learn really applies to this stage of child development as your 8-year-old devours favorite books. He may become obsessed with a particular series such as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Harry Potter.
Numbers and Math
Math will get more complicated for 8-year-old students, who will begin to tackle multiplication and division. By the end of third grade, 8-year-olds will begin working with fractions, know how to use graphs, and work with probability and estimates.
- Have them play with numbers in the kitchen.
- Play math games on road trips.
- Use math at the grocery store.
- Find some great online math games.
