Developmental Milestones Your Child Should Reach Between Ages 3 And 4
The ages of 3 and 4 are big milestones! At this age, your child will probably be starting preschool, and they'll also be starting to do more things on their own. They'll become more self-aware and more independent. These are all pretty vague summaries of what happens at this age, however. As a parent, it is helpful to be on the lookout for certain developmental milestones during this period of rapid growth and expansion. Here are some milestones you should expect your child to achieve during this time.
1. Have a 300-word vocabulary.
Three and four-year-olds are not quite walking dictionaries, but most should have a vocabulary of at least 300 words, and often closer to 500 words, during this stage. Your child's vocabulary should be such that they are able to tell you what they want and need mostly with words and with a lot less pointing and crying than previously. This is the age at which you will probably stop noticing that they are learning new words because they already know so many.
2. Tell stories.
Toddlers between the ages of 3 and 4 develop the ability to tell stories, and they are usually very proud of this. Their stories will probably not be long, complex, or even make a lot of sense at this stage, but they will pull you aside and tell you, sequentially, what happened or what they imagine happened. This represents their growing ability to assess and explain time and a sequence of events.
3. Sort objects by shape and color.
By this age, your child should know their basic colors and shapes such as the triangle, square, and rectangle. When given a pile of objects, they should be able to sort them by color or shape. This shows their ability to group similarly shaped items.
4. Understand time.
Children at this developmental stage develop a good understanding of the times of the day. If you tell them you will do something in the afternoon, they'll understand what you mean. If you talk to them about the next day, they will know that refers to the time after they sleep again. They will probably not have the concept of minutes and hours yet, but larger spans of time make sense.
If you are worried that your child does not seem to be reaching any of these three and four-year milestones, talk to their doctor. This can be a sign that something is amiss, but it may not be. Every child develops a little differently, so the guidelines above are just generalizations. For further insight, contact child development services like Northeast Wyoming Pediatric Associates Pc.
