PRESCHOOLER DEVELOPMENT

The normal social and physical development of children ages 3 - 6 years old includes many
milestones. All children develop a little differently.
Fine motor development milestones should include:
o At about age 3:
o Drawing a circle, drawing a person with three parts.
o Beginning to use children's blunt-nose scissors
o Self-dressing (with supervision)
o At about age 4:
o Drawing a square
o Using scissors, and eventually cutting a straight line
o Putting on clothes properly
o Managing a spoon and fork neatly while eating.
o At about age 5:
o Drawing a triangle.
o Can use the toilet by himself/herself.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
The 3-year-old uses:
o Pronouns and prepositions appropriately
o Three-word sentences
o Plural words
The 4-year-old begins to:
o Understand size relationships
o Follow a three-step command
o Count to four
o Name four colors
o Enjoy rhymes and word play
The 5-year-old:
o Shows early understanding of time concepts
o Counts to 10
o Knows telephone number
o Responds to "why" questions
3 TO 6 YEARS-THE STAGE OF SELF-AWARENESS AND IMAGINATION
Around this age your child will be very aware of themselves and their place in the world
but will also enjoy using their imagination. Throughout this stage your child will be starting
to assert their own identity and learning that behavior has consequences and the effect
that it has on others. They will begin to learn what is and is not socially acceptable
behaviour and will be able to separate reality and fantasy. They will learn what they can
and cant control, as well as continuing to develop their earlier abilities.
It is typical of a child this age to:
play in a fantasy world and create imaginary friends
ask even more questions as well as why theres now how and when
try out different identities
set up power struggles and watch the power dynamics in family relationships
begin to play cooperatively with others
develop an interest in games and rules
practice social skills.
You can help your childs development if you encourage them in the new challenges they
will face at this age, such as kindergarden and school, talk to them about feelings so they
can learn to express and connect their feelings and thoughts.