Normal Development of Reasoning and Problem Solving

Age 1

• Tries a variety of physical strategies to reach simple goals (e.g., when a cart gets stuck while being pushed through a door, turns the cart a different way and tries again).
• Uses gestures and (toward the end of the year) simple language to get help when “stuck” (e.g., extends arms toward parent and says, “Up Up!” when trying to get into a large chair).
• Discovers aspects of the physical world using early language skills and purposeful exploration with the senses (e.g., turns a plastic bucket over and over, raising and lowering the handle thoughtfully).

Age 2

• Makes choices (e.g., food, clothes, toys, activities) based on preferences, sometimes in opposition to adult choices (e.g., child says, “Not jacket. Want hat!”).
• Increases ability to sustain attention, especially when it directly influences an activity (e.g., repeatedly stacks blocks and knocks them down).
• Completes self-chosen, short-term, concrete tasks. Practices an activity many times to gain mastery (e.g., repeatedly moves magnetic letters on and off the refrigerator).
• Has a growing interest in and ability to perform routine tasks independently (e.g., puts napkins on the table before dinner).

Ages 3–4

• Becomes increasingly deliberate when choosing preferred activities and companions (e.g., child says, “I want to play at Jeremy’s house today”).
• Is able to focus attention for longer periods of time, even with distractions or interruptions, as long as the activity is age-appropriate and of interest (e.g., can repeatedly solve and dump out a wooden puzzle, even with the TV on in the background).
• Persists with a wider variety of tasks, activities, and experiences. Keeps working to complete a task even if it is moderately difficult (e.g., persists with a somewhat challenging wooden puzzle).
• Expands abilities to independently complete a range of self-help skills (e.g., feeding, undressing, grooming). May refuse adult assistance (e.g., tries over and over to pull on a sweater and pushes mom’s hands away when she tries to help).

Ages 4–5

• Further expands areas of decision-making (e.g., child may say, “This morning I’m going to work on my Lego building.”).
• Has an increased ability to focus attention, and can ignore more distractions and interruptions (e.g., at preschool, can focus on drawing even when other children are nearby; might say, “I’ll play with you later. I want to finish this”).
• Is increasingly able to complete tasks, even those that require longer time and are less concrete (e.g., keeping track of the days until his or her birthday on a calendar). Has greater ability to set goals and follow a plan (e.g., child says, “I’m going to pick up all these branches,” and then works until it is done).
• Increasingly makes independent choices and shows self-reliance (e.g., chooses clothes, feeds and dresses self).

Ages 5–6

• Deliberates and weighs choices (e.g., may spend a long time thinking about whether to go to the store with mom or to stay home and help dad).
• Maintains focus on a project for a sustained period of time (e.g., spends a day building a complicated fort out of chairs and blankets, complete with props and signs). Is able to return to an activity after being interrupted.
• Persists in longer-term or complex projects, with supervision. Can return to projects begun the previous day. Uses self-talk and other strategies to help finish difficult tasks and assignments from adults (e.g., a school project to make an alphabet book).
• Chooses and follows through on self-selected learning tasks. Shows interest and skill in more complex self-help skills (e.g., decides to learn to skate, zips jacket, prepares a snack).

Ages 6–7

• Enjoys having opportunities to make decisions independently (e.g., explains, “Ms. Cash said we could pick any book we want to share”).
• Has difficulty getting started with less-specific activities and may appear frustrated (e.g., says, “But you didn’t say what part of the book we should draw!”).
• Requires quite a bit of direction from adults, but is beginning to view self as an autonomous individual capable of solving problems (e.g., thinks, “I don’t know how to spell ‘giraffe,’ but I can go copy it from the title of the giraffe book”).

Ages 7–8

• Has some difficulty making decisions and may attach great weight to seemingly simple choices (e.g., says, “But I don’t know if I should wear my sandals because what if we go ride our bikes?”).
• Shifts in seat, jiggles legs, or fidgets with hair or clothes when required to sit still (e.g., plays with shoelaces while a classmate presents a book report).
• Shows greater toleration for open-ended assignments and enjoys planning steps in the task completion process (e.g. says, “I think I am going to draw the dragon from the first part of the story. I will use glitter for the fire”).
• Uses knowledge of routines to plan ahead and do work (e.g., thinks, “We only have five minutes before lunch, so I need to hurry up”).

Ages 8–9

• Weighs options and makes decisions more efficiently (e.g., thinks, “Well I invited Peter last time, so I will ask Eddie today”).
• Sits still and pays attention during activities, even those that may not be particularly stimulating (e.g., sits calmly and listens to 30 minute assembly on school safety).
• Can complete lengthy projects with few interruptions. Tolerates frustration and tackles problems independently (e.g., thinks, “The glitter doesn’t look right. I am going to go look for some foil in the mixed media box”).
• Requires less direction from adults and displays higher levels of self-reliance. Is comfortable solving problems with peers (e.g., says to classmate, “Let’s ask if we can use a calculator and try to figure this one out together”).

As cited in:

Richard, G.J., Fahy, J.K., (2005). The source for Development of Executive Functions. East Moline, IL: Linguisystems