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Development Three To Four Years

Between ages 3-4 years old, children experience rapid development in physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills. Physically, most can ride a tricycle, throw and catch a ball, and dress themselves. Cognitively, they understand basic concepts and can count to 3. Their vocabulary grows significantly and they enjoy pretend play. Socially, they start to share, play cooperatively, and accept short separations from parents. This stage marks an important period in children's development.

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elyaskhan
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14 views2 pages

Development Three To Four Years

Between ages 3-4 years old, children experience rapid development in physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills. Physically, most can ride a tricycle, throw and catch a ball, and dress themselves. Cognitively, they understand basic concepts and can count to 3. Their vocabulary grows significantly and they enjoy pretend play. Socially, they start to share, play cooperatively, and accept short separations from parents. This stage marks an important period in children's development.

Uploaded by

elyaskhan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE PARENTING

CHILDREN'S
During the period from three to four
years, children will become very skillful
in motor activities. They will probably

DEVELOPMENT be able to jump lifting both feet off the


ground, and they will enjoy trying new
THREE TO FOUR skills like standing on tiptoe and hopping.
Most children can ride a tricycle using
YEARS the pedals after three years of age.
Most children this age will probably be
While reading this information, please keep in able to throw a ball to an adult standing
mind that all children are unique. While the five feet away.
sequence of development is practically the same
for all children (for example, most children learn
to crawl before they learn to walk), each child's Highlights in Cognitive/
rate of development is different. There is a Language Development
wide variation in normal development. Some
children reach developmental milestones earlier
than others. Some reach them later than others. By three years of age, most children
Rarely does a delay in reaching a developmental begin to understand size differences
milestone mean that there is a problem. In most and concepts like “another” and “more.”
cases, delays turn out to be normal. Remember Most children can name at least one
that premature infants generally reach
color correctly by this age. Memory
developmental milestones later than other
infants of the same birth age. Parents with any continues to improve, and by three and a
questions or concerns about their children's half years of age, most children can
development should contact their children's count to three and can recall things that
health care provider.
happened in the recent past. This is
also the age at which most children will
Highlights in know what sex they are, and they will be
Physical Development able to name most of their body parts.

By three years of age, most children During the period from three to four
have the hand control to copy a circle years, verbal skills increase rapidly.
and a straight line. Most children are Vocabulary will grow from about 900
able to feed themselves completely by words at age three to 1500 words by
this age, and they will probably be able age four. During this period of rapid
to dress and undress themselves, as long vocabulary growth, children enjoy
as they can reach the buttons, snaps, learning new and unfamiliar words. They
hooks, etc. Most children will be much also love to play with language by making
better at undressing than dressing at up new words and singing silly songs.
this age. They also enjoy listening to and telling
stories. As children approach four
years of age, they will begin to

Written by Kristin Zolten, M.A. & Nicholas Long, Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Artwork by Scott Snider
©1997, 2006 Page 1
understand and talk about imaginary playing adult roles. Some children may
conditions (“What if...”). have difficulty separating fantasy and
make believe from reality.
Highlights in
Social\Emotional Development Toilet Training

By three years of age, most children By three and a half years, most children
can tell the difference between “mine” have adequate control of their bowels
and “yours,” and they will often refuse and bladder during the daytime, but
to share toys. Most children will begin accidents may still occur at night. Most
to share, however, as they approach children will be able to use the toilet
four years of age. They will then without help by four years of age.
become able to play cooperatively with
other children.

Children between three and four years


Center for Effective Parenting
of age can deal with and benefit from
Little Rock Center: (501) 364-7580
being in a play group or nursery school. NW Arkansas Center: (479) 751-6166
Being involved in social situations helps
children learn how to share and take www.parenting-ed.org
turns.

Many parents are relieved to find that


negativism, which was once so prominent
in earlier stages of development, begins
to go away between three and a half and
four years of age. Children will change
from being basically self-centered to
being cooperative and affectionate. It
is also at this time that children begin
to accept short separations from their
parents, and they are able to wait with
more patience.

As children begin to talk about


imaginary conditions, they advance
toward make-believe play. Many
children this age especially enjoy
imaginative play in which every day
activities are imitated, with children

Written by Kristin Zolten, M.A. & Nicholas Long, Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Artwork by Scott Snider
©1997, 2006 Page 2

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