From 3 through 6 years of age, a
child will be a sponge soaking up everything for understanding. Curiosity
is the basis of all the learning that takes place at this stage.
Parents should answer their child’s endless questions in short,
simple sentences. Imagination develops throughout this stage and
should be encouraged. Providing night lights and stuffed animals
to cuddle helps with night fears.
Sensory refinement, refinement of movement, concern with truth and
reality are all developed through the toddler stage. Provide your
child with wooden puzzles, blocks, fat crayons, and large paper to
help develop coordination and prepare them for school. Encourage
socialization and sharing as your child will respond to both at this
age.
Child Development: 3 Years Old
Though self-centered, a three-year-old child begins to understand
relationships and friends start to become an important part of her
life. She enjoys being part of a group. She learns to take turns
and follow directions. The child at this stage needs social interaction
with peers, so enrolling her in preschool is a good idea. Arrange
play dates and take her to playgrounds to encourage continued development
of socialization skills.
Language development and drawing skills will help the child communicate
and socialize. The child at this age uses short sentences and explores
the world with language. She is able to use a pencil and scissors
and can draw recognizable figures. Toys that help the preschooler
develop new skills will interest the child, such as puzzles, craft
supplies, and musical instruments.
A three-year-old child should be able to stand on one leg, jump
up and down, and should be self-sufficient in many of the routines
at home. She can carry and maneuver objects as she wants. Intense
curiosity about the body and developing the skill to dress and undress
will lead to some awkward moments.
Child Development: 4 Years Old
A four-year-old preschooler will learn phonetics, the alphabet,
comprehend the concept of writing and reading, master basic speaking
grammar, tell stories, and know over 1500 words. The child will engage
in coherent conversations, give her name, age and address, and will
understand time. She feels pride in accomplishments. The preschooler
uses imagination to try out new things, and increase self sufficiency.
Parents should not distress if their child is being willful, making
up stories, wandering off, and showing off.
Physically, the 4-year-old child will have developed enough to climb
a ladder, skip, and walk up and down stairs with ease. She should
be toilet trained by now, able to almost dress and undress by herself,
eat with a fork and spoon, and wash and dry her hands.
Four-year-olds prefer to play with other children, will become competitive,
and prefer sex-appropriate activities. Their attention span increases
and they are able to play more independently, allowing them to spend
more time apart from parents without separation fears.
Child Development:
5 Years Old
A five year old will be competitive in play, highly organized, and
enjoy games requiring rules and taking turns. She will be eager to
carry out some responsibilities, and will feel pride in accomplishments.
The child will become interested in the broader world beyond just
her home and school. The 5-year-old personality is more serious minded,
practical, cooperative, and self-assured.
At this stage of child development, the typical preschooler will
speak fluently, know over 2,000 words, tell long fanciful stories,
and count objects up to about 20. She can read her own name, ask
for the meaning of words, and knows colors. She begins to know the
difference between fact and fiction, though easily believes in magical
logic. Reality is not firm. Perception dominates judgment.
At five, the child exhibits right or left handedness clearly, and
generally starts to lose baby teeth. She draws recognizable humans
and houses, and enjoys elaborate make believe group play. Normally,
5-year-olds can write the letters of the alphabet and identify the
sounds that correspond to most of them. Some children at this age
learn to read if introduced, but the majority will learn to read
in kindergarten. Children usually are capable of tying their own
shoes and buttoning their own buttons before the age of six.
Child
Development: 6 Years Old
Most children at age 6 can tell right from wrong and have the desire
to do the “right” thing, though they may be prone to
telling stories and doing what they are not supposed to do. 6-year-olds
are excitable, impulsive and changeable. They will boast, want to
be first, have the most, be slow to follow instructions, and be a
bit aggressive.
Many 6-year-olds begin to read and print letters and simple words.
They can read and write numbers, and can add and subtract single
digit numbers. They can draw pictures with more details. Their speech
becomes more social, and should be intelligible to others outside
the family. Children at this age often like to help set the table,
choose menu items, serve themselves, and generally become more aware
of the importance of manners.
At this developmental stage, children are more poised, and have
more coordination and stamina. A 6-year-old child is more skillful
with her hands, may be able to ride a bicycle instead of a tricycle,
catch and throw balls, hop, skip, jump, and enjoy team sports. The
baby teeth will continue to fall out, and adult teeth and permanent
molars will start coming in. The child will be casual and careless
in washing and dressing.
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