General Developmental Sequence Toddler through Preschool

This page presents typical activities and achievements for children from two to five years of age. It is important to keep in mind that the time frames presented are averages and some children may achieve various developmental milestones earlier or later than the average but still be within the normal range. This information is presented to help parents understand what to expect from their child. Any questions you may have about your child's development should be shared with his doctor or teacher. There are many programs available touting to raise IQ and speed up child development in general. Research shows that the key to healthy child development is the amount of time children spend time with their parents having fun and learning at the same time. Electronic input for children of this age should be limited to no more than 2 hours per day (that includes "educational" programs). Here are some suggestions: Activities for Toddlers & Parents. Reading to children develops language skill and pre-reading skills. You will find these resources on reading to children to help you make the most of this special time. Here is a great preschool book list. Children at this stage also need lots of playtime. This includes playing alone, with peers and with their parents. Please see our articles on "Play the Work of a Child." Here are suggestions for Toys & Games for this crowd. Listening to music and playing with musical toys is also great. Finally, get our kids playing outside as much as possible. Just a couple of well chosen outdoor play items such as these Outdoor Fun can lead to hours of fun, exploration and physical development.

Physical Development Walks well, goes up and down steps alone, runs, seats self on chair, becoming independent in toileting, uses spoon and fork, imitates circular stroke, turns pages singly, kicks ball, attempts to dress self, builds tower of six cubes. Emotional Development Very Self-centered, just beginning a sense of personal identity and belongings, possessive, often negative, often frustrated, no ability to choose between alternatives, enjoys physical affection, resistive to change, becoming independent, more responsive to humor and distraction than discipline or reason.

Social Development Solitary play, dependent on adult guidance, plays with dolls, refers to self by name, socially very immature, little concept of others as "people." May respond to simple direction.

Age 2

Intellectual Development Says words, phrases and simple sentences, 272 words, understands simple directions, identifies simple pictures, likes to look at books, short attention span, avoids simple hazards, can do simple form board.

Physical Development Runs well, marches, stands on one foot briefly, rides tricycle, imitates cross, feeds self well, puts on shoes and stockings, unbuttons and buttons, build tower of 10 cubes. Pours from pitcher. Emotional Development Likes to conform, easy going attitude, not so resistive to change, more secure, greater sense of personal identity, beginning to be adventuresome, enjoys music.

Age 3

Social Development Parallel play, enjoys being by others, takes turns, knows if he is a boy or girl, enjoys brief group activities requiring no skill, likes to "help" in small ways--responds to verbal guidance. Intellectual Development Says short sentences, 896 words, great growth in communication, tells simple stories, uses words as tools of thought, wants to understand environment, answers questions, imaginative, may recite few nursery rhymes Social Development Cooperative play, enjoys other children's company, highly social, may play loosely organized group

Physical Development Skips on one foot, draws "Man", cuts with scissors (not well), can wash and dry face, dress self

Age 4

except ties, standing broad jump, throws ball overhand, high motor drive. Emotional Development Seems sure of himself, out-of bounds behavior, often negative, may be defiant, seems to be testing himself out, needs controlled freedom. Age 4

games - tag, duck-duck-goose, talkative, versatile. Intellectual Development Uses complete sentences, 1540 words, asks endless questions, learning to generalize, highly imaginative, dramatic, can draw recognizable simple objects. Social Development Highly cooperative play, has special "friends", highly organized, enjoys simple table games requiring turns and observing rules, "school", feels pride clothes and accomplishments, eager to carry out some responsibility.

Physical Development Hops and skips, dresses without help, good balance and smoother muscle action, skates, rides wagon and scooter, prints simple letters, handedness established, ties shoes, girls small muscle development about 1 year ahead of boys. Emotional Development Self-assured, stable, well-adjusted, home-centered, likes to associate with mother, capable, of some self-criticism, enjoys responsibility. Likes to follow the rules.

Age 5

Intellectual Development 2,072 words, tells long tales, carries out direction well, reads own name, counts to 10, asks meaning of words, knows colors, beginning to know difference between fact and fiction-lying, interested in environment, city, stores, etc.

Toddler & Preschool Age-Level Characteristics

TODDLER - AGES 2 and 3 A child's basic attitude toward life, other people and God develops during the first five years. As the Sunday school teacher, it's your job to help the students in your class develop positive attitudes toward God, his Word and his church. Their first impression of God is formed from the attitudes and actions of the adults in their lives, so as you teach God's love for them and encourage their love for their heavenly Father, provide a loving atmosphere. At the same time, relax and enjoy the wonderful covenant children God has chosen to share with you! 2-year-old Characteristics* y y y y y y y y y y y Cannot think abstractly Need simple and concrete samples Often feel small and vulnerable Have a fear of separation from parents Are curious about everything Are physically active Have limited motor skills Are developing large motor skills Have a 200-word vocabulary Understand more words than they can use Play NEAR others

3-year-old Characteristics* y y y y y y y y y y y Cannot think abstractly Need simple and concrete examples Like to be helpful Watch and imitate adults Can have sensible conversations Can sit a little longer Have limited coloring/gluing skills Follow simple directions Have a 1,500-word vocabulary Know some Bible words Play WITH others

*From Toddler curriculum, Introduction You are stepping in to assist parents and the church in nurturing these children. As you open up a new world of learning, provide a predictable, well-structured and caring atmosphere y y Click here to order a FREE Toddler Preview Packet Click here for Children with Special Needs

PRESCHOOL - AGES 4 and 5 You are stepping in to assist parents and the church in nurturing these active 4- and 5-year-olds. You can open up a new world of learning for them by providing a predictable, well-structured and caring atmosphere. Wiggly preschoolers are not to young to develop the skill of quiet listening. As you prepare

to tell the Bible story each week, lead your children in simple routines to prepare them to hear the Word of God. Understanding their characteristics and needs, you can teach preschoolers effectively. What they are like:* y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y Attention span lasts five to ten minutes Play with others Literal thinkers Curious Active Imitative Do not generalize Limited understanding of numbers, time and space Growing in independence Talkative Developing small muscle control Expanding vocabulary Tire easily Want to please Formulate ideas through concrete experiences

What they need:* y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y Opportunity to change activity often Social interaction, group games Concrete Bible stories, no abstract concepts Imaginative activities Plenty of opportunities to move around Setting that encourages learning by doing Opportunities to learn by specific actions References to what numbers mean or to geography too abstract Freedom within limits routine and structure Opportunities to practice cutting, pasting, drawing and coloring Opportunities to learn through language Periods of rest Tasks to perform Encouragement; reasonable praise To learn about God in terms of what he does rather than who he is

Child development chart: Preschool milestones

By Mayo Clinic staff

Every child grows and develops at his or her own pace. Still, child development tends to follow a fairly predictable path. Check out this child development chart for milestones from ages 2 to 5. If

your child's development seems to be lagging behind in certain areas, share your concerns with your child's doctor.
Age 2 Language skills Speaks 250 to 500 or more words Speaks in three-and four-word sentences Uses pronouns (I, you, we, they) and some plurals Answers simple questions Speaks in complete sentences Age 3 Age 4 Age 5

Speaks about 50 words

Understands rhyming

Links two words together

Uses compound and complex sentences

Uses some adjectives (big, happy)

Uses prepositions (under, beside, in front)

Uses future tense

Speaks clearly enough for parents to understand some of the words Social skills

States first name

Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand

States full name and address

Becomes aware of his or Imitates parents and her identity as a playmates separate individual May become defiant Becomes interested in playing with other children Separation anxiety begins to fade Cognitive skills Asks "why" questions Takes turns

Cooperates with playmates

Wants to be like friends

Tries to solve problems

Follows rules

Expresses affection openly

May have a best friend

Understands gender

Easily separates from parents

Becomes more independent

Wants to do things alone

Begins to play make-

Becomes involved in Uses imagination to more complex imaginary

believe Begins to sort objects by Correctly names some shape and color colors

play Prints some capital letters

create stories Correctly counts 10 or more objects

Scribbles

Copies a circle

Copies a triangle and Draws a person with two other geometric to four body parts patterns Understands the concepts of morning, afternoon and night Understands the concepts of time and sequential order

Finds hidden objects

Understands the concepts of same and different

Physical skills Walks alone and stands on tiptoe Walks up and down stairs, alternating feet Stands on one foot for at Stands on one foot for at least five seconds least 10 seconds Throws ball overhand, kicks ball forward and catches bounced ball most of the time

Climbs on furniture and begins to run

Kicks, climbs, runs and pedals a tricycle

Hops, swings and somersaults

Builds a tower of six or more blocks

Builds a tower of nine or Dresses and undresses more blocks Manipulates small objects and turns book pages one at a time

May learn to ride a bike and swim Brushes own teeth and cares for other personal needs

Empties objects from a container

Uses scissors

Tips for Teaching at the Toddler and Preschool Level

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Tips for Teaching at the Toddler and Preschool Level Muriah Summer, Elementary and Preschool Teacher Muriah Jan 27th, 2008

Teaching English to a two- or three-year old can be a lot of fun. Small children are energetic and love learning, they pick things up quickly and they re so gosh-darn cute! Still, it can be intimidating; what do you do about temper tantrums, or diapers, or if the child gets hurt? If you re thinking about teaching at this age level, be sure you know what you re getting into. Communicate with the parents. Be sure that the parents of your student are aware of your methods and expectations, and how you believe their child will benefit from them. This can be difficult if you don t share a language, but it s very important. If you favor a gentle memorization-free learning approach, and the child s parents want him to be able to recite the ABC s, you could be in for a clash down the line unless you reach a compromise. It s also important to be clear on whether you will be responsible for discipline, caring for the child unsupervised, changing diapers, etc. Be sure you re comfortable with what the parents expect of you. Think outside the classroom. Especially if you have the parents cooperation, there s a lot you can do with a toddler outside of the normal flashcard games. Think of how many different things you could talk about in a park, or in the local supermarket. One of the more memorable lessons I have taught involved a trip to the pet store with my student and her father. If the parents are agreeable, snacks are a fun way to talk about tastes and the names of food- I recommend fruits! Art projects such as collages are a good way to talk about colors, use lots of vocabulary, and practice following directions. Additionally, before a snack or after an art project, you have the chance to talk about hand washing. To a child in this age group, anything can be an opportunity to learn, and that s one of the most exciting aspects of teaching them. Have a plan (and be willing to trash it).

Toddlers pick up on your emotions, and if you are nervous and uncomfortable, they are likely to be the same. However, if you are confident in a well planned lesson, it is much more likely that the child will be interested and engaged. Unfortunately, though, there are exceptions to every rule. Sometimes an activity you were sure would be a hit flops; sometimes the child s interest is just elsewhere. For example, I planned several activities for one lesson, and at the last minute stuck some cardboard shape cutouts in my bag. My plan was a loss, but tracing the cutouts occupied the student for at least twenty minutes. Another time, my student had just watched a television show about tooth brushing, and we spent almost the whole lesson pretending to clean the teeth of a toy hippo. The best lesson plans, I ve found, consist of many simple activities that can be swapped around to suit the mood of the child. You can find some great ideas to start with at the following webpages. Gayle s Preschool Rainbow has lots of activities for native English speaking preschoolers and toddlers. Most of the themes are applicable to EFL classes as well. Preschool Express by Jean Warren has activities for both school and home environments, which means a lot of them work well in one-on-one lessons. First School has very good printable crafts and activities on a wide range of themes, better for preschoolers than toddlers. Most of the crafts don t require a lot of preparation, so they re good when you re short on time. Enchanted Learning is a great place to look for craft ideas. Be careful, though; some of the downloads are subscription only. Have a routine. A routine that you follow at every lesson not only saves you planning time, but is comfortable for the child. Young children enjoy repetition; it s how they learn. For example, in my group lessons I always begin with a stretching routine followed by a song, and close with sticker books and a goodbye song. The students know what to expect, which helps them to overcome nervousness. In addition, feel free to repeat an activity that went well. It will probably be as popular the second and third time as it was the first. Do your research. Having a basic idea of where your student is developmentally can be a big help in planning appropriate activities. An 18-month-old only knows about fifty words in their native tongue; a three-year old may

know more than one thousand. The ability to jump comes around the second birthday, toilet training closer to the third. A game with rules probably would not work well before three years; focus on simpler activities with two-year-olds. Also, be aware that toddlers grow quickly. An activity that was too difficult last month may be perfectly appropriate today. This website has an easy to understand explanation of one and two year old development. Here s a similar page for three and four year olds. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is also the simplest: Have fun. If you enjoy teaching them, they will enjoy learning from you, and fostering a good attitude about English is one of the best things you can accomplish at this age.

From Toddler to Preschool

What you need to know during this important transition. By Brian G. Orr, M.D. and Donna Raskin Mothers often marvel at their 1-year-old children. In a short year, their children go from dependent infants to walking toddlers. These children triple their weight, become curious in the world and crave freedom to move around it. Its a wonder to behold. But, also during this mesmerizing time, parents often dread what is to come: the infamous terrible 2s and horrible 3s. As a pediatrician, I marvel at the next transition. When a toddler approaches 2 years old and beyond, his personality develops. He starts to show preferences and interests. Unlike his demeanor just months and weeks prior, he doesnt get as easily distracted from his desired object. As a developing toddler, he demonstrates will and determination. Eating a meal in full is no longer easily accomplished. He decides what foods he likes and does not like. He discovers humor and entertainment. He learns what pleases him and thumbs his nose at displeasures. By the preschool age, children have become little people who express themselves verbally, tell stories and interact with peers. This transition is equally as remarkable as the first year of life. But for parents, it can be hard to enjoy children at this age because it dually represents a challenging time of parenting. With the fascinating growth of personality come the parenting struggles we all fear: tantrums, food battles, toilet training issues and the list continues. Yet, these challenges are appropriate steps in childrens development. How can parents appreciate this development while peacefully managing interactions with their child? This is the challenge of comprehending the terrible 2s and horrible 3s. As parents, we can meet the challenges of the toddler years if we understand them in respect to childrens development. All the new challenges our children give us during this time are a direct result of their new development, skills, curiosities and determination. Food challenges, for instance, are due to a slower rate of growth, which causes smaller appetites. By looking at childrens development, we can better understand their behavior. Then perhaps we can control our responses to their behaviors. As we control our reactions to their behaviors, we actually improve our interactions with our children, thereby making these terrible times much easier. Lets look at some examples. Parents often witness a wane in diet in children by 18 months of age. Sometimes it is difficult to have a child sit for five minutes to eat. And the amount of food consumed versus going to the dogs (literally) may be a pittance. Many parents end up reverting to reliable foods such as spaghetti and macaroni and cheese just to get their kids to eat something. What is happening in childrens development at this age? They are getting increasingly curious and active. They dont want to sit. Their growth rate is much slower than the first year, meaning children approaching age 2 do not need to eat as much to grow. And they are showing preferences in what foods they like.

Taking this into perspective, parents shouldnt expect children at this age to eat full meals. Such youngsters will eat what they need to grow on, as all children do. Parents also need to refrain from catering too much to their childs likes and dislikes. Keep variety coming, encouraging growing children to eat from a well-rounded diet. If childrearing is this simple, where do tantrums come from? Your poor young children! They get some voice, legs and mobility. They see all the opportunity for exploration around them, and they think the world is theirs. Unfortunately, they dont see what is safe and unsafe. Parents need to say no in order to keep young children out of harms way. When their exploration and freedom are limited, however, children react. When you dont allow them to bang the table with silverware in a restaurant, they may have a temper tantrum. They may cry, they may lash out, they may hit. All these are trials. Attempts. Tantrums arent intended to be malicious or mean. By lashing out, toddlers are simply trying to change our minds. Because they want to reclaim freedom and control, they try on a behavior for size. Unfortunately, parents generally need to take control. We need to keep situations safe. Recognize these tantrum behaviors as attempts to influence our decisions. However, dont take the bait and dont take it personally. Most behaviors that arent given much attention usually fade. Dont let your childs tantrums control you or a situation and dont give them undue attention and they will go away over time. Be patient. You may need to leave the playground. You may need to drop off children at preschool. You may need to put children in bed. Its crucial to know that many young children and preschoolers hate transitions. Transitions are hard for young children. They want to do what they want to do when they want to do it! Young children have developed some persistence and determination. These attributes will serve them well in their future. But for parents, such persistence produces a battle another possible tantrum instigator. Timers, bells and other signals help ease transitions. Several warnings also help. And at some point, no matter what the transition, you have to move kids through it. Expect young children to react. Yet, overtime if they see and feel your determination, childrens battles will cease and they will accept a transition. A young child might say, Fine, we can go, but I want to climb into the car seat myself. Respond: You can do that. Youre such a big guy now! Many young children develop bad habits. Picking their nose, biting their nails, even handling their privates may all occur at embarrassing times. Part of toddlerhood to preschool development is body exploration and self care. Young children do have control of their hands and control of many body parts. They own their bodies. As parents, we can teach them where caring for the body is appropriate in privacy. Teaching and allowing body care in private keeps this battle small. Instead of saying dont pick your nose, say if youre going to pick your nose, do it in the bathroom or your bedroom. This age group also transitions into the ultimate body control function of childhood training to use the toilet. Toilet training can be a big control battle. Keep in mind what I said above: Young children have control of many of their body parts. This is particularly true of their bowels.

Many pediatricians feel that potty training should never become a battle. It is really your childs choice where he goes to the bathroom. It is his accomplishment to go in the potty. It shouldnt matter to parents where a child goes to the bathroom. However, we do have control over how and where to clean children up. And we can encourage children to go to the bathroom, like grown-ups do. For insight, most girls arent toilet trained until age 2 and most boys at 3 or older! There are many issues to face with children 18 months to 3 years of age. By viewing our challenges while interacting with our children, we more easily understand how to deal with childrens development at this stage. There are also many things we need to be in charge of, and there are some things over which children have ultimate control. As parents, we need to step back on occasion and think about where we draw the line, where we take control and when we concede control to them. I have developed a list of 12 guidelines for dealing with the toddler-to-preschooler transition to help parents realize that the horrible 3s are really an honorable time. 1. Recognize that this is an age of wonder, exploration, determination and skill attainment. 2. Praise the positive. Marvel in it. Through our praise, little ones appreciate their skills. 3. Dont dwell on the negative. 4. Dont sweat how much little ones eat. Instead, focus on maintaining their balanced diet. 5. Ignore their fits. If tantrums dont work, young children stop using them. 6. Remember, all children eventually toilet train. 7. Read, read, and read. Young children love words and love to build their vocabulary. 8. Enjoy your childrens interests. 9. Say no for your childs safety. 10. When you do, expect children to behave. 11. Help little ones through transitions. 12. Appreciate young childrens stories they love telling them and using creativity.