This manual is designed to help teachers select the most suitable activities to support the development of the 10 selected transversal competencies in their pupils. When choosing which activity to propose, it is essential for teachers to start by carefully observing their students to understand their current level of cognitive, emotional, and motor development.

Since each child has their own pace of development and unique starting point, teachers need to choose activities that match the children’s needs and abilities. Careful observation — one of the core skills of any teacher — is key to making these decisions. By understanding how each child approaches learning, interacts with others, and responds to different types of challenges, teachers can select activities that provide the right level of stimulation and support for all pupils.

As we have already seen, in order to facilitate the choice of the most suitable activities, within the sheets of each soft skill it is possible to find some descriptive parameters to understand how the specific competence evolves over time in the age group considered. We have called these competence levels by the generic name: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3.

Instead, in this section of the handbook we wish to provide teachers with a brief summary to guide them in observing their pupils on the three main levels of development: cognitive, emotional and physical/motor development. Far from presenting a comprehensive analysis of children’s psycho-affective development, we wish instead to provide here some theoretical and observational elements drawn from some important developmental theories. We also consider it useful to supplement the theories and observational elements with the most recent discoveries in neuroscience in order to gain an even better understanding of the structural limits and potential of each developmental stage.
in the next few paragraphs you will therefore encounter brief summaries of the developmental milestones between the ages of 6 and 10:

6.1 cognitive development

6.2 emotional development

6.3 physical development 

6.4 elements of neuroscience

6.1 Cognitive development

Between ages 6 and 10, children’s cognitive skills expand significantly, moving toward greater independence, curiosity, and logical reasoning.

Logical Thinking and Concrete Operations (Piaget)

• Before age 6 (Preoperational Stage, 2–7 years):

Thinking is largely egocentric and symbolic. Children use symbols in play but cannot grasp logical principles like the conservation of quantity.

• Ages 6–10 (Concrete Operations, 7–11 years):

Children begin to think logically about concrete objects and events. They understand simple cause-and-effect relationships, can classify and order objects, and grasp reversibility and conservation.

• After age 10 (Formal Operations, from about 12 years):

Children transition toward abstract thinking, formulating hypotheses, reasoning beyond the concrete, and developing more advanced critical thinking skills.

Memory and Learning

• Working Memory:

Around age 6, children can hold sequential instructions in mind. By age 10, they manage multiple pieces of information simultaneously, aiding tasks like multi-step math problems.

• Long-Term Memory:

From age 6, memory becomes more organized, allowing recall of events and learned concepts. By age 10, they easily retain academic knowledge over weeks or months.

• Mnemonic Strategies:

Early on, repetition is used to remember information. By 9–10, children employ strategies like mental images or categorization to improve recall.

Attention and Inhibitory Control

Between 6 and 10, children increase their ability to focus for extended periods, ignore distractions, and inhibit impulsive responses. This supports goal-directed behavior and academic tasks.

Language and Reflective Thinking (Vygotsky)

• Vocabulary and Abstract Concepts:

Vocabulary grows rapidly, including more technical and abstract terms. By about 8, children understand concepts like empathy and justice.

• Syntax and Grammar:

Between 6 and 10, children master more complex grammatical structures, creating longer, more coherent sentences and narratives.

• From Egocentric to Reflective Thinking

Around 8–9, children recognize others’ perspectives, fostering empathy. By 9–10, they self-correct language mistakes and form opinions, supporting the rise of critical thinking.

Problem Solving and Self-Regulation

• Planning and Strategy (6–7 years):

Children start basic planning, often using trial-and-error approaches.

• Cognitive Flexibility (7–8 years):

They adapt more easily to changing rules or unexpected situations.

• Problem Analysis (8–9 years):

They break down tasks into steps, use help effectively, and think more systematically.

• Emotional Self-Regulation (9–10 years):

Children stay calmer when facing difficulties, consider alternative solutions, and self-monitor their progress.

• Perseverance and Resilience (9–10 years):

They persist longer, understand effort leads to success, and cooperate better with peers to solve problems. 

6.2 Emotional development

Social-emotional skills mature greatly between 6 and 10, influencing how children understand and regulate emotions, build relationships, and respond to others.

Understanding Emotions

• By age 6–7, children identify basic emotions in themselves and others.
• By 8–9, they discern more complex emotions and underlying reasons.
• By 9–10, they show empathy, predict others’ feelings, and adjust their behavior.

Emotional Control and Self-Regulation

• Early in this period, children manage emotions by seeking adult help.
• By 8, they use basic strategies (counting, focusing on positives).
• By 9–10, they prepare emotionally for challenging situations and self-regulate more independently.

Building Self-Esteem

• At 6–7, children rely heavily on adult approval.
• By 8–9, they compare themselves to peers, leading to more balanced self-assessments.
• By 9–10, self-esteem becomes more stable, with children setting personal standards and improving through effort.

Expanding Social Relationships

• Friendships become more meaningful, based on shared values like trust and honesty.
• By 8, children choose friends not only for common activities but also for reliability.
• By 9–10, they handle conflicts more maturely, listen to others, and value deeper connections.

Conflict Resolution and Social Skills

• Younger children still depend on adults to resolve conflicts.
• By 8, they propose compromises.
• By 9–10, they can solve disputes independently, sometimes mediating among peers.

Social Responsibility

• Initially, children just follow simple rules.
• By 8–9, they collaborate in groups, taking on roles for collective goals.
• By 9–10, they understand their impact on the community and respect broader social norms.

Social Self-Awareness

• From 6–7, children notice how others react to them.
• By 8, they reflect on their social role and adjust to fit in.
• By 9–10, they are more attuned to how others perceive them, influencing their social behavior to gain acceptance and respect.

6.3 Physical development 

Physical growth and improved motor skills at this age support cognitive, emotional, and relational development.

Main Stages

• Body Growth: Steady increases in height and weight; improved proportions.
• Fine Motor Skills: Enhanced precision in writing, drawing, and tool use.
• Gross Motor Skills: Better coordination, strength, balance, and abilities like running or jumping.
• Body Control: Greater spatial awareness, enabling participation in sports and team games.

Impact on Other Areas

• Emotional: Success in physical tasks boosts self-esteem; exercise helps manage stress.
• Relational: Group sports encourage cooperation, empathy, and social integration.
• Cognitive: Activities requiring coordination and planning improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, reinforcing the mind-body connection.

6.4 The point of view of neuroscience

During the period between the ages of 6 and 10, children’s brains undergo profound and important changes. Here are the fundamental elements to keep in mind in order to help build educational activities useful for the development of transversal skills.

Maturation of the Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is one of the last areas of the brain to mature and is essential for executive functions such as planning, emotional control, behavior regulation, and strategic thinking. Between the ages of 6 and 10, the prefrontal cortex develops stronger connections with other areas of the brain, allowing significant progress in:

• Action planning.
• Impulse control and emotional regulation.
• Monitoring and correcting errors.
• Flexible adaptation to new situations (cognitive flexibility).

Development of the Limbic System

The limbic system, which includes the amygdala (involved in processing emotions), is highly active during childhood. Emotional regulation improves thanks to the increase in connections between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system.

Effects observed between the ages of 6 and 10:

• Greater ability to identify and understand one’s own and others’ emotions.
• Progress in managing frustration and emotional stress.
• Ability to react more rationally to stressful or conflictual situations.

Strengthening of Neuronal Connections

During this age group, neuronal connections become more efficient thanks to myelination and the strengthening of frequently used synapses (a process known as synaptic pruning). These changes promote:

• Faster and deeper learning of new skills.
• The development of working memory, necessary for solving complex problems.
• The ability to analyze problems systematically.

Activation of the Parietal System

The parietal system, involved in spatial representation and solving logical problems, collaborates more and more closely with the prefrontal cortex.

This supports:

• The ability to break down complex problems into manageable steps.
• The understanding of numerical relationships and abstract mathematical concepts.

Learning Mediated by Experience and Brain Plasticity

The brain between the ages of 6 and 10 is highly plastic, meaning it can adapt to new experiences and environments. Social and school experiences directly influence the development of neural connections, consolidating skills such as:

• The ability to collaborate in groups.
• Controlling emotions in conflict situations.
• Building self-efficacy and resilience.

Motivation Circuits

The reward system, which involves the dopamine circuit, is active in reinforcing behaviors associated with positive experiences. In children between the ages of 6 and 10, positive feedback (from teachers or parents) and the achievement of small goals activate these circuits, motivating them to learn and persevere.

Cognitive Flexibility and the Role of the Hippocampus

The hippocampus, essential for memory and learning, develops further during this stage. It contributes to cognitive flexibility, allowing children to:

• Modify learning or problem-solving strategies.
• Use past experiences to solve new problems.