36-48 MONTHS

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KEY 1 KEY 2 KEY 3 KEY 4 KEY 5

Relationships Are My Brain Is I Am Unique Play Is How I Learn as a
Necessary for Me Amazing and I Learn Best Whole Child
to Learn Growing Quickly

www.playbright.org
 36-42 MONTHS
m Understands several hundred words (300-1,000) . . . . . . . . . . . 21
m Uses verbs, nouns, and plurals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
m Repeats a favorite rhyme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
m Says number words from 1 to 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
m Says first and last name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
m Uses 2-3 adjectives — like “red, big, square, wet, hot, good” . . . . . 25
m Sequences a 3-picture story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
m Converses with others using 2- to 3- word sentences . . . . . . . 27
m Listens and carries out, in order, 3-part directions . . . . . . . . . 29
m Sings short familiar songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
m Understands more directional words — like “up/down, over/under,
next to” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
m Uses prepositions — like “in, on, over, by, at, before, into” . . . . . 31
m Tells or retells a story or experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
m Recognizes some letters or numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

42-48 MONTHS
m Makes up a story from pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
m Answers simple questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Listening m Begins to identify individual letters in a word — like the first
letter in own name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
& Talking m Recognizes own printed first name . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
m Asks more who, what, where, and why questions . . . . . . . . 39
m Uses 4-6 words in a sentence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
m With help, can begin to notice words beginning with similar sounds . 41
m Begins to name items in common categories . . . . . . . . . . 41
m Uses words to express several feelings . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
m Describes what will happen next when looking at pictures . . . . . 43
m Uses present tense to describe action in pictures . . . . . . . . . 45
m Uses conjunctions in sentences — like “and, but, because, or” . . . . 45
m Tells how common objects are used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
m Begins to write letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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 Listening & Talking
Asks more who, what, where, and why questions.
Uses 4-6 words in a sentence.
Let’s get out a bucket, some light and heavy objects we can put into
water, and some food coloring. Ask me questions — like “What will
happen when we add a few drops of food color to the water?” Place
floating and sinking items in the bucket and encourage me to ask
what and why questions as we observe what happens to each one.
We can play with the water mill too. Encourage me to ask questions
about what is happening. Listen and respond to my questions.

Talk with me while we play in the water. You can ask me what, where, and
why questions — like “What is happening to the water?” “Why did the spoon
sink?” “Where will the ball go when we put it in the bucket?” You may need to
help me with the answers at first, using 4-6 words in the sentences — like “The
water is turning blue.” “The spoon is heavy and sinks.” “The ball will float on top.”

Take me to places where I can explore and ask many questions — like the zoo, an
aquarium, a children’s museum, the airport, or my own backyard. How can you help
me to use more words in a sentence? Read books to me, talk with me, and ask
me questions. Encourage me to use full sentences to answer you.

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Thinking & Remembering

Marches in time to the music.
Claps to the beat of songs.
Do you have some marching music — like “The Ants Go Marching,” “Oh
When the Saints Go Marching In,” or “Yankee Doodle”? March with me to
the music. One, two, three, four … One, two … three, four! We can put
on hats and dress-up clothes and make a parade. We can use my wagon
and take our dolls along too!

We can clap to the beat of songs — like “This Is the Way We Clap Our Hands” (to the tune of
“The Mulberry Bush”) or “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” Teach me how to keep time with the
beat. What other songs have a strong beat that we can clap to? Where can we clap while we listen
to music or sing songs?

We can march down the hall to take a bath or while we take a walk outside. In what other ways can we
keep time to the beat? Tap 2 sticks, tap our feet, or pat our thighs. We can make a drum with an empty
can that has a plastic lid or turn over a pot. We can play them by tapping with a wooden spoon.

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