Developmental Skills and Activities 3 to 4 years

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Developmentally Delayed Pre-K

Developmental Skills and Activities 3 to 4 Years

Development during the preschool years encompasses a broad range of normal. The following checklist of skills depicts what we expect most children to develop during a specific range. Remember that children develop at different rates and this is only a guide to help you determine what skills are appropriate to work on with your child.

Personal and Social Skills

Developmental Skills

Imitates adults and playmates
Spontaneously shows affection for familiar playmates
Understands concept of "mine" and "his/hers"
Expresses affection openly
Expresses a wide range of emotions
By 3, separates easily from parents
Objects to major changes in routine

Supporting Activities

Provide a safe, peaceful, supervised environment.
Set up cooperative play situations (kicking a ball back and forth; working with another child to "cook" and serve an imaginary meal to dolls or adults).
Help child solve social problems ("Tell him you don't like....).
Describe desired behavior and have consistent expectations for behavior. ("Please walk next to me when we are in the store.")
Respond joyfully to child's jokes.
Give child enough time to dress, toilet, and eat independently.

Language and Understanding Skills

Developmental Skills

Understands consequences of an event
Begins to understand time concepts
Recognizes and matches colors
Begins to classify and group objects (by size, shape, color)
Talks in short sentences and joins some sentences together
Sings, learns finger plays
Makes mechanical toys work
Matches an object in her hand or room to a picture in a book
Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people
Sorts objects by shape and color
Completes puzzles with three or four pieces
Understands concept of "two"
Follows a two- or three-part command
Recognizes and identifies almost all common objects and pictures
Understands most sentences
Understands placement in space ("on," "in," "under")
Can say name, age, and sex
Uses pronouns (I, you, me, we, they) and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats)
Strangers can understand most of her words

Supporting Activities

Set limits on behavior and explain why they are necessary. (Running into the street is not safe.")
Use appropriate words to describe past or future events (today, tomorrow, before, after, next).
During story-time ask child simple questions about the story.
Encourage child to sort and match objects during routine tasks. ("Which things do we need to take a bath?" "Where do the forks go?" "What other things could you wear on your feet?")
Teach songs and finger plays.
Talk about sequence of events, tell what comes next.
Provide access to a computer with appropriate children's software. Use it together.

Small Muscle Skills

Developmental Skills

Begins to draw people and animals, including head and some other body parts
Manipulates nontoxic modeling clay (making snakes and balls)
Stacks small blocks and names structure
Cuts with scissors
Completes simple puzzle (6 to 8 pieces)
Makes up-and-down, side-to-side, and circular lines with pencil or crayon
Turns book pages one at a time
Screws and unscrews jar lids, nuts, and bolts
Turns rotating handles

Supporting Activities

Provide table toys (puzzles, beads, blocks).
Provide large sheets of blank, unlined paper.
Allow child to paint driveway with water colors or plain water.
Offer a variety of writing utensils (Paint brushes, markers, colored pencils, crayons).
Allow child to use materials independently-do not push child to "make" something.
Provide material for child to manipulate (nontoxic modeling clay, finger paint, shaving cream, sand).