A

Dozen Ways to Grow

Child Development by Age 5

Image used courtesy of clipart.

Introduc>on to course
With this course, educators will be able to rediscover
the fundamentals of early childhood ages and stages
that children undergo before age 5, which can be
easily forgoAen in the hustle and bustle of the Pre-K
classroom. This course is designed with experienced
educators in mind who need to be made up to speed
on the importance of the developmental milestones
typical of and appropriate prac>ce necessary for the
growth and learning of 0 to 5 year old children.
Educators will be reminded of their role in building a
posi>ve rapport in their classrooms and promo>ng
healthy development through ac>vi>es, prac>ces, and
environmental changes.

Course Objec>ves
Par>cipants will be able to:
Review the ages, stages and 6 domains of early development.
Iden>fy the characteris>cs of developmentally appropriate
teaching and learning and assess how DAP inuences the early
classroom.
Evaluate the developmental milestones and prac>ces
appropriate for learners from ages 0 to 4.
Assess the myth of the Terrible Twos and joys and
challenges that present themselves at every age.
Evaluate the developmental milestones and prac>ces
appropriate in each learning domain for learners by age 5.
Examine how play promotes learning for young children.
Analyze the warning signs to observe for children at risk of
developmental delays.

Age and Stages of Early Development:

Birth to 12 months (0 - 1 year)

12 months to 24 months (1-2 years)
24 months to 36 months (2-3 years)
36 months to 48 months (3-4 years)
48 months to 60 months (4-5 years)

Domains of Development:
Sense of Self (Self Condence, Self Awareness)
Social - Emo>onal Development
Cogni>ve Development
Sensorimotor /Memory / Logic
Problem Solving / Math / Science
Technological and other
Language, Communica>on & Literacy (Reading, Wri>ng)
Physical Development
Large Motor
Fine (Small Motor)
Crea>ve Development

What is Developmentally Appropriate prac>ce?

DAP emphasizes the coexis>ng development of social,
emo>onal, physical, and intellectual growth. DAP means
that learning can happen spontaneously and that teachers
deliberately plan for teaching. DAP means making content
meaningful for young learners. It builds on what children
know and then provides addi>onal knowledge. Teachers
oer clear instruc>on by modeling ac>vi>es. They provide
guided prac>ce when children try out what was taught
and provide scaolding when necessary. DAP
acknowledges that children have their own >me schedule
when it comes to acquiring new skills and engages them in
independent thinking and doing in the face of challenges.
Adopted from NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate prac>ce in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. A posi5on statement
for the Na5onal Associa5on for the Educa5on of Young Children. Retrieved from www.naeyc.org.

How does DAP inuence learning?

Social Development: students gain a sense of their iden>ty and
are aware of their place in the overall classroom
environment. Coopera>on with others is key.
Emo0onal Development: children feel emo>onally supported
and condent in their skills and abili>es to learn. They are
encouraged to express their feelings in healthy ways and are
made aware of how their ac>ons aect others.
Cogni0ve Development: children are provided enriching
learning experiences that encourage a love of learning and a
sense of competence and cri>cal thinking.
Physical Development: children enhance their small and large
motor skills and are met with a challenge when they exceed
normal expecta>ons.
Crea0ve Development: children are challenged to think
imagina>vely; expressing themselves crea>vely is limitless.

Why does developmentally

appropriate teaching maAer?
Mee>ng children where they are is essen>al,
but no good teacher simply leaves them there.
Keeping in mind desired goals and what is
known about the children as a group and
individually, the [great] teacher plans
experiences to promote childrens learning
and development.
Adopted from NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate prac>ce in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. A posi5on
statement for the Na5onal Associa5on for the Educa5on of Young Children. Retrieved from www.naeyc.org.

What does developmentally appropriate learning

look like in the early care classroom?
Instruc>on is child centered whether during teacher directed or self directed
ac>vi>es.
Toys are appropriate for the developmental abili>es of the student popula>on.
Learning materials are accessible and proper guidance is provided on how to
use them.
Art ac>vi>es are open-ended and nished art is displayed at the childs level.
Independent free play is strongly encouraged but teacher keeps a watchful eye
on the classroom.
A sense of family and community unites the students and teachers and cultural
sensi>vity is given to each childs individual background.
The classroom is easy to navigate for young learners; learning centers are
apparent and relevant.
Teachers create a caring community of learners and establish reciprocal
rela>onships with families.
Teachers teach to enhance development and learning.
The teacher plans curriculum to achieve important goals and to assess
childrens development and learning.
Adopted from NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate prac>ce in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. A posi5on statement for
the Na5onal Associa5on for the Educa5on of Young Children. Retrieved from www.naeyc.org.

What a Developmentally Appropriate Classroom Looks like:

Please click the link on the webpage or copy and

paste the link below in your web browser to
view the 1 minute video Developmentally
Appropriate Early Childhood Educa>on . Aner
you have watched the video, please return to
the PPT and answer the essen>al ques>on
below.
EQ: Is learning through play more eec>ve than
rote learning in the early years?
hAps://youtu.be/a-h4IHIqkcc

Prac>ce Makes Perfect

To be successful in providing developmentally
appropriate learning experiences, early childhood
educators benet from the opportunity to use
their professional discre>on to choose the
approaches that will be most eec>ve with the
given content and with the specic needs,
strengths, interests, and personali>es of the
children in their classes.
Goldstein, L.S. (2008). Teaching the standards is developmentally appropriate prac>ce: Strategies for incorpora>ng the sociopoli>cal dimension of DAP in
Early Childhood Teaching. Early Childhood Educa5on Journal, 36, 253-260. doi: 10.1007/s10643-008-0268-x

Birth to 3 months Milestones

(Newborns and young infants):

Sleep, sleep and sleep some more!

Eyes wander and may occasionally cross.
Hearing becomes fully mature and baby may turn to
recognizable sounds and voices.
Prefers son to coarse sensa>ons and dislikes rough or
abrupt handling.
Starts using hands and eyes in coordina>on.
Begins to babble and imitate some sounds.
Begins to develop a social smile.
Imitates some movements and facial expressions.
Enjoys playing with others, may cry when playing stops.
Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).The complete and authorita5ve guide: Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The
United States of America: The American academy of pediatrics & Bantam Books.

Birth to 3 months
Appropriate Prac>ces:

Babies dicta>ng their own schedules.

Babies talked to about what is happening to them, and what
is going to happen to them, and what they are feeling.
Sleeping infants put into cribs (on their backs).
Diapering viewed as an opportunity to interact and bond.
Frequent smiles and aec>on given by caregivers.
Crying infants acknowledged, and if teacher is busy, told that
they will be taken care of next; childrens feelings validated.
Mul>-cultural items reected throughout the environment.
Cues taken from children; physical needs acknowledged.
Pictures of the children and their families are present.
Adopted from Cabraham. (2005). Developmentally appropriate prac>ces with young children. Retrieved from 123child.com/website-share/D.A.P.pdf

4 to 7 months Milestones
(Older infants):

Develops full color vision.

Ability to track moving objects improves.
Responds to own name and begins to respond to the
word No.
Uses voice to express joy and displeasure.
Responds to sounds by making sounds and babbles
chains of consonants.
Finds par>ally hidden objects but struggles to get
objects that are out of reach.
Growing interest in mirror images.
Increased enjoyment of social play.
Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).The complete and authorita5ve guide: Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The
United States of America: The American academy of pediatrics & Bantam Books.

4 to 7 months Appropriate Prac>ces:

Loving and nurturing exchanges; frequent, respecsul, and
responsive interac>ons; presence of music and laughter.
S>mula>on provided, based on individual needs.
Children not conned or restricted, free to explore.
Nos eliminated by the childproong of the room
Feeding >me a pleasurable exchange, with the caregivers focus on
the child.
Role of the family is acknowledged and respected, with good, open,
two-way communica>on about the child and his/her development
and needs.
Caring teachers and caregivers learn from the experiences,
knowledge, culture, and childrearing beliefs of family members.
Partnerships grow when teachers value the family as the primary
source of informa>on about the child and as the constant in the
babys life.
Adopted from Cabraham. (2005). Developmentally appropriate prac>ces with young children. Retrieved from 123child.com/website-share/D.A.P.pdf

Infant Physical Growth

0-7 mos.

1-3mos
Raises head and chest when lying on
stomach
Opens and shuts hands
Grasps and shakes hand toys
Brings hand to mouth
Takes swipes at dangling objects

Newborn
Head ops back if unsupported
Keeps hands in >ght sts

4-7mos
Sits with and then without
support of own hands
Rolls front to back and back to
front
Reaches with one hand
Uses raking grasp
Supports her whole weight on
her legs

Pushes down on legs when feet are placed

on a rm surface

Brings hands within range of

eyes and mouth
Makes jerky, quivering arm
thrusts

Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).
Images used courtesy of Clipart.

8 to 12 months Milestones

(Young toddlers):

Pulls self up to stand & walks holding onto furniture.

Gets to sitng posi>on without assistance.
Uses pincer grasp.
Image used courtesy of Clipart.
Tries to imitate scribbling.
Pays increasing aAen>on to speech.
Stand momentarily and may walk 2 to 3 steps without support.
Puts objects into container and takes them out.
Tries to imitate words & successfully imitates gestures.
Uses exclama>ons such as uh-oh.
Finds hidden objects easily.
Looks at correct picture when the image is named.
Begins to use objects correctly.

Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).The complete and authorita5ve guide: Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The
United States of America: The American academy of pediatrics & Bantam Books.

8 to 12 months Appropriate Prac>ces:

Playing peek-a-boo or paAy-cake to s>mulate memory skills.
Encouraging baby to play with paper blocks or son toys to
develop hand-eye coordina>on.
Playing with child on oor or reading stories everyday.
Teaching child to wave bye-bye, to nod yes, and shake her
head for no.
Give consistent warm physical comfort, hugging, skin-to-skin
and body-to-body contact.
Providing a s>mula>ng, safe environment where baby can
explore and roam.
Access to cardboard books with large pictures.
Access to stacking toys in dierent sizes, shapes and colors.
Large building blocks, squeeze toys, push-pull toys and
unbreakable mirrors of all sizes.
Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).The complete and authorita5ve guide: Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The
United States of America: The American academy of pediatrics & Bantam Books.


1 to 2 years Milestones

(Older toddlers):

Begins to match and sort and learn where objects belong.
Shows curiosity and recognizes themselves in a mirror or
photograph.
Ac>vely shows aec>on and uses words to express posi>ve
and nega>ve feelings.
UnbuAon large buAons and unzip large zippers.
Can stand on >ptoes, catch a ball with arms and chest, and
walk up and down stairs.
Can look at books on their own, name objects, speak in
word sentences and copy others ac>ons and voices.
Build thoughts, mental pictures and verbal labels
associated with learned concepts.
Adopted from Young Children on the Web. (July 2004). Childrens developmental benchmarks and stages: A summary guide to appropriate arts ac>vi>es.
Beyond the Journal. Retrieved from hAp://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200407/ArtsEduca>onPartnership.pdf


Toddler Property Laws!

Age-Appropriate Thinking Socially/Emo>onally

If I like it, its mine.

If its in my hand, its mine.
If I can take it from you, its mine.
If I had it a liAle while ago, its mine.
If I am doing or building something, all of the
pieces are mine.
6. If it looks just like mine, its mine.
7. If I think its mine, its mine!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Adopted from Cabraham. (2005). Developmentally appropriate prac>ces with young children. Retrieved from 123child.com/website-share/D.A.P.pdf

1 to 2 years Appropriate Prac>ces:

Naming everyday objects and ac>vi>es to encourage word
associa>on.
Choosing simple toys that encourage childs crea>vity.
Consistency and predictability; rou>nes for meal>me and
nap>me are very important.
Helping child use words to express emo>ons and describe
feelings.
Providing cars, trucks, trains, blocks and nes>ng toys.
Encouraging large and small motor development with
beginner bikes and connec>ng toys.
Beginning wri>ng with large crayons.
Playing music and songs and reading social books.
Weaning toddlers o of boAles.
Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).The complete and authorita5ve guide: Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The
United States of America: The American academy of pediatrics & Bantam Books.

Growth Comparison 1.5 to 3 years

Please review the chart Watch and Help me
Grow on the webpage. It provides
informa>on on the developmental changes a
child experiences from 18 to 36 months. Aner
you have read the chart, please return to the
PPT and answer the essen>al ques>on below.
EQ: How can a developmentally enriching
environment help a child make real world
applica>ons to learning over >me?

2 to 3 years Milestones
(Young Preschoolers):

Image used courtesy of Clipart.

Constantly swings back and forth between independence

and clinginess.
Begins to show deant behavior and increased temper
tantrums.
Onen imitates behavior of adults and other children.
Becomes increasingly aware of herself as separate from
others.
Begins to sort by shape and color.
Begins make-believe play.
Begins to run, stand on >ptoes and kick a ball.
Scribbles spontaneously, builds towers of four blocks or
more and dumps contents of containers on the oor.
Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).The complete and authorita5ve guide: Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The
United States of America: The American academy of pediatrics & Bantam Books.

3 years Appropriate Prac>ces:

Children oered choices, given opportuni>es to make decisions,
and are ac>ve par>cipants.
A print-rich environment with many opportuni>es for children to
interact and explore the wriAen word (including a wri>ng area).
Open-ended art materials available as a choice throughout the day;
Art displayed at the childrens eye-level.
A s>mula>ng, interac>ve science area, with real objects.
Pain>ng at the art easel available daily, as an on-going choice.
Media/Sensory Tables open daily.
Pictures of real objects and people and mul>-cultural materials
incorporated throughout the environment.
Self-help skills and independence encouraged; children employing
problem-solving skills.
Learning areas that are well-dened and invi>ng.
Woodworking experiences available and u>lized.
Cabraham. (2005). Developmentally appropriate prac>ces with young children. Retrieved from 123child.com/website-share/D.A.P.pdf

3 to 4 years Milestones
(Older Preschoolers):

Language Development
Speak 250 to 500 words, speak in complete sentences of 5 to 6 words,
talks about things and makes up stories, answer simple ques>ons and
recall parts of a story
Self and Social Awareness
Begin to show social skills and manners, aAempts to get dressed on their
own, more socially and emo>onally independent, makes friends , has
fewer tantrums
Cogni0ve Development
Can match shapes colors and paAerns, can draw faces with some details,
can print large capital leAers using pencils or crayons, cuts gures with
scissors and may be able to print rst name
Large Motor Skills
Walk up and down stairs, alterna>ng feet, kick, throw, and catch a ball,
climb well, run more condently and ride a tricycle, hop and stand on one
foot for up to ve seconds, walk forward and backwards easily, bend over
without falling
Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).The complete and authorita5ve guide: Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The
United States of America: The American academy of pediatrics & Bantam Books.

Pop Quiz: Joys and challenges at any age

Please review the ar>cle The Myth of the
Terrible Twos. It provides a quiz-like format of
informa>on on the tantrums and mayhem a caregiver can experience with a child age 1, 2, 3 or 4.
While reading the ar>cle, consider a child in your
care between age 1 and 4. Did you answer mostly
A, B or C for the quiz ques>ons?
EQ: Aner reading the ar>cle, think about the
stereotypes that youve heard as an early
educator. Aner taking the quiz, would you agree
or disagree with the Terrible Two myth?

Developmental Milestones
By Age 5 your child can:

Sense of Self:
Dress herself and picks out her own clothes.
Knows when to use the restroom, desires privacy.
Is aware of gender dierences.
Can tell whats real and whats make-believe.
Shows more independence.
Be very imagina>ve and like to exaggerate.
Enjoys doing new things.
Adopted from Center for Disease Control and Preven>on. (March 2014). Important Milestones: Your Child at 5 years. US Department of Health and
Human services. Retrieved from hAp://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-5yr.html

Developmental Milestones
By Age 5 your child can:

Social- Emo0onal Development:

Understand nonsense and using humor.
Wants to please friends.
Wants to be like friends.
More likely to agree with rules.
Likes to sing, dance, and act.
Shows concern and sympathy for others.
Is some>mes demanding and some>mes very coopera>ve.
Plays Mom and Dad.
Is more and more crea>ve with make-believe play.
Would rather play with other children than by himself.
Adopted from Center for Disease Control and Preven>on. (March 2014). Important Milestones: Your Child at 5 years. US Department of Health and
Human services. Retrieved from hAp://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-5yr.html

Developmental Milestones
By Age 5 your child can:

Cogni0ve Development:
Copy simple geometric gures, iden>fy basic colors and counts 10 or more things.
Iden>fy what is missing from a picture and understands the idea of same and
dierent.
Can draw a person with at least 6 body parts.
Can name and print some leAers or numbers.
Copies a triangle and other geometric shapes.
Knows about things used every day, like money and food.
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 Wheels on the Bus.
Tells stories, plays board or card games and starts to understand >me.
Can say and some>mes spell rst name, can iden>fy last name and names of
friends, parents and close rela>ves.
Adopted from Center for Disease Control and Preven>on. (March 2014). Important Milestones: Your Child at 5 years. US Department of Health and
Human services. Retrieved from hAp://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-5yr.html

Developmental Milestones
By Age 5 your child can:

Language and Literacy:

Say and begin wri>ng the alphabet.
Express their own feelings when listening to stories.
Use language to express thinking and increasingly complex
sentences in speaking to others.
Talks about what she likes and what she is interested in.
Enjoy using words in rhymes.
Speaks very clearly.
Tells a simple story using full sentences.
Uses future tense; for example, Grandma will be here.
Says name and address.
Remembers parts of a story.
Tells you what he thinks is going to happen next in a book.
Adopted from Center for Disease Control and Preven>on. (March 2014). Important Milestones: Your Child at 5 years. US Department of Health and
Human services. Retrieved from hAp://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-5yr.html

Developmental Milestones
By Age 5 your child can:

Physical Development:
Use more sophis>cated utensils such as scissors.
Have beAer control in running, jumping and hopping.
but tend to be clumsy.
Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer.
Hops; may be able to skip.
Can do a somersault.
Uses a fork and spoon and some>mes a table knife.
Can use the toilet on her own.
Swings and climbs.
Adopted from Center for Disease Control and Preven>on. (March 2014). Important Milestones: Your Child at 5 years. US Department of Health and
Human services. Retrieved from hAp://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-5yr.html

Developmental Milestones
By Age 5 your child can:

Crea0ve Development: Please review the

chart A Summary Guide to Appropriate Art
Ac>vi>es on the webpage. Please review the
stages, examples of what children can do,
sample art experiences that promote
learning, and what adults and children can
do together in the arts for ages 4 to 5 years.
Aner you have read the chart, please return to
the PPT and con>nue to the next slide.

Appropriate Prac>ce by Age 5:

Adults capitalizing on teachable moments, and what
the children express an interest in learning about.
Strong emphasis on coopera>on and nego>a>on to
resolve conicts.
Fostering growing reading skills with plenty of available
literature and a print-rich environment.
Suppor>ng independent toilet usage.
Providing alterna>ve quiet play to short nappers.
Providing crea>ve outlets for pre-reading skills through
ac>vi>es such as making up stories, reci>ng poems,
and singing songs with puppets and stued animals.
Discussions about school and kindergarten.
Adopted from Shelov, S.P. & Hannemann, R.E. (Eds.). (2004).The complete and authorita5ve guide: Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The
United States of America: The American academy of pediatrics & Bantam Books.

Learning through play

Please click the link on the webpage or copy and
paste the link below in your web browser to view
the 5 minute video Children Speaking About
the Importance of Play. Aner you have watched
the video, please return to the PPT and answer
the essen>al ques>on below.
EQ: Based on what you have learned, how
important is play to the growth and development
of a child by the age of 5?
hAps://youtu.be/sby38BbLZuY

By this age, you should be concerned if your child:

Doesnt show a wide range of emo>ons.

Shows extreme behavior (unusually fearful, aggressive, shy or sad).
Unusually withdrawn and not ac>ve.
Is easily distracted, has trouble focusing on one ac>vity for more than
5 minutes.
Doesnt respond to people, or responds only supercially.
Cant tell whats real and whats make-believe.
Doesnt play a variety of games and ac>vi>es.
Cant give rst and last name.
Doesnt use plurals or past tense properly.
Doesnt talk about daily ac>vi>es or experiences.
Doesnt draw pictures.
Cant brush teeth, wash and dry hands, or get undressed without help.
Loses skills he once had.

Adopted from Center for Disease Control and Preven>on. (March 2014). Important Milestones: Your Child at 5 years. US Department of Health and Human
services. Retrieved from hAp://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-5yr.html