Preschooler development

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Preschooler development

The normal social and physical development of children ages 3 - 6 years old includes many milestones.

All children develop a little differently. If you are concerned about your child's development, talk to your child's health care provider.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Gross motor development in the 3- to 6-year-old should include:
  • Becoming more skilled at running, jumping, early throwing, and kicking
  • Catching a bounced ball
  • Pedaling a tricycle (at 3 years); becoming able to steer well at around age 4
  • Hopping on one foot (at around 4 years), and later balancing on one foot for up to 5 seconds
  • Doing a heel-to-toe walk (at around age 5)
• Fine motor development milestones should include:
  • At about age 3:
    • Drawing a circle
    • Drawing a person with three parts
    • Beginning to use children's blunt-nose scissors
    • Self-dressing (with supervision)
  • At about age 4:
    • Drawing a square
    • Using scissors, and eventually cutting a straight line
    • Putting on clothes properly
    • Managing a spoon and fork neatly while eating
  • At about age 5:
    • Spreading with a knife
    • Drawing a triangle

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LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

• The 3-year-old uses:
  • Pronouns and prepositions appropriately
  • Three-word sentences
  • Plural words
• The 4-year-old begins to:
  • Understand size relationships
  • Follow a three-step command
  • Count to four
  • Name four colors
  • Enjoy rhymes and word play
• The 5-year-old:
  • Shows early understanding of time concepts
  • Counts to 10
  • Knows telephone number
  • Responds to "why" questions

Stuttering may occur in the normal language development of toddlers ages 3 - 4 years. It occurs because ideas come to mind faster than the child is able to express them, especially if the toddler is stressed or excited.

When the child is speaking, give your full, prompt attention. Do not comment on the stuttering. Consider having the child evaluated by a speech pathologist if:

• There are other signs with the stuttering, such as tics, grimacing, or extreme self-consciousness
• The stuttering lasts longer than 6 months

BEHAVIOR

The preschooler learns the social skills needed to play and work with other children. As time passes, the child is better able to cooperate with a larger number of peers. Although 4- to 5-year-olds may be able to start playing games that have rules, the rules are likely to change often at the whim of the dominant child.