At ages 4 to 5, children undergo significant growth in multiple areas, from communication and social skills to motor development. These years are filled with exciting changes as kids become more independent, imaginative, and engaged in complex play.
By this stage, children use full sentences, have an expanding vocabulary, and can carry on conversations. They begin to grasp simple jokes and wordplay, and enjoy asking questions like “why.”
Children get better at handling their emotions. Their communication skills are better. They can now talk about their needs and wants. You will probably notice they do not have as many temper tantrums as before. Do not criticise them. Give them lots of encouragement.
By their fourth birthday, pre-schoolers usually:
- Understand most of the instructions you give about familiar things and places, for example, ‘please put your cup on the table’.
- Can be understood by other people.
- Recognise and name objects and parts of objects in books and in real life.
- Understand concepts such as comparing things (‘big’ or ‘small’, ‘thin’ or ‘thick’), and locations (‘in’ and ‘under’).
- Recite familiar rhymes and sing familiar songs.
- Ask a lot of questions about the world and how it works – ‘why’, ‘where’ and ‘when’.
- Begin identifying and copying letters, numbers and colours.
- Start to understand time.
- Know and tell others their name and age
- Isn’t using sentences of more than 3 words
- Doesn’t seem to understand 2-part commands, such as ‘sit on your chair and pick up your book’
- Doesn’t pretend during play
- Seems to overreact with explosive tantrums over small things or when you leave them
- Often trips when walking or running
- Isn’t able to draw simple shapes when using pencils or crayons
- Has difficulty dressing or using the toilet
- Doesn’t seem to see things or hear you
- Has lost skills they once had
