Preschool Providers Talk Developmental Milestones
Psychologists and educationists have provided a wealth of studies over the years, helping us to better understand the stages of childhood development. Preschool providers must take these theories into account, and apply them to our educational practices at school.
What is Childhood Development?
It may seem like a stupid question with a very obvious answer, but understandings of childhood development are fairly complex and nuanced. Just as children may grow physically at different speeds and times in their lives, so too do they develop as human beings.
Development includes the progression of physical ability and motor coordination, social skills, cognitive skills, and communication skills.
Teachers and doctors make use of developmental milestones to determine how the child is developing. These are sets of skills or tasks that are age-specific, and give us an idea of what children should be doing and learning within a certain age range.
Developmental Milestones for Preschoolers
Preschoolers are typically defined as children from ages 3- to 5-years-old. This is a stage of rapid development in all areas, as children become more physically and socially independent.
Physical Milestones
At 3 to 4, children should know how to run; kick, throw, and catch a ball; jump and hop; walk up and down stairs, alternating feet; and be able to bend without falling over. They should also have developed some fine motor skills, like using safety scissors, drawing shapes or people, and beginning to copy capital letters. From 4 to 5, children should be able to dress themselves, use cutlery (occasionally a table knife), and be able to go to the toiler by themselves.
Social Milestones
At preschooler age, children begin to mimic adult behavior – often playing “mom” and “dad” games. They are invested in pleasing their friends or being like them, and show affection. They like to sing, dance, and act, and can understand rules – like taking turns, or helping with chores. They sometimes struggle to distinguish fantasy from reality, and invent their own fantastical games and scenarios. This is also the stage at which children learn to negotiate solutions to conflict.
Cognitive Milestones
Preschoolers should be able to sort objects by shape and color, and match a physical object to its depiction in a book. At 3 to 4, they can complete simple puzzles, understands the concept of counting and may know a few numbers, name a few colors and household items, and have a basic understanding of time. From 4 to 5, these skills are enhanced: the child count up to ten objects, know more colors, and their knowledge of how time works becomes clearer. They can also recall parts of a story, understand three-part instructions, and begin to develop problem-solving skills.
Language Milestones
Again, at this stage, children can recall part of a story, and will often “talk along” as you read their favorite story to them. They should be able to speak in sentences of 5 or more words, use future tense, and tell longer stories. They may even be able to repeat their name and address. The child will also understand the concepts of “same” and “different,” and begin to master some of the rules of grammar.
As you can see, many of these milestones are actually interrelated: children’s physical, social, and intellectual skills develop together in similar ways. This is why play is the most important learning tool! Through play, children learn to socialize, communicate, reason, and use their bodies to problem solve or cooperate.