Early Childhood

arly childhood years are typically

end of this period the child should be able to

from the age of three to the age of

pronounce all the sounds correctly and tell

eight. Physical growth slows during this time

stories without going off topic (NIDCD,

and is not as dramatic as it was for the first

2014).

three years of life. Fine and gross motor skills

A warning signs that your child

continue to develop allowing children at this

may be developing atypically is

stage to hop on one foot, kick a ball, and have

if your child has difficulty

a decent amount of control over scissors and

(Google Clipart)

pencils (Berk, 2013).

getting

along

with

others,

fidgets or squirms more than the average

As they enter school

child or makes careless mistakes (CDC,

around the age of five,

2016).

children begin to learn number facts and

(Google Clipart)

reading and writing. For the first three years

of school from ages five to eight, children
are still learning to read and should read
every day. Around the age of seven to eight,
children begin to read to learn (Berk, 2013).

hildren at this age need plenty of

exercise and play! Children should

be exercising for at minimum of an hour a

day at a moderate-intensity. With only
approximately 20% of children in the U.S.
getting the exercise they need, this is a very

anguage at this stage should be easily

important strategy parents need in order to

understood by adults and other

keep their children healthy (Berk, 2013).

children. The child should be able to easily

communicate and use adult grammar. By the

Children are much more social at this age and

References

are beginning to make friends easier and

more regularly as their social skills improve.
They are also consistently looking toward

Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development. (9th

ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:

family and adults for support as they begin

CDC (2016) Facts about ADHD. Retrieved

school and other formal activities at this

from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/

stage. Through family and culture they

facts.html.

become increasingly aware of what is right

and wrong, for example
lying verses telling the
truth or being mean to
someone verses being
kind (Berk, 2013).

National Institute on Deafness and Other

Communication
(2014).

Disorders

Speech

and

(NIDCD)
Language

Developmental Milestones. Retrieved

from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/
speech-and-language.