Preschool Development Ages 3 5 How your child

Preschool Development Ages 3 -5

How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about your child’s development. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age.

What types of developments are we watching? Social/Emotional Language/Communication Cognitive (problem solving and thinking!) Movement (gross and fine)

Social Emotional Development Social-emotional skills are essential for connecting with others! They help us manage our emotions, build healthy relationships, and feel empathy. Some examples of social-emotional skills in use are: ● ● ● Recognizing if someone is sad, and asking if they’re ok Expressing yourself with your friends in a different way than with your parents Understanding your thoughts and feelings, and being able to relate to others

What do social-emotional skills help kids do? Kids with healthy social-emotional skills are more likely succeed in school, work, and life. Social-emotional skills help kids: ● ● ● ● ● Make friends and keep friendships Gain confidence Resolve conflicts Manage stress and anxiety Learn social norms Make appropriate decisions Resist negative social pressure Learn strengths and weaknesses Gain awareness of what others are feeling According to the CDC ● ● ● ● ● Copies adults and friends Shows affection for friends without prompting Takes turns in games Shows concern for crying friend Understands the idea of “mine” and “his” or “hers” Shows a wide range of emotions Separates easily from mom and dad May get upset with major changes in routine Dresses and undresses self

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Language and Communication 3 years old ● ● ● ● Follows instructions with 2 or 3 steps Can name most familiar things Understands words like “in, ” “on, ” and “under” Says first name, age, and sex Names a friend Says words like “I, ” “me, ” “we, ” and “you” and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats) Talks well enough for strangers to understand most of the time Carries on a conversation using 2 to 3 sentences 4 years old ● Sings a song or says a poem from memory such as the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or the “Wheels on the Bus” Knows some basic rules of grammar, such as correctly using “he” and “she” Tells stories ● ● 5 years old ● ● Speaks very clearly Tells a simple story using full sentences Uses future tense; for example, “Grandma will be here. ” Says name and address

Cognitive Development (problem solving/ thinking) 3 years old ● ● ● Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, & people Understands what “two” means Copies a circle with pencil or crayon Screws & unscrews jar lids or turns door handle Can work toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts 4 years old ● ● ● ● ● Understands the idea of counting Starts to understand time Remembers parts of a story Understands the idea of “same” and “different” Draws a person with 2 to 4 body parts Uses scissors Starts to copy some capital letters Plays board or card games Tells you what he thinks is going to happen next in a book

Cognitive Development 5 years Old ● ● ● Counts 10 or more things Can draw a person with at least 6 body parts Can print some letters or numbers Copies a triangle and other geometric shapes Knows about things used everyday, like money and food (See picture)

Motor Skills Development

Fine Motor are movements involving smaller muscle groups such as those in the hand wrist. Gross Motor are movements related to large muscles such as legs, arms, and trunk.

Gross Motor Skills 3 – 4 years old ● ● ● ● ● Run around obstacles Walk on a line Balance on one foot for 5 – 10 seconds Hop on her preferred foot Ride a tricycle Walk up and down stairs with alternating feet, without support Jump from 12 inches with feet together Use a slide independently Climb well (not including ladders) Skip, leading with 1 leg 4 – 5 years old ● ● ● ● ● Walk a balance beam forwards & backwards Perform somersaults Balance on 1 foot for 8 – 10 seconds Skip, alternating feet Begin to jump rope Throw a ball to hit a target Jump back Pump and maintain momentum while on a swing (may be started with a forward push) Hop 5 times on 1 foot Climb the rungs of a playground slide ladder

Gross Motor

ASSIGNMENT! 1. Create a gross motor activity for kids. 2. Record yourself participating in the activity. 3. Share the video in your class folder. 4. Have fun. : ) My classes typically spend a class period of recess outside playing for 45 minutes. Then, we finish with a potty break, water, and naptime. : )