Preschooler development

Definition

This article describes the normal social and physical development of children ages 3 to 6 years old.

Information

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Gross motor development milestones
  o Skilled at running, jumping, early throwing and kicking
  o Able to catch a bounced ball
  o At 3 years, is able to pedal a tricycle but may not steer well; at 4 able to steer quite well
  o Around 4, able to hop on 1 foot followed with balancing on 1 foot up to 5 seconds
  o May be able to perform a heel-to-toe walk
• Fine motor development milestones o Able to draw a circle upon request at about 3 years o Draws person with 2 or 3 facial features o Beginning use of children's blunt-nose scissors o Can dress self with supervision o At about 4, able to draw a square o Use of scissors progresses to cutting a straight line o Able to put clothes on properly o Manages spoon and fork neatly while eating o At about 5, can spread with a knife o Able to draw a triangle

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

• At about 3, uses pronouns and prepositions appropriately
• At about 4, begins to understand size relationships
• Enjoys rhymes and word play
• At about 5, early understanding of time concepts
• Able to follow 3 simple commands

Stuttering may commonly occur in the normal language development of toddlers 3 to 4 years of age. It occurs because ideas are able to come to mind faster than the toddler's limited ability to express them. It more commonly occurs if the toddler is stressed or excited.

Give the child your full, prompt attention as she speaks, and do not comment on the stuttering. If the stuttering is accompanied with other signs, such as tics, grimacing, extreme self-consciousness, or if the stuttering persists longer than 6 months, consider having the child evaluated by speech pathologist.

BEHAVIOR

The preschooler learns the social skills necessary to play and work with other children. As age progresses, the child's ability to cooperate with a larger number of peers increases. Although 4- to 5-year olds may be able to start participating in games that have rules, the rules are apt to change frequently at the whim of the more dominant child.

It is common, within a small group of preschoolers, to see a dominant child emerge who tends to "boss" the others around without much resistance from the other children.

It is normal for preschoolers to test their limits in terms of physical abilities, behaviors, expressions of emotion, and thinking abilities. Having a safe, structured environment within which to explore and face new challenges is important, but well-defined limits must be included.