4 Years – What most preschoolers do at this age:
Social and Emotional
• Enjoys doing new things
• Plays “Mom” and “Dad”
• Is more and more creative with make-believe play
• Would rather play with other children than by himself
• Cooperates with other children
• Often can’t tell what’s real and what’s make-believe
• Talks about what she likes and what she is interested in
Language/Communication
• Knows some basic rules of grammar, such as correctly using “he” and “she”
• Sings a song or says a poem from memory such as the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or the “Wheels on the Bus”
• Tells stories
• Can say first and last name
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
• Names some colors and some numbers
• 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
Movement/Physical Development
• Hops and stands on one foot up to 2 seconds
• Catches a bounced ball most of the time
• Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes own food
We recommend you seek counsel from your preschooler’s doctor if your child:
• Can’t jump in place
• Has trouble scribbling
• Shows no interest in interactive games or make-believe
• Ignores other children or doesn’t respond to people outside the family
• Resists dressing, sleeping, and using the toilet
• Can’t retell a favorite story
• Doesn’t follow 3-part commands
• Doesn’t understand “same” and “different”
• Doesn’t use “me” and “you” correctly
• Speaks unclearly
• Loses skills he once had
This information was taken from the CDC’s website and meant to give you guidelines for development. For more information or if you are concerned, log onto the CDC’s “If You’re Concerned” website.
