Early Childhood Developmental Skills - 4 Year Old

Developmental Learning Skills - 4 Year Old

Creative Skills
By completion of the school year, the child:

• Engages in spontaneous imaginative play.
• Descriptive Statement: At block center, uses blocks to build a castle for pretend play.
• Participates in dramatic play by assuming a variety of roles. May also assign some roles to others.
• Descriptive Statement: This could be during center time or outside play.
• Substitutes items and pretends when real things are not available.
• Descriptive Statement: May substitute a block for a car or a stuffed animal for a baby.
• Works creatively with art material and tools.
• Descriptive Statement: Does not depend on or use patterns, models or mimeographed material for inspiration.
• Uses a variety of self-expressive mediums.
• Descriptive Statement: These include such material as clay, paint, scissors, crayons and collage.
• Makes increasingly recognizable forms when using self-expressive material.
• Thinks of new uses for familiar material.
• Descriptive Statement: Pretends a cardboard tube from a paper towel roll is a telescope.
• Moves freely in response to music.
• Expresses thoughts and feelings through creative movement.
• Descriptive Statement: Tiptoes when the music is soft and stomps when music is loud.
• Uses simple musical instruments.
• Descriptive Statement: Plays instruments as accompaniment or as a special effect rather than the "creation of noises."

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Language Arts

Listening Skills
By completion of the school year, the child:

• Recognizes and responds to own name.
• Understands and responds to simple directions.
• Descriptive Statement: Follows two directions in sequence, "Please wash your hands and then sit down."
• Talks and listens while in a large group of ten to twenty children.
• Descriptive Statement: Can usually control the impulse to speak out until there is an opportunity to do so without interrupting another person. May need reminding.
• Recognizes and names common environmental sounds.
• Descriptive Statement: Can identify without seeing the sources horn, barking dog, pencil sharpener, etc.
• Discriminates different sounds.
• Descriptive Statement: Can label sounds as soft/loud, and same/different. Has difficulty discriminating between high/low.
• Imitates and repeats simple rhythm.
• Descriptive Statement: Able to reproduce an auditory pattern of two or three beats. May have trouble with a pattern of four.
• Recognizes some sounds that rhyme.
• Descriptive Statement: Loves nonsense poetry.    

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Speaking Skills
Uses language to communicate desires and needs to an adult.

• Descriptive Statement: Says "I am cold."
• Names objects rather than pointing.
• Descriptive Statement: "I want the car."
• Refers to self in the first person.
• Descriptive Statement: Says "I will do it." not "Me do it."
• Gives a relevant answer when asked a question.
• Descriptive Statement: In response to "Who took you to the library?" Answers, "Mom took me." not "I got a new book."
• Asks simple questions using who, where, what and why.
• Descriptive Statement: "Where is the tub of tiles?" "Whose turn is next?"
• Expresses ideas in complete sentences of four or more words.
• Descriptive Statement: "I want to play."
• Uses past and future tense and forms plurals correctly.
• Descriptive Statement: May still be confused by irregular verbs such as saying "goed" for "went."
• Carries on a conversation with adults and peers.
• Descriptive Statement: Loves to chat; able to take turns during a conversation.
• Begins to put ideas and events in correct sequence when relating a personal experience.
• Descriptive Statement: Tells a story about going to the park with a friend. "Sunday Mom took us to the park. We played on the rocket slide. Jeff got scared at the top. Mom helped him down."
• Retells a familiar story or recites nursery rhyme in the correct order.
• Descriptive Statement: May confuse facts.
• Participates in simple fingerplays and songs.
• Descriptive Statement: May need repetition in order to join in.

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Literacy Skills

• Recognizes his or her first name in print.
• Descriptive Statement: Selects his or her name tag from several.
• Names six basic colors.
• Descriptive Statement: Names appropriate color when shown an object.
• Holds book right side up and begins at the front.
• Begins to develop an awareness that print moves from left to right, top to bottom and front to back.
• Descriptive Statement: Imitates teacher's behavior of tracking print when using big books.
• Arranges picture story cards in sequential order.
• Descriptive Statement: Does this with a sequence of three or four cards.
• Interprets pictures verbally.
• Descriptive Statement: Tells a story when shown a picture.
• Dictates simple stories for his or her teacher to write down.
• Descriptive Statement: May use experience, imagination or picture as source. Story may ramble.
• Identifies and matches identical items.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses lotto games or flannel board activities for this purpose.
• Identifies some letters of the alphabet in random order.
• Descriptive Statement: May be in context of child's name, familiar signs, and so forth.
• Prints own first name.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses medium, such as chalk, easel, unlined paper for this purpose. Letters may be reversed.
• Prints some random letters.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses felt pens, crayons and unlined paper for this purpose.

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Mathematics
By completion of the school year, the child:

• Names basic geometric shapes.
• Descriptive Statement: Basic shapes are circle, square and triangle.
• Counts objects to five in a one to one correspondence.
• Recognizes numerals from one to five.
• Demonstrates relationships between the number of objects and the numerals.
• Descriptive Statement: Puts two objects by number two, three objects by number three..
• Compares and recognizes items that are more, less or the same in size.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses the words "more" "less" and/or "same" to define the relationship between the objects.
• Participates in measuring activities and names units of measure.
• Descriptive Statement: For example, speaks of "three spoonfuls," "three jars," or "four hands long."
• Participates in simple graphing activities.
• Descriptive Statement: Participates in an activity that shows how many children have shoes with buckles, ties or velcro .
• Continues a simple pattern.
• Descriptive Statement: Arranges green and red blocks in alternating order.
• Demonstrates knowledge of spatial relationships.
• Descriptive Statement: Points to or places objects on, under, beside, behind, in or out on request.

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Motor Skills
By completion of the school year, the child:

    Gross Motor

• Runs easily and stops quickly.
• Descriptive Statement: Moves in a coordinated manner.
• Walks up and down stairs
• Descriptive Statement: Alternates feet when ascending and descending stairs.
• Walks forward on a broad balance beam or a four-inch-wide line.
• Descriptive Statement: Places one foot in front of the other.
• Jumps the distance of two feet or more.
• Descriptive Statement: Keeps feet together while jumping.
• Balances on one foot.
• Descriptive Statement: Balance on one foot for approximately three to five seconds with eyes open.
• Attempts a one-footed skip.
• Descriptive Statement: Performs a hop, step movement.
• Performs basic gallop.
• Descriptive Statement: This should not be confused with even-paced skipping which is usually too difficult.
• Peddles and steers a tricycle.
• Identifies and reproduces the following motions with his or her own body when asked: walk, run, march, hop, jump, crawl, roll on mat, bend and turn.
• Claps and marches to music.
• Responds appropriately to different tempos.
• Descriptive Statement: Can change from fast to slow tempos.
• Catches a large ball with two hands.
• Tosses a ball to a partner overhand.
• Climbs on jungle gym or other climbing apparatus.
• Descriptive Statement: Evaluates risks but loves taking chances.

    Fine Motor

• Grasps small objects with thumb and forefinger.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses pincer grasp with small beads for art projects.
• Uses tools such as hammer, saw, mixer, peeler and shredder.
• Holds crayons with two fingers and thumb grasp.
• Controls a paint brush.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses large strokes.
• Manipulates scissors.
• Descriptive Statement: Cuts around large objects.
• Carries a medium size container of liquid without excessive spilling.
• Descriptive Statement: Container is no more than three quarters full.
• Turns objects with hand.
• Descriptive Statement: Can turn a door knob, lid or eggbeater.
• Completes an assortment of manipulatives with skill.
• Descriptive Statement: For example: strings 1/2 inch beads, stacks one-inch cubes, uses sewing cards, etc.
• Completes a ten to twelve piece puzzle.
• Descriptive Statement: The puzzle is contained within a frame.
• Copies a circle, cross and attempts a square on unlined paper.
• Descriptive Statement: Circle starts from top; cross lines intersect near middle; one side of square may be curved.
• Uses small muscles for self-help skills.
• Descriptive Statement: Zips or buttons clothing. Pours without spilling.

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Science
By completion of the school year, the child:

• Develops an awareness of seasonal changes and weather conditions.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses words such as cloudy, sunny, windy, etc., to identify weather conditions.
• Observes plants and animals and knows about their care.
• Descriptive Statement: Tells what the class pet eats and how to care for it.
• Names some human body parts.
• Uses senses to explore the environment.
• Descriptive Statement: "What do you do with your eyes?" "Ummm, I like peanut butter cookies.
• Names some facts about the physical properties of objects.
• Descriptive Statement: Hot, cold, rough, smooth, soft, hard.
• Groups items according to their common properties.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses classifications such as sorts food, according to fruit or vegetable; animals according to whether they live in water, on land or in air.
• Participates in the scientific method with the teacher's direction.
• Descriptive Statement: Makes observations, thinks of reasons why things happen, tries out reasons and possible causes, observes results and draws conclusions.
• Asks questions about his or her world.
• Descriptive Statement: "What are clouds?" "Why is the sky blue?"
• Demonstrates a beginning awareness of life cycles.
• Descriptive Statement: Observes seed to flower, caterpillar to butterfly, egg to chicken.

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Social Skills
By the completion of the school year, the child:

• Takes care of personal needs.
• Descriptive Statement Uses toilet independently; washes hands unassisted; blows nose when reminded; dresses self for outdoor play with some assistance; may lace shoes but does not tie; demonstrates adequate table skills (pours from small pitcher; spreads soft materials with knife).
• Begins to anticipate risks and takes precautions to protect self from dangerous situations.
• Descriptive Statement: Child pauses and looks both ways before crossing the street.
• Chooses activities without teacher's help.
• Descriptive Statement: Selects center to use during free choice time.
• Separates from parent without undue stress.
• Descriptive Statement: After saying "goodbye" is ready to interact with peers and teachers.
• Plays cooperatively and interacts with other children without constant supervision. Only requires occasional help.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses words to express a need without hitting or pushing another child.
• Deals with own feelings in an age appropriate way.
• Descriptive Statement: Temper tantrums are rare or nonexistent; can sometimes say how he or she feels instead of sulking or crying.
• Identifies and labels some of his or her own feelings.
• Descriptive Statement: Recognizes major feelings such as sad, happy, angry or hurt.
• Demonstrates confidence in self.
• Descriptive Statement: Tries unfamiliar equipment such as balance beams and slides. Attempts new tasks with enthusiasm.
• Responds to other children's need for help.
• Descriptive Statement: May show another child how to do something or help them to be successful.
• Begins to understand and respect the property of others.
• Descriptive Statement: Leaves other children's and teacher's possessions alone.
• Stands up for his or her rights.
• Descriptive Statement: Holds on when he has something first; resists being bullied.
• Takes turns and shares with assistance.
• Descriptive Statement: Often conforms to rules about sharing, particularly if his or her rights are protected.
• Develops relationships with adults other than family members.
• Descriptive Statement: Is friendly with bus driver, teacher, cook and/or principal.
• Participates in large and small group activities.
• Descriptive Statement: Shares the attention of the teacher with other children.
• Knows and observes the rules and routines of the classroom.
• Descriptive Statement: Rules are few and become internalized for most children; others may need reminding.
• Makes choices and stays with an activity for a reasonable length of time (10 to 15 minutes) once a choice is made.
• Descriptive Statement: Activity must be age appropriate and interesting if attention is to be sustained. Such long-term involvement most probable when activity is based on play.
• Completes activity most of the time.
• Descriptive Statement: May need encouragement; the activity must be appropriate.
• Takes good care of material.
• Descriptive Statement: Uses equipment carefully, does not waste supplies and puts material away when finished.
• Returns material to correct place when finished with an activity.
• Descriptive Statement: May need reminding.
• Contributes to classroom responsibility.
• Descriptive Statement: Wipes tables, picks up trash, waters plants, feeds classroom pet, etc.

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Social Studies
By completion of the school year, the child:

• Shows his or her curiosity about the world outside the home by asking questions.
• Descriptive Statement: Enjoys simple walking tours to observe leaves, trees, etc.
• Gives personal information such as name, gender and age.
• Names significant family members and recognizes different family structures.
• Descriptive Statement: Includes mother, father, siblings, and grand-parents. May have difficulty himself or herself in more than one role, such as realizing he or she is a son and a brother or a daughter and a sister at the same time.
• Gives the name of his or her town.
• Identifies different school personnel.
• Descriptive Statement: Points out secretary, principal, custodian, etc.
• Locates specific places in the school setting.
• Descriptive Statement: Places may include cafeteria, classroom and principal's office.
• Describes people's job and what is required to perform them.
• Descriptive Statement: Job may include police, firefighters, doctors, farmers, etc.
• Aware of simple cultural differences.
• Descriptive Statement: For example, may notice the color of skin, hair, eyes, language and customs.
• Aware of technology and its use in the classroom and at home.
• Aware of how people positively affect the environment.
• Descriptive Statement: Participates in a recycling project or picking up litter from a local area.

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Thinking Skills and Problem Solving
By the end of the school year, the child:

• Attempts to solve problems before asking for help.
• Descriptive Statement: May negotiate with another child or remind another of the rule before seeking teacher assistance.
• Proposes a possible solution when confronted with a problem.
• Descriptive Statement: Typically produces only one solution; additional children will contribute other solutions.
• Uses more than one method to acquire what he or she wants.
• Descriptive Statement: May utilize asking, borrowing, bargaining, or trading, but often needs instruction and support from teacher.
• Identifies groups and names of items that have a common property.
• Descriptive Statement: Groups objects or pictures according to color, shape, size, number of legs, hair or hairless, etc.
• Arranges three to four items in graduated order.
• Descriptive Statement: Arranges objects from small to large, rough to smooth, soft to hard.
• Identifies and names missing parts in models and drawings.
• Descriptive Statement: Points out a body part that is missing or a truck without a wheel.

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