Learning About my Childs Rapid

Growth!
2 to 3 Year Olds

3 to 4 Year Olds

Physical Changes:

Physical Changes:

More skilled in walking and

beginning to run better
balance
Jumps and hops
Throws and catches with
difficulty
Pushes toys, can steer a little
Begins dressing and undressing
themselves
Zips and unzips larger zippers
Uses spoons properly
Holds a crayon, pencil with full

hand and scribbles

Cognitive Changes:
Begins matching pictures to real
life objects
Begins to make believe
Sorts things by color
Completes 4 to 5 piece puzzles
Begins to understand concept of
numbers 1 and 2
Beginning to talk more and use
sentences and have
conversations

Social and Emotional

Changes:
Beginning to understand
consequences and cause/effect
Better understanding of
emotions
Will easily separate from
parents or known adults
Likes routine and is easily upset
by a change of routine

Better coordination: running,

jumping, throwing & catching
Hops or balances on 1 foot
up to 5 seconds
Pedals and steers at the
same time
Buttoning and Unbuttoning
large buttons
Uses scissors, cutting but not
along lines
Uses fork properly
Begins drawing people,
circles, or squares and capital
letters

Cognitive Changes:
Understand same and
different concepts
Uses basic grammar rules
Speaks in 5 to 6 word
sentences
Asks questions and tells
stories
Speaks clearly
Follows three step directions
Identifies colors
Talks self through things
Can recall familiar events and
stories
Understands number up to
10, counting and

Social and Emotional

Changes:
Describes self
Self-esteem knowledge
friends, school, treating

Learning About my Childs Rapid

Growth!
people kindly, getting along
with parents and siblings
Uses language to express
feelings
Forms friendships by interest
of toys and play
Prefers same gender
playmates

Learning About my Childs Rapid

Growth!
4 to 5 Year Olds
Physical Changes:
Better coordination throwing, catching, hopping,
faster running, walking on a
line/balancing, galloping
Swings and climbs
Dressing and undressing with
little to no assistance
Uses forks and spoons
without spills
Takes care of bathroom
needs

Cognitive Changes:
Recalls stories
Speaking in longer sentences
Uses future tense of things
they will do
Knows name and where they
live

Social and Emotional

Changes:
Can count to 10 and count
objects up to 10
Can identify colors
Knowledge of daily routine
Understands truth from lies
Enjoys playing with friends,
may have imaginary friends
Wants to please
More independent

5 to 6 Year Olds
Physical Changes:
Beginning to loose teeth
Running faster, gallops
smoothly, engages in true
skipping
Flexible throwing and
catching patterns
Uses knife to cut soft foods
Ties shoes
Draws more complex pictures
Copies numbers, simple
words, writes names

Cognitive Changes:
Understands right from
wrong and fantasy from
reality
Attention span increases
Recognition, recall, and
autobiographical memory
gets better
Understanding of letters and
sounds and they go together
Invented spelling or sounding
out words
Vocabulary reaches about
10,000 words
Uses grammar correctly

Social and Emotional

Changes:
Understands others emotions
Has a sense of self/morals
Prefers playing with children
of the same gender

Learning About my Childs Rapid

Growth!
More independent
Eager to please adults