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48 Months (4 years) to 60 Months (5 years) – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development.36 Months (3 years) to 48 Months (4 years) – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development.Your toddler is 2 years old.
mo | y |
---|---|
48.00 | 4 |
48.01 | 4.0008 |
48.02 | 4.0017 |
48.03 | 4.0025 |
Contents
What size is 48 months in years?
48 Months (4 years) to 60 Months (5 years) – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development.
How old is 36months?
36 Months (3 years) to 48 Months (4 years) – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development.
How many month is a 2 year old?
Your toddler is 2 years old.
How much is 84 months?
How long is 84 months? 72 months is six years. 84 months is seven years.
How many months is a 3 year old?
How many months do 3 years have? Three years contain precisely 36 months.
How many months are in a year?
Answer: 1) There are twelve months in a year and 365 Days in a year.
Is a 3 year old a toddler?
Put simply, the official toddler age range is described as 1 to 3 years old, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
How big is a 3 year old?
3-Year-Old Weight & Height
Average weight for a 36-month-old is around 30.7 pounds for girls and 31.8 pounds for boys. Average height is around 37.1 inches for girls and 37.5 inches for boys, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How tall should a 3 year old be in feet?
Age | Size | Girls |
---|---|---|
2.5 years | Weight | 28 lb 11 oz (13 kg) |
Height | 2 ft 11.5 in (90.3 cm) | |
3 years | Weight | 30 lb 10 oz (13.9 kg) |
Height | 3 ft 1 in (94.2 cm) |
Is a 4 year old a baby?
Infants can be considered children anywhere from birth to 1 year old. Baby can be used to refer to any child from birth to age 4 years old, thus encompassing newborns, infants, and toddlers.
Is age 4 a toddler?
Toddler: 1-3 years. Preschooler: 3-5 years. School-aged: 5-12 years. Teenager: 13-18 years.
How old is newborn?
To convert baby age from weeks to months, a typical calculation that works is dividing the number of weeks by 4.345. So, for example, let’s say the baby is 35 weeks old. When we convert 35 weeks to months, we get 35 ÷ 4.345 = 8.055 or approximately 8 months. This way, you can find how old your newborn is in months.
Should I do 48 or 60 month car loan?
(1) You will generally pay less interest on a 36 or 48 month loan than you would on a 60 (assuming that we are not talking about 0% interest deals here). So, while your payments will be higher the shorter the term, your total interest paid will be lower.
Is 7 years too long for a car loan?
Stretching your loan term to seven or even 10 years is probably too long for an auto loan because of the interest charges that stack up with a higher interest rate. To illustrate, say you take on a $10,000 car loan for seven years with a 13% interest rate (a common rate for bad credit borrowers).
What is the longest car loan?
The longest term available for an auto loan is 10 years, or 120 months. A loan of this length will result in a low monthly payment, but the savings may be eclipsed by the huge interest costs. Also, note that most lenders do not offer 10-year auto loans.
What should a 48 month old know?
- Correctly names as many as eight colors.
- Understands the concept of counting; knows some numbers.
- Sense of time improves (now, later, next)
- Remembers parts of stories.
- Understands the concepts of same and different.
- Explores cause and effect.
How many is 48 hours?
48 Hours is 2 Days.
What is the 24 month?
While 24 months is the same as two years, when it comes to children’s clothes, it isn’t. And it confuses parents everywhere. It’s sad to admit, but I didn’t realize there was a difference between these two sizes until after my first child was out of both of them.
Convert 48 Months to Years
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48 Months (4 years) to 60 Months (5 years) – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development
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48 months (4 years)
to 60 months (5 years)
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SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Social-Emotional Development
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT & LITERACY
Language Development & Literacy
NUMBER SENSE
Number Sense
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Physical Development
APPROACHES TO LEARNING
Approaches to Learning
36 Months (3 years) to 48 Months (4 years) – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development
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36 months (3 years)
to 48 months (4 years)
What would you like to find out about
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Social-Emotional Development
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT & LITERACY
Language Development & Literacy
NUMBER SENSE
Number Sense
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Physical Development
APPROACHES TO LEARNING
Approaches to Learning
24-Month-Old (2-Year-Old) Development Milestones: Toddler Month by Month
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24-Month-Old
2-Year-Old Development
2-Year-Old Health
2-Year-Old Sleep
2-Year-Old Food
Activities for a 2-Year-Old
2-Year-Old Baby Checklist and Tips
84 Month Auto Loan: Is This Ever a Good Idea? | LendingTree
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How Does LendingTree Get Paid
Drawbacks of 72- or 84-month auto loans
Benefits of long-term auto loans
Is an 84-month auto loan worth it
How to tackle a 72- or 84-month auto loan
Alternatives to a long-term car loan
FAQs about long-term car loans
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Convert 48 months to years – Time Calculator
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48 months to years – Unit Converter
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- Summary of article content: Articles about 48 months to years – Unit Converter This conversion of 48 months to years has been calculated by multiplying 48 months by 0.0833 and the result is 4.0030 years. …
- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for 48 months to years – Unit Converter This conversion of 48 months to years has been calculated by multiplying 48 months by 0.0833 and the result is 4.0030 years.
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48 months in years | How long is 48 months?
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- Summary of article content: Articles about 48 months in years | How long is 48 months? So, 48 months (mean) = 4812 = 4 years (mean). Conversion of 48 months (mean) to other time units … …
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What is 48 Months in Years? Convert 48 mo to yr
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48 mo to yr – How long is 48 months in years? [CONVERT] â
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48 Months In Years – How Many Years Is 48 Months?
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48 Months From Today | Calculate
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When Is 48 Months From Today
Answer 48 Months From Today Will Be Wednesday July 22 2026
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48 months in years
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48 Months (4 years) to 60 Months (5 years) – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development
Information on Children Ages 48 months (4 years)
to 60 months (5 years)
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) TO 60 MONTHS (5 YEARS) How are children learning about feelings and relationships?
Play the video to see examples of how children are learning about feelings and relationships for ages 48 months (4 years) to 60 months (5 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/SE-48-60.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Social-Emotional Development
Introduction
What are my children learning about themselves and their feelings?
She likes to feel “independent” but still likes to spend time with her parents and family.
Your five-year old is enthusiastic about doing things herself. She may refuse your help, even if she is struggling and frustrated.
He has developed a lot of skills and likes to show you what he has recently learned how to do.
They have lots of ways to describe themselves and their skills. “I’m five now! That is older than four!” “I know all the names of the planets!” “I know how to ride a skateboard! I couldn’t do that when I was a baby.”
They can start cleaning up by themselves, sometimes without being asked.
They have developed some ways to help themselves calm down when distressed, but sometimes need the support and comfort of their adults to help remind them of strategies they can use.
They can express and describe feelings such as “sad,” “mad,” “frustrated,” “confused,” and “afraid,” can explain what caused them, and can ask for specific comfort.
They can sometimes predict what feelings will happen in certain situations: “If she hits me, I’ll feel sad and I won’t want to play with her.”
They can also describe the feelings of other children and sometimes identify the reason they feel that way: “Theo is mad because Laurene knocked down his blocks.”
They can offer comfort and show empathy for others sometimes, especially if they weren’t directly involved in the conflict.
What are they learning about other people and relationships?
Friendships are important to children’s success in school and in life.
Their growing ability to communicate and negotiate with their friends allows them to play for longer periods of time and to engage in more complex kinds of play. Together with friends they can imagine that they are on a spaceship that travels to outer space and can work together to construct it out of cardboard boxes.
They can compare their friends with themselves: “Daniel is the fastest runner, but I can build the highest.”
They may be developing special friendships with certain children and use the words “best friend.”
They are still learning what “friendship” means and may think that if they are mad at someone, they aren’t friends anymore.
They have a variety of skills to enter play with other children. They might watch for a while, start playing beside others, or ask if they can play—for example, suggesting that they could be the “father” in the pretend family play.
They have some negotiation skills and might use them to resolve a conflict with friends. They are more often able to share toys and materials in play with other children, but will still engage in negotiations about “who had it first” and “how long the turn will be.”
They can give directions to others in play—for example, “You have to be the zookeeper, and we will be the animals”—and can sometimes take directions from others. But other times they might get upset and threaten to leave the play if people don’t do what they want.
They can participate in group activities with several other children, and can often wait for a while for their turn to talk.
They like to know what will be happening and if given information about an upcoming transition, may be able to participate cooperatively.
Parents and teachers are very important to them as sources of comfort and information, but they may resist adult direction or try to negotiate, saying, “I’ll clean up my toys if I can watch a video.”
They seem eager to make decisions and continue to do some “testing” to see if the adult is still in charge of a decision.
They are beginning to be able to follow the rules and will remind other children of the rules, even if there isn’t an adult nearby, but sometimes still need to be reminded to follow the rules.
Here are some tips to support your child learning about themselves as a person, learning about other people and learning about their feelings
Learning about self as a person
Include children in real household work like folding laundry, washing the car, taking out the recycling, loading the dishwasher, or feeding the dog. If you rotate the tasks so that he is regularly learning to do something new, he may stay more interested and will also learn different skills.
Take time to talk to her about what she is learning and show interest in her new skills. This lets her know that you are interested in her as a person. Be specific: “You learned how to ride that bike, using your balance. I saw how long you practiced to get it.” This is more helpful to your child than praise like “Great job,” which doesn’t let her know that you were really observing her.
Now that your child is busier with friends, toys and electronic toys, it is even more important that you plan regular time to spend together with him. He still needs to talk with you, read with you, do your favorite activities together and cuddle with you.
She is full of questions and makes some interesting observations about the world. As well as offering her your opinion about things, it is also important to ask her opinion. (child to dad) “Dad, that person just walked across the street, but the light was red.” (dad to child) “I noticed that too. What do you think about that?” Asking your child her opinion gives her a chance to try out her theories, to put her ideas into words and to practice her reasoning skills.
He is able to discuss some more abstract ideas now. You can talk to him about some of the values that are important in your family, for example, kindness, friendship, listening, cooperation, etc. You can ask him questions about these ideas and tell him stories to illustrate these values. These everyday discussions offer you a chance to teach your child about the values and beliefs of your family and culture and give him a chance to “think out loud” with you about his own growing understanding of things.
In her attempt to be “grown up” she may resist doing what you ask her to. Even when you need to stop her or set a limit, you can let her know you understand her idea. If she refuses to clean up her cars, even after you have given her a warning, you can talk to her in the following ways: “It’s time to put your cars away now.” (positive limit) “I know how much you love to play with them.” (acknowledging her idea) “We need to put them away so they won’t get broken or lost.” (offering information) “Are you ready to put them away now or would you like to play for 5 more minutes?” (choice) “How shall we do it? Shall we put them away by color or kind of car?” (invite her ideas) “I know you love to play with your cars, and they need to be put away now. If you can’t put them away now, I’ll put them up for the rest of the day and we’ll try again tomorrow.” (final limit and follow-through, if needed)
Learning about own feelings
Make time regularly to talk about feelings and ask her about her feelings. “How was your day? What were you happy about? Did you get mad about anything? Was there anything sad that happened? What was your favorite part of the day?” “How do you think your friend was feeling today when Derek wouldn’t play with him?” When she shares her feelings and experiences with you, you can listen to her ideas and talk to her about them.
Help her to understand his feelings by offering names for them when she doesn’t have words for them. “It looks like you are feeling sad.” “It can be frustrating when you try to build a tower and it keeps falling down.” “I can see how excited you are to go to your friend’s house.”
Help her to find safe ways to express her feelings. “It looks like you are angry with your friend. Can you tell her what you are angry about?” “It’s not safe to hit someone when you are mad. What else could you do when you are mad that will be safe for you and those around you?”
When your child is fearful, stay close and offer comfort. Sometimes your child doesn’t want to be taken away from the scary situation, but wants you to be there to help. If she is afraid of monsters, you can ask her about what she is worried about. She might want to draw pictures of the monsters she is afraid of. You could even help her make her pictures into a book (stapling it together and writing her words for the story). You can ask her what might make him feel safer. Discussing the things that she is afraid of can help her gain a sense of mastery and knowledge and can help the fear feel more manageable.
Let her know that all her feelings are healthy and that you will listen to or acknowledge her feelings. This allows her to trust you with her feelings and not feel like she has to hide her feelings from you, and sets the stage for her to be able to share her feelings with you for a long time to come.
Learning about other people
Provide opportunities for him to play with other children (at the park, with neighbors or family, in childcare or in community activities).
Check in periodically when he is playing with other children. He may need some help in negotiating, listening to her friends’ ideas, voicing his own ideas and feelings and coming up with solutions when there are conflicts. He may also need some help with safety, as he and his friends might be excited about trying new things and don’t always know how to make safe decisions.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT & LITERACY 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) TO 60 MONTHS (5 YEARS) How are children learning language?
Play the video to see examples of how children are learning language for ages 48 months (4 years) to 60 months (5 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/LL-48-60.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Language Development & Literacy
Introduction
How do children learn language and begin to understand reading and writing?
Around 5 years old, children are able to communicate their ideas and feelings, ask and answer questions, and understand what is said to them. They are able to talk in some detail about things that happened in the past and that will happen in the future.
They can participate in extended conversations with others, responding appropriately and staying on topic most of the time.
They can tell stories and relate sequences of events. They are usually able to distinguish between imaginary and real events in their stories.
At around 5 years old, children like to play with the sounds of words, making up silly rhymes. They also like to make up “nonsense” words and sometimes experiment with “potty” language.
At around 5 years old, many children can recognize letters and are beginning to copy or write them. Many learn to write their names and begin to recognize some favorite words. They are interested in drawing and writing, and many can copy words if you write them first.
Around 5 years old, children also pretend to read books, may recognize specific words and may memorize the story as well as familiar songs.
Bilingual Language Development
How do children in bilingual or non-English-speaking families learn language?
Young children are very skilled at learning language and have the ability to learn two or more languages even before they begin school.
Families who speak a language other than English at home can use their home language as their primary language with children. Learning their home language helps children feel connected to their family and culture. They can learn English at the same time if the family is bilingual or they can learn English when they begin childcare or school.
Families support language learning by talking, reading and singing to their children in their home language. In this way children learn many words and language skills that will help them when they begin learning English.
Check with your local library for books in your home language.
Children who have this opportunity to become bilingual at an early age will benefit from the use of both languages throughout their lives.
Listening and Speaking
How do speaking and listening help a child learn language?
Using language and engaging in conversation are very important first steps to learning to read and to school success. The more words children hear and the bigger their vocabularies, the better they do in school. Children are eager learners of language and are fascinated with the power of language
to communicate their needs, feelings and ideas,
to share their personal experience with others,
to make things happen,
to get and give information,
to solve problems and explore ideas,
to help them make connections with people,
to create and tell their stories,
to make plans for things they want to do, and
to persuade others or argue their point.
Children learn language by listening, talking, practicing new words, and being listened to and responded to. Children learn more words when you use new words with them. Families have many, many everyday opportunities to help children learn language.
Tips for what families can do to support children learning language:
You can support children’s language development during your routine daily activities. Language isn’t something that has to be taught in “special lessons.” When families talk with children they are naturally teaching language. Using language with children is all that families have to do. The more language families use with children, the more children will learn.
In the car, at the store, on a walk, at home doing chores, while child is playing, during meals, or at bedtime When you talk about things that are immediate and familiar, children can understand the language better because they have visual clues and experiences to match your words.
Talk about what you are seeing, what they are doing, what you are doing, what you did together earlier, or what you are going to do later.
Add a few new descriptive words when you are talking to children. One of the ways we naturally build vocabulary with children is by introducing new words along with the familiar ones they already know and with visual clues so they can more easily understand the new words. “There is a dog.” “There is a big, bouncy dog.” “There is a big, bouncy, curly-haired dog who is sniffing the rock and wagging its tail.”
Share stories with them. Stories give you a chance to share what is important to you, what you value and how you think about things. Stories can help children feel connected to you and invested in learning language. Children love to hear stories from your childhood. These stories can teach them about history, family and culture. Stories can be about your day, or about things you are interested in. You can use stories to remember and reflect on your child’s day. Stories don’t have to be long. They can include what happened, how you or your child felt about it, how people solved problems, or what it was like for you to be a child. You can use stories to demonstrate ideas that you value, for example, persistence, creativity, compassion, generosity, caring, bravery, teamwork.
Ask children questions. Asking children questions gives them a chance to reflect on and think about what they know and also offers them an opportunity to practice choosing and articulating words. It also lets them know that you value their ideas.
Ask them about what they see, what they are doing, what they are thinking about, how they feel, what they like, what happened earlier, or what they think is going to happen.
Ask them follow-up questions. When they tell you something, you can ask for more details. Asking more questions challenges them to think more deeply about what they know and to find words to describe it. Responding to your questions is one way for them to stretch their language muscle. “Wow, you and Rigo played dragons. What did the dragons do? Tell me more about the dragons. How do you think dragons make that fire that comes out of their mouths?” “You drew a spaceship? What does your spaceship have inside? What makes your spaceship fly? Where is your spaceship going? Tell me more about your spaceship.”
Ask questions that allow children to create their own answer (avoid questions that have yes or no answers). When we ask children questions that don’t have a “right answer,” they can be more creative and thoughtful in their answer, rather than just trying to figure out what you want them to say.
Here are some examples of questions that might lead to less conversation or more conversation: “What was the funnest thing you did today?” (open-ended—more conversation) “Did you have fun at school today?” (yes/no or closed-ended question—less conversation) “What can you tell me about your friend Theo?” (open-ended—more conversation) “Do you like Theo?” (yes/no or closed-ended question—less conversation)
Ask questions that you don’t have the answer for already. Asking questions that you don’t have the answer for already communicates to children that you are genuinely interested in their thinking and therefore that their thinking is important. “What do you notice on this page?” (unknown answer—a good way to support children’s thinking) “What do you think the dog is going to do?” (unknown answer—a good way to support children’s thinking) “What color is the dog?” (known answer—less supportive of children’s thinking)
You can invite your child to answer the question they asked you. Children usually have a guess already when they ask you a question. Asking children what they think encourages them to put their thoughts into words and gives them more opportunity to participate in conversation with you. “That’s an interesting question. How do you think stars get up in the sky?”
Listen to children. Children will talk more when they know that you are listening. More talking gives them more practice with language.
You can let them know you are listening by making eye contact, allowing quiet space for them to talk or finish what they are saying, turning the TV off, creating “talking time” regularly (for example, sitting on the couch together, taking a walk together, snuggling at bedtime), repeating or restating what they said to let them know you heard them, asking questions, or thanking them for sharing their ideas or stories with you.
You can use technology to support children’s language development Use your phone to record children’s words and stories. When you play it back you can talk about what they said. Use your phone to take photos of things you have seen and done during the day. When you look at the photos with your child you can talk about your observations and activities.
Reading
How do children learn to read?
When you read with children you begin to open up whole new worlds for them. Reading allows them to learn about a powerful form of communication and gives them access to all kinds of information.
Most children love to share a book with a family member. Reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to help them learn to read and to be successful in school.
Reading doesn’t just happen with books. Children are fascinated with signs, labels, instructions, notes, letters, and emails. Learning the many uses there are for reading helps children be even more excited about learning to read. Early reading experiences for children start with children learning to recognize photos and pictures. They learn that photos and pictures can be named and talked about. They also learn that stories can be told about pictures in books. And eventually they learn that the letters on the page tell the story about the pictures or describe them. For example, they start to understand that there is a connection between the picture of an apple and the letters “a-p-p-l-e” on a page—that the letters represent the idea of an apple.
When children are becoming familiar with books, they are learning many things: that books are important (because they are important to you!) and because they have so much interesting information in them; how you use a book—hold it, turn the pages, talk about every page; how you can use it with someone or by yourself; where the story is (is it in the pictures or in the letters at the bottom of the page or in the memory of the person reading it?); and how books are organized (the title and authors’ names are on the front and the story is inside).
Tips for what families can do to support children in pre-reading activities:
Look at photos and pictures with children, ask them what they see, and talk about what you see. This helps children develop their observation skills and gives them the opportunity to practice and increase their vocabulary. Talking about pictures can help children experience the feeling of reading.
Ask them what they think is happening in the picture. This gives children a chance to practice “telling their own story” and may help them to think of themselves as storytellers and writers.
Notice words in the environment and point them out to children. When we point out the places that words are used in the world, children begin to see the importance of the written word and feel even more motivated to learn how to read those words. When you are in the car, you can talk to children about the road signs. In the grocery store, children can help you “read” the labels on the cans and packages.
Read them what you are writing. When children see writing in process and hear what it means, they can more clearly see the connection between writing letters and communicating a message. “I’m making a list for the grocery store. Here it says ‘cheese,’ and here it says ‘rice.’ What kind of fruit should we put on our shopping list?” “I’m writing a note to your teacher that says we are going out of town next week.”
Read notes and letters out loud to them. “Here is a note your teacher wrote. It says, ‘Dear Families. . .’“
Point to the words you are reading. Pointing to words helps children understand how the spoken word is connected to the written word. “This is a note from Grandma. Here she says, ‘“I love you.’” Here she says, ‘“I’m going to come to visit you.’”“
Read them emails and text messages also. Sometimes words on a screen aren’t as obvious to children. Showing them these words helps them see how technology can also carry written words and communication. Many of the words in their environment are electronic and this can also provide opportunities for learning to read.
Look for opportunities to write down their words. Writing down children’s words is one of the most important things you can do to demonstrate to them the power of writing and reading. If their own words can be “saved” and shared with more people and at a different time, they can feel the power of writing and reading. If they are feeling sad to say good-bye to their friend, you can suggest that they might want to write a note. They can draw the picture and tell you what to write. Once you have written their words down, read them back to your child. If their friend is having a birthday, they can help make a card—by drawing and telling you the words to write. If they build something and want to save it, you can help them make a sign (using their words) to tape on their structure.
Make drawing materials available to them (pencils, pens, markers, chalk). When they draw, you can ask if they want to tell you about it. You can write down their “story” on a post-it note and then ask if they want you to read it back to them. Drawing materials give them a chance to practice how to make lines and shapes—the skills they will eventually need for writing. Even drawing pictures gives them the sense of being able to communicate their ideas in different ways and they can begin to have the experience of being an “author” themselves.
Read books to children. Reading books to children not only gives them practice with all the skills necessary for reading, but it also communicates to them how important reading is to you. Provide a variety of children’s books on a shelf or in a basket that children can reach. You can make regular trips to the library or bookstore to get books for your child. Include reading as a regular activity with your child (find a time every day when you can read books with your child). Turn off the TV to make time for reading. Read books more than once to your child. Children generally love to read the same book many times. Talk about the book with your child. Before turning the page, ask your child what they think is going to happen next. As well as reading the words, you can discuss the story and pictures with your child: “What do you see on this page?”; “Why do you think the boy climbed to the top of that tree?”; “What would you do if you were riding that horse?” Before reading one of your child’s favorite books to him, ask if they want to tell you the story first. Sometimes, when reading to your child, you can point to the words as you read them. Explain to your child what the words on the cover of the book are. “This is the title of the book. It gives you an idea of what the book is about.” “This is the author’s name. The author is the person who wrote the book. This is the illustrator’s name. He is the person who made the pictures for the book.” Talk to your child about letters and sounds. Point out the letters in special words, like your child’s name. “Your name starts with an ‘“S,’” Sergio. Can you think of any other words that have that ‘“ssss’” sound? We can also look around for words that start with ‘“S.’” We could make a list of all the words we hear the ‘“ssss’” sound in.” Play with sounds and rhyming. Using songs, poems or other rhyming words, you can help children hear and compare the sounds of the words. You can play rhyming games in the car. “The bear has black hair. Can you think of a word that sounds like ‘bear’ and ‘hair’?”
Writing
How do children learn to write?
By 5 years old, children may be writing some letters. They might be big and take up the whole page, they might be backward and upside down, but these are the beginning stages of actually writing words.
Many children are interested in learning how to write their names and sometimes want to write the names of their friends as well. Children are most motivated to write about things that are important to them and may be more interested in having you write the word “triceratops” for them to copy than a simpler word.
Children become interested in writing at different ages—some as early as 3, and others at 6. You don’t have to “force” your child to write. If you keep opportunities open and pens, pencils and paper available, most children will initiate writing when they are ready.
When children begin to write, they don’t have to spell things correctly at first. Many children begin to put letters together based on their sounds as they begin to “write.” It is more important that children have the opportunity to practice using the letters than it is that they have all the words spelled correctly.
Tips for what families can do to support children learning to write:
Have a variety of writing tools and paper (pencils, pens, fine-tip markers, paper of different sizes) where children can see them and reach them themselves. Children often have the need to draw pictures or make signs in their play. Having materials readily available will encourage them to use these in their play more often.
You can also include tape and paper strips, so children can make signs or envelopes and can write letters or notes. Some children may like to have paper with wide lines for writing.
Create a favorite “word pouch” for your child that can hold words your child has asked you to write for them. When children can revisit those words, they start to become familiar with what they look like and can begin to start “reading” them.
You can print or buy an alphabet chart so that you and your child can refer to it when she is wanting to know how something is spelled. Posting an alphabet allows your child to reference the letters on their own and may help them to feel like they can begin to write independently.
You can offer sets of letters to your child. Having letters around helps your child become familiar with their shapes and allows her to start arranging them, even before he is fully able to write them. There are different kinds of letters you can buy, including magnetic letters that children can use on the refrigerator, or you can simply write letters on little pieces of thick paper and offer them to children to use in making words.
Invite your child to write with you when you are writing notes or making lists. Children love to be helpful and to participate in adult work. This can spark their interest in learning more about writing. “I’m going to make a shopping list. Do you want to help me?” If you know your child can write certain letters, you can invite him to write them on your list. “I’m writing ‘apples’ on the list and that starts with an ‘A’ like your name. Do you want to write the ‘A’ for me?”
Offer to write children’s stories or words for them. If there is a friend or someone they would like to communicate with, you can offer to help them write a note. If they draw a picture, you can ask them if they want to tell you about it and have you write down their ideas.
NUMBER SENSE 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) TO 60 MONTHS (5 YEARS) How are children learning about numbers?
Play the video to see examples of how children are learning about numbers for ages 48 months (4 years) to 60 months (5 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/NS-48-60.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Number Sense
Introduction
What are preschool children learning about numbers?
Young children begin to practice the skills needed for arithmetic and math far before they enter elementary school. Most of these skills are developed through their self-initiated play with materials and through simple interactions with adults.
Young children learn counting skills through everyday interactions such as putting plates on the table, counting their fingers to tell you how old they are, and counting the number of apples needed so each child can have one.
Children usually learn how to say “1-2-3-4-5” (sometimes putting the numbers in different order) before they know that each number represents something. For example, they might have three strawberries and count them “1-2-3-4-5,” because they don’t know that each strawberry gets only one number. As a child begins to get this concept, you might see her lining up all the animals and giving each one a leaf to eat. Eventually, they learn that if you are counting something each object gets one number.
Young children are also beginning to understand the ideas of “more” and “less” and will notice if someone has more cookies than they do, but they don’t clearly understand quantity. If they have one cookie and their friend has one cookie cut into two pieces, they might think that their friend has more cookies. Their ideas about “more” and “less” help them learn to compare more than two things. As they get more experience, they will be able to sort three sticks from shortest to longest or three balls from smallest to biggest.
Children around the age of 5 can count to twenty, but may miss some numbers (for example, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-13-14-16-17-19-20). They may count while they are hopping, or waiting for a turn, or just showing you, “I can count to 20!”
They recognize some written numbers: “See the numbers are in the corner of the page. That is a 6. That is a 7.”
Five-year-olds can look at a group of things—up to 4—and tell you the number without counting. In reading a book, they can look at the page and tell you, “Now there are 4 ducks.” During snack, a child can look at her plate and announce, “I have 4 crackers on my plate.”
At five years of age, children can usually count up to 10 objects, pointing at each when they say the number. Putting 10 potatoes in the bag at the grocery store, she can count each one as they go in the bag.
When counting, children at this age can tell you how many things they have, because they understand that the last number they used in counting is the total number they have. “One, two, three, four, five, six. I have six pinecones!” They can also count the number of people in the family and count the number of napkins they need so everyone can have one.
They can also tell you that if more dolls are added to the doll bed, there will be more. Similarly, if they count the number of sticks they have as 8 and the number their friend has as 6, they will tell you that they have more than their friend has or that their friend has fewer than they do. If they have five blocks and their friend has five, they will tell you that they both have the same.
Five-year-old children can do simple addition and subtraction. If they have 6 strawberries, they can ask for one more and tell you they have 7. If they have 5 crackers and they eat two, they might announce, “Now I have three. If I eat two more, I’ll only have one left!” Sometimes they may need to re-count the new group to confirm how many are there.
They can think about two small groups making a larger group when put together. “I have 3 boats and you have 3 boats. If we put them all in the water, there will be 6 boats.” They can also imagine that a bigger group will be smaller if separated into two groups. “There are 4 cookies. That means 2 for you and 2 for me.”
Tips for families to help children in understanding numbers:
Many of the things that families do naturally with children help them to develop their math and number skills. There are many opportunities in our everyday lives where adults are counting things and children are practicing numbers in their play. Here are some suggestions of things families can do:
Count out loud, so your children can hear the sequence of numbers and notice how often you use counting in your day. Count the kisses you give your child, count the trees outside your home, or count the number of times the dog barks.
Point to things as you count them so that children can see how each number you say represents one object.
Shopping, cooking and eating provide many opportunities for counting: “Shall we get 4 apples or 5? Can you count them for me as I put them in the bag?” “If we get 3 yellow apples and 3 red ones, how many will we have? Let’s count them.” “I think I’ll get the bigger bag of tortillas, because we have all our cousins coming for dinner. Can you reach the bigger one for me?” “We have 3 bags of groceries. Do you think they will all fit in our car?” “How many bags would you like to carry in and how many shall I carry?” “After we wash our hands, can you get 5 tortillas out of the bag for me?” “I need to have 4 potatoes washed. Can you get them out of the refrigerator and scrub them in the sink?” “Can you get the plates to put on the table? How many people do we have in our family? How many plates will you need? Can you make sure there are enough chairs for everyone, too?”
Ask your child to guess or predict how many things there are and then count them together. Making predictions, even if children’s guesses are wrong, gives them a chance to think about numbers and increases their interest in counting. “How many buses will come by before our bus gets here?” “How many strawberries do you think are in this basket?”
You can ask your child simple adding or subtracting questions. “If you have five cookies and you eat two, how many will you have left?” “If you have four pennies and I give you one more, how many will you have?” These little games can be done with actual objects so that your child can see the things. Once they are confident with these problems using objects, you can try asking the questions without the objects.
You can also invite your child to ask you number questions.
Children will make lots of mistakes when they are learning about numbers. Without saying that they are “wrong,” you can gently suggest that we count again together. Or you can say, “You counted five ducks and I only see four.”
These conversations about numbers should be fun. If your child seems stressed or doesn’t want to do these games, you can wait and try again later or try a different game. Most young children are naturally interested in numbers. Keeping number activities fun strengthens their natural interest and encourages them to learn more about numbers.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) TO 60 MONTHS (5 YEARS) How are children becoming skillful at moving their bodies?
Play the video to see examples of how children are becoming skillful at moving their bodies for ages 48 months (4 years) to 60 months (5 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/PD-48-60.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Physical Development
Introduction
Some of the things you might see with five-year-old children:
Showing a developed sense of balance.
Maintaining balance while standing on one foot for several seconds.
Maintaining balance when they come to a stop after running.
Balancing a bean bag on top of their head.
Walking forward and backward, “balancing” on a wide line pattern on the rug.
Walking along a zigzag pattern on the rug.
Walking down steps using alternating feet without holding railing.
Balancing while walking on the edge of the sandbox.
Playing a game of “freeze”—moving in different ways and stopping, holding the last position for a few seconds.
Balancing a bean bag on the head or different parts of the body while walking along a straight line.
Running and stopping with control at a desired spot.
Running lightly on toes.
Running, sometimes moving around obstacles without falling.
Jumping over a block using both feet.
Jumping forward 3 feet, using both feet together.
Galloping (running, leading with one foot) in a rhythmic way.
Hopping on one foot for several feet and changing direction to land on different targets.
Tips for families to support preschooler physical development:
Preschoolers need lots of opportunities to move, to run, to climb, to jump, to build and to throw. They enjoy carrying heavy things and building with blocks and other natural materials.
Preschoolers love to transport things. They like to carry things and to push things in carts, boxes or trucks. They also enjoy carrying things, such as baskets or purses with handles that they can use to fill and carry— recycled water bottles, or other things they find.
Preschoolers love to build, stacking things as high as they can and creating houses, roads, buildings, zoos, stores, bridges and other structures they can use for pretend play. They will do this with almost anything they can find—cans and boxes from the cupboard, sticks and leaves from outside, small scraps of wood from the lumber store, several large cardboard boxes, or sets of building blocks or snap together blocks.
Preschoolers also love to climb and some will climb on anything they can find (chairs, tables, shelves, couches, benches). Decide what is safe for your child to climb on and remind them to climb there when they start climbing on other things. You can also use mattresses, cushions and low platforms for children to climb on and use in building forts. Outdoor playgrounds provide opportunities for climbing for children, as do natural areas with logs, boulders and hills. You and your child can explore your neighborhood for appropriate climbing places. Children will sometimes fall when they are climbing, and most of the time they catch themselves and only get small scratches. These simple falls are also how they learn. They often want to go back to the same spot to try climbing again and will do it successfully because of what they learned the previous time. When your child begins to climb, it is important that you look around the area to see if it is a safe environment.
Preschoolers enjoy being outside. Even short walks outside give children a chance to try out different surfaces for walking, running, galloping, hopping and jumping, and to watch the seasons and experience what the community has to offer. Children often put a lot of physical energy into their play. Most are naturally motivated to try new physical challenges and practice new skills.
Preschoolers enjoy challenges. If you are walking on the sidewalk, you might want to set different goals for them. “Can you run to the big tree? Can you hop all the way to the corner? Can you hop for 3 steps and walk for 3 steps and hop for 3 again? Shall we try walking backward for a few steps, walking forward a few steps and then walking backward again? Can you walk on the line down the center of the sidewalk? Can you walk on this squiggly crack in the sidewalk?”
Children at this age also enjoy throwing. You can provide a variety of soft balls that they can throw. They may also be interested in beginning to hit balls with things like bats, sticks, or cardboard tubes.
Preschoolers also like to stretch their muscles by carrying or moving heavy things. A sealed bottle or box of laundry detergent would be fun for them to carry inside for you. They enjoy carrying small stools around so they can reach a book off the shelf. They can help bring in the groceries or push the laundry basket to the table for folding. Helping you with “grown-up” work gives children opportunities to develop their physical skills and also to develop their emotional and social skills.
Children around the age of 5 love wheel toys, small tricycles and bikes, wagons, carts and trucks, all of which provide ways for them to use their physical skills and also can be part of their pretend play.
APPROACHES TO LEARNING 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) TO 60 MONTHS (5 YEARS) What skills help children learn?
Play the video to see examples of what reasoning skills children are learning for ages 48 months (4 years) to 60 months (5 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AL-48-60.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Approaches to Learning
Introduction
What skills do preschool-aged children use to solve problems?
One skill that preschool children use to solve everyday problems is math reasoning.
Math concepts like number, counting, shape and size all help children with solving problems. Children use these skills to choose what size plate they will need for their quesadilla, to figure out how many cars they need so each of their friends can have one and to search for a blanket big enough to cover two babies.
A young preschool child may begin by trying an idea that doesn’t work. An older preschool child may try several strategies, finally finding one that works. Whether their ideas work at first doesn’t matter as much as the fact that they are practicing using these ideas, testing them out and changing their course of action when necessary. These strategies are useful in everyday problem-solving, as well as in developing other math skills.
Children also use observation and investigation skills to solve problems.
Children use all their senses to gather information, and to construct meaning and knowledge.
They are naturally curious observers and notice small things that many adults miss, like the ants coming out of the crack in the sidewalk.
Children may also use tools provided to them for measuring or observing, with the guidance of adults. For example, when observing a leaf, they may use a magnifying glass to see the “lines” more clearly or use a ruler (or unit blocks) to measure its length. Through observation, children begin to recognize and describe similarities and differences between one object and another.
Children use their developing skill at careful observation to compare and contrast objects and events and classify them based on different attributes. For example, a child might separate all the “pointy” leaves from all the round leaves or separate the big leaves from the small ones.
Children may also investigate objects and events by trying things to see what happens. For instance, they may investigate what happens to the toy car when it rolls down ramps with bumpy or smooth surfaces, test what happens to plants placed in locations with or without light, or test out their ideas of how to use pipes to make water go up and down in the water table.
They learn to make predictions about changes in materials and objects based on their knowledge and experience, and to test their predictions through observations or simple experiments.
Children use their skills of observation and investigation to ask questions, observe and describe observations, use scientific tools, compare and contrast, predict, and make inferences.
Children use expanded mathematical thinking to solve problems every day.
For example:
A child, after setting the table for dinner, might notice that there aren’t enough chairs for everyone and bring an extra stool over.
A child might use one object to measure another. For example, she might lay books end-to-end to measure how long her bed is.
A child might predict how many grapes are in a bunch and then suggest that he and you count them to find out.
A child might be building a road with long blocks and, when she can’t find any more long blocks, might use two smaller blocks to “fill in” for the longer block.
A child, when cutting paper money for his friends to use at his “grocery store,” might announce, “I need to cut two more dollars for Ziya and Dylan.”
A child might sort her animals into two groups, big animals and small animals, and then get big leaves for the big ones to eat and small leaves for the smaller ones to eat.
Children demonstrate curiosity and an increased ability to ask questions about objects and events in their environment.
A child, when playing with cars, might use a board to create a sloped ramp and roll different toy cars down the ramp. She might check which car goes the farthest when rolling down the ramp.
A child, while digging in the mud, might see a worm and wonder, “Does it live in the ground? I see another one. Is it their home?”
A child, while outside, might look up and ask a parent, “How come I can see the moon in the daytime?”
A child, while sorting different rocks, might pick up one of the rocks and wash it with soap and water. Then he might get the magnifying glass to observe it more closely.
Children observe objects and events in the environment and describe them in greater detail.
A child might observe a sweet potato growing in a jar and identify the buds and roots, and might also communicate, “There are white roots going down and small leaves.” The child might take a photograph of the sweet potato, with the teacher’s assistance, to document the potato’s growth.
A child, after a walk on a rainy day, might describe what the raindrops look like and how they feel, sound, smell, and taste.
A child with visual impairments might manipulate seashells on the sand table and describe what she touches: “It’s bumpy and round,” or “It’s smooth and flat.”
A child, observing a snail closely, might describe it: “It is hard like a rock. Its body looks very soft. It moves very, very slowly. It has two long pointy things [antennas] sticking out.”
A child might observe a caterpillar (or a picture of a caterpillar) closely and draw a picture of the caterpillar in his journal. He might then communicate, “It has stripes—yellow, white, and black—like a pattern.”
Children can identify and use a greater variety of observation and measuring tools, such as measuring tapes and scales.
A child might ask for a magnifying glass to observe a worm more closely and communicate, “I need the magnifying glass to look very close.”
A child, fascinated with the growth of her green beans, might get a ruler and say to her parent, “I want to see how big it is.”
A child, while preparing dough, might use a measuring cup to pour one cup of flour.
A child, while building, might stack blocks to his height and count the blocks to measure his height.
Children compare objects and events and describe similarities and differences in greater detail.
A child might observe that the plants she has been watering are “bigger, and the leaves are green, but the one that didn’t get watered has yellow leaves and looks dead.”
A child might explore different kinds of squash by using sight and touch and describe their similarities and differences: “These are more round, but this is long. This squash is yellow and green and is very smooth, but that one feels bumpy.”
A child might compare objects that can roll down a ramp (such as balls, marbles, wheeled toys, or cans) with objects that cannot roll down (such as a shovel, block, or book). For example, he might refer to objects that can roll down and communicate, “These are round and have wheels.”
A child might compare a butterfly with a caterpillar (while observing pictures or actual objects); for example, she might communicate that the butterfly can fly and the caterpillar cannot and that the butterfly has a different shape and different colors.
A child might observe and describe what the sky looks like on a foggy day and how it is different on a sunny day.
A child, when working in the garden, might use a real shovel and describe how it is similar to or different from the toy shovel in the sandbox area.
Children might demonstrate an increased ability to make predictions and check them.
A child, after planting sunflower seeds, might communicate, “The seeds will grow, and there will be sunflowers.” Then, he might observe the plant daily for changes.
A child, in response to the question, “What do you think will happen if water is added to the flour?” might predict, “The flour will feel sticky and will not look like flour anymore. The water and the flour will mix together.”
A child might cut open a tomato, observe what it looks like inside, and comment, “I thought there would be no seeds inside the tomato, but now I see tiny seeds inside.”
A child might bring an object to the bathtub and predict whether it will sink or float. Then she might put the object in water and observe what happens. Then she might comment to her parent, “Yes, I knew it! It is floating.”
Children have increased ability to use observations to draw conclusions.
A child might observe many different fruits and vegetables and communicate that fruits have seeds and vegetables do not.
A child, after observing the toy cars going down the ramp, might conclude that they go down fastest when the ramp is steep.
A child might observe a picture of an unfamiliar animal. Then she might notice the wings and communicate, “It is a bird. I know it, because it has wings.”
A child might observe a picture of a child dressed in a jacket, a scarf, mittens, and a hat and communicate that it must have been very cold outside.
Tips for families in helping children to practice mathematical thinking, to be observant, and to engage in investigation:
36 Months (3 years) to 48 Months (4 years) – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development
Information on Children Ages 36 months (3 years)
to 48 months (4 years)
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 36 MONTHS (3 YEARS) TO 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) How are children learning about feelings and relationships?
Play the video to see examples of how children are learning about feelings and relationships for ages 36 months (3 years) to 48 months (4 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/SE-36-48.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Social-Emotional Development
Introduction
What is my child learning about themselves and their feelings?
Your four-year-old is enthusiastic about doing things herself. She may refuse your help, even if she is struggling and frustrated. She has lots of ways to describe herself and her skills. “I’m four now!” “I’m bigger.” “I like to draw.” “I know how to ride a scooter!” She may celebrate her accomplishments with a cheer. She has developed a few ways to help herself calm down when distressed, but sometimes needs the support and comfort of her adults to help her soothe herself. She can start cleaning up by herself, sometimes without being asked. She can think about how she has changed. “I used to be three, but now I’m four!”
He can express and describe feelings such as “sad,” “mad,” and “afraid,” can explain what caused them, and may be able to ask for specific comfort. He can also describe the feelings of other children and sometimes identify the reason they feel that way. “Theo is sad because Laurene knocked down his blocks.” He can offer comfort and show empathy for others sometimes, especially if he wasn’t directly involved in the conflict.
What are they learning about other people and relationships?
Friendships are important to children’s success in school and in life. Their growing ability to communicate and negotiate with their friends allows them to play for longer periods of time and to engage in more complex kinds of play.
They are beginning to notice and describe differences between themselves and others. “Nona’s hair is brown and mine is black.”
They may be developing special friendships with certain children and may use the words “best friend.”
They are still learning what “friendship” means and may think that if they are mad at someone, they aren’t friends anymore.
They have some skills to enter play with other children. They might watch for awhile, start playing beside others, or ask if they can play—for example, suggesting that they could be the “sister” in the pretend family play.
They have some negotiation skills and might use them to resolve a conflict with friends. They are sometimes able to share toys and materials in play with other children, but will still engage in negotiations about “who had it first” and “how long the turn will be.”
They can give directions to others in play—for example, “You have to be the daddy”—and sometimes take directions from others. But other times they might get upset and threaten that if people don’t play by their rules, they can’t come to their birthday party.
They can participate in group activities with several other children, but may not be always able to wait for their turn to talk. They like to know what will be happening and if given information about an upcoming transition, may be able to participate cooperatively.
Parents and teachers are very important to them as sources of comfort and information, but they may resist adult direction, saying, “You’re not the boss of me.” They seem eager to make all the decisions and have to “test” regularly to see if the adult is still in charge of a decision. They are beginning to be able to follow the rules, even if there isn’t an adult nearby, but sometimes need to be reminded about the rules.
Tips to support your child learning about himself as a person, learning about his feelings and learning about other people
Learning about self as a person
She likes to feel “independent.” Taking time with routines so your child can do some of the things by herself lets her know you think she is capable and gives her practice with new skills. She may want to pick out her own clothes, as well as dress and undress herself. She likes to help with household tasks like cooking, gardening, sorting the laundry, setting the table, putting toys away or helping wash the car.
In his attempt to be “grown up” he may resist doing what you ask her to. Even when you need to stop him or set a limit, you can let him know you understand his idea. If he refuses to turn off the TV, even after you have given him a warning, you can talk with him, acknowledge his feelings, suggest when he can watch again, and give him a choice about how to end the activity. “It’s time to turn off the TV now.” (positive limit) “I know you love to watch this program.” (acknowledging her idea) “After we turn it off, we can make a plan for when you can watch it next.” (closed-ended choice) “Can you turn it off yourself or shall I help you?” (closed-ended choice) “Let’s find another fun activity to do—maybe something where you get to move around and be active or maybe something where you could write your own story.” (open-ended choice)
Learning about own feelings
Ask her about feelings. “How are you feeling now?” “Look at the boy in the book. How do you think he is feeling? Why do you think he is feeling like that?”
Help him to understand his feelings by offering names for them when he doesn’t have words for them. “It looks like you are feeling sad.” “It can be frustrating when you try to build a tower and it keeps falling down.” “I can see how excited you are to go to your friend’s house.”
Make time regularly to talk about feelings. “How was your day? What were you happy about? Did you get mad about anything? Was there anything sad that happened? What was your favorite part of the day?” When she shares her feelings and experiences with you, you can listen to her ideas and talk to her about them.
Help him to find safe ways to express his feelings. “It looks like you are angry with your friend. Can you tell her what you are angry about?” “If you are mad and want to hit something, you can hit this cushion, but it’s not safe to hit your friend.” When your child is fearful, stay close and offer comfort. Sometimes your child doesn’t want to be taken away from the scary situation, but wants you to be there to help. If he is afraid of the neighbor’s friendly dog, you can squat down next to him, holding him, and talk about the dog. Often, your presence and some information and safe interaction will help him feel less afraid. If he wants to move away, take your cues from him. Sometimes taking a photo of the scary thing and letting your child hold and talk about the photo will help him with his fear. You can make the photos into a book or ask him if he wants to draw pictures and help make his pictures into a book (stapling it together). When the pictures or photos are in a little book, he might want to tell you some words to write about the pictures. Reading this book with him can help him learn to manage his fears.
Let her know that all her feelings are healthy and that you will listen to or acknowledge her feelings. Acknowledging your child’s feelings allows her to trust you with her feelings and not feel like she has to hide them from you.
Learning about other people
Provide opportunities for her to play with other children (at the park, with neighbors or family, in childcare or parent/child classes).
Be available when he is playing with other children. He may need some help in negotiating, listening to her friends’ ideas, voicing his own ideas and in coming up with solutions. He may also need some help with safety, as he is excited about trying new things.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT & LITERACY 36 MONTHS (3 YEARS) TO 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) How are children learning language?
Play the video to see examples of how children are learning language for ages 36 months (3 years) to 48 months (4 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/LL-36-48.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Language Development & Literacy
Introduction
How do children learn language and begin to understand reading and writing??
Around 4 years old, most children are able to communicate their ideas and feelings, ask and answer questions, and understand what is said to them. They are able to talk about things that happened in the past and that will happen in the future.
They can participate in conversations with others, responding “on topic” some of the time. They can tell stories and relate simple sequences. They may combine imaginary and real events in their stories.
Around 4 years old, children like to play with the sounds of words, making up silly rhymes. They also like to make up “nonsense” words and sometimes experiment with “potty” language. They have learned many of the communication “rules” of their family and culture and when using language only make a few errors, such as “I wented to the store.” They also like to learn “big” words, like the names for specific types of trucks.
At around 4 years old, children understand that letters on a page in a book are different from pictures. They are learning that letters make words and that when different people read words, the words stay the same.
They are interested in drawing and writing and will “pretend” to write letters and words, even before they know how to write real letters.
At around 4 years old, children also pretend to read books, turning the pages and “telling the story” either from their memory of the story or by talking about the pictures. Many have also learned the words to several songs.
Bilingual Language Development
How do children in bilingual or non-English-speaking families learn language?
Young children are very skilled at learning language and have the ability to learn two or more languages even before they begin school.
Families who speak a language other than English at home can use their home language as their primary language with children. Learning their home language helps children feel connected to their family and culture. They can learn English at the same time if the family is bilingual or they can learn English when they begin childcare or school.
Families support language learning by talking, reading and singing to their children in their home language. In this way children learn many language skills that will help them when they begin learning English.
Check with your local library for books in your home language.
Children who have this opportunity to become bilingual at an early age will benefit from the use of both languages throughout their lives.
Listening and Speaking
How do speaking and listening help a child learn language?
Learning to speak and to engage in conversation are very important first steps to learning to read and to school success. The more words children hear and the bigger their vocabularies, the better they do in school.
Children are eager learners of language and are fascinated with the power of language:
to communicate their needs, feelings and ideas,
to share their personal experience with others,
to make things happen,
to get and give information,
to solve problems,
to help them make connections with people, and
to create and tell stories.
Children learn language by listening, talking, practicing new words, and being listened to and responded to. Children learn words when you use new words with them. Families have many, many everyday opportunities to help children learn language.
Here are some tips to support your child’s language development and interest in reading:
You can support children’s language development during your routine daily activities. Language isn’t something that has to be taught in “special lessons.” When families talk with children they are naturally teaching language. Using language with children is all that families have to do. The more language families use with children, the more children will learn.
In the car, at the store, on a walk, at home doing chores, while a child is playing, during meals, and at bedtime. When you talk about things that are immediate and familiar, children can understand the language better because they have visual clues and experiences to match your words.
Talk about what you are seeing, what they are doing, what you are doing, what you did together earlier, or what you are going to do later.
Add a few new descriptive words when you are talking to children. One of the ways we naturally build vocabulary with children is by introducing new words along with the familiar ones they already know and with visual clues so they can more easily understand the new words. “There is a dog.” “There is a big, bouncy dog.” “There is a big, bouncy, curly-haired dog who is sniffing the rock and wagging its tail.”
Share stories with them. Stories give you a chance to share what is important to you, what you value and how you think about things. Stories can help children feel connected to you and invested in learning language. Children love to hear stories from your childhood. These stories can teach them about history, family and culture. Stories can be about your day, or about things you are interested in. You can use stories to remember and reflect on your child’s day. Stories don’t have to be long. They can include what happened, how you or your child felt about it, how people solved problems, or what it was like for you to be a child. You can use stories to demonstrate ideas that you value, for example, persistence, creativity, compassion, generosity, caring, bravery, teamwork.
Ask children questions. Asking children questions gives them a chance to reflect on and think about what they know and also offers them an opportunity to practice choosing and articulating words. It also lets them know that you value their ideas..
Ask them about: what they see, what they are doing, what they are thinking about, how they feel, what they like, what happened earlier, or what they think is going to happen.
Ask them follow-up questions. When they tell you something, you can ask for more details. Asking more questions challenges them to think more deeply about what they know and to find words to describe it. Responding to your questions is one way for them to stretch their language muscle. “Wow, you and Rigo played dragons. What did the dragons do? Tell me more about the dragons. How do you think dragons make that fire that comes out of their mouths?” “You drew a spaceship? What does your spaceship have inside? What makes your spaceship fly? Where is your spaceship going? Tell me more about your spaceship.”
Ask questions that allow children to create their own answer (avoid questions that have yes or no answers). When we ask children questions that don’t have a “right answer,” they can be more creative and thoughtful in their answer, rather than just trying to figure out what you want them to say.
Here are some examples of questions that might lead to more conversation or less conversation: “What did you and Liam do today?” (open-ended—more conversation) “Did you have fun with Liam today?” (yes/no or closed-ended question—less conversation) “What can you tell me about your friend Lew?” (open-ended—more conversation) “Do you like Lew?” (yes/no or closed-ended question—less conversation)
Ask questions that you don’t have the answer for already. Asking questions that you don’t have the answer for already communicates to children that you are genuinely interested in their thinking and therefore that their thinking is important. “What do you notice on this page?” (unknown answer—a good way to support children’s thinking) “What do you think the dog is going to do?” (unknown answer—a good way to support children’s thinking) “What color is the dog?” (known answer; less supportive of children’s thinking)
You can invite your child to answer the question they asked you. Children usually have a guess already when they ask you a question. Asking children what they think encourages them to put their thoughts into words and gives them more opportunity to participate in conversation with you. “That’s an interesting question. How do you think stars get up in the sky?”
Listen to children. Children will talk more when they know that you are listening. More talking gives them more practice with language.
You can let them know you are listening by making eye contact, allowing quiet space for them to talk or finish what they are saying, turning the TV off, creating “talking time” regularly (for example, sitting on the couch together, taking a walk together, snuggling at bedtime), repeating or restating what they said to let them know you heard them, asking questions, or thanking them for sharing their ideas or stories with you.
You can use technology to support children’s language development. Use your phone to record children’s words and stories. When you play it back you can talk about what they said.
Reading
How do children learn to read?
When you read with children you begin to open up whole new worlds for them. Reading allows them to learn about a powerful form of communication and gives them access to all kinds of information.
Most children love to share a book with a family member. Reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to help them learn to read and to be successful in school.
Reading doesn’t just happen with books. Children are fascinated with signs, labels, instructions, notes, letters, and emails. Learning the many uses there are for reading helps children be even more excited about learning to read.
Early reading experiences for children start with children learning to recognize photos and pictures. They learn that photos and pictures can be named and talked about. They also learn that stories can be told about pictures in books. And eventually they learn that the letters on the page tell the story about the pictures or describe them. For example, they start to understand that there is a connection between the picture of an apple and the letters “a-p-p-l-e” on a page—that the letters represent the idea of an apple.
When children are becoming familiar with books, they are learning many things: that books are important (because they are important to you!) and because they have so much interesting information in them; how you use a book—hold it, turn the pages, talk about every page; how you can use it with someone or by yourself; where the story is (Is it in the pictures or in the letters at the bottom of the page or in the memory of the person reading it?); and how books are organized (the title and authors’ names are on the front and the story is inside).
Here are some tips for what families can do to support children in pre-reading activities
Look at photos and pictures with children, ask them what they see, and talk about what you see. This helps children develop their observation skills and gives them the opportunity to practice and increase their vocabulary.
Ask them what they think is happening in the picture. This gives children a chance to practice “telling their own story” and may help them to think of themselves as storytellers and writers.
Notice words in the environment and point them out to children. When we point out the places that words are used in the world, children begin to see the importance of the written word and feel even more motivated to learn how to read those words. When you are in the car, you can talk to children about the road signs. In the grocery store, children can help you “read” the labels on the cans and packages. Talking about pictures can help children experience the feeling of reading.
Read them what you are writing. When children see writing in process and hear what it means, they can more clearly see the connection between writing letters and communicating a message. “I’m making a list for the grocery store. Here it says ‘cheese,’ and here it says ‘rice.’ What kind of fruit should we put on our shopping list?” “I’m writing a note to your teacher that says we are going out of town next week.”
Read notes and letters out loud to them. “Here is a note your teacher wrote. It says, ‘“Dear Families . . .’”
Point to the words you are reading. Pointing to words helps children understand how the spoken word is connected to the written word. “This is a note from Grandma. Here she says, ‘I love you.’ Here she says, ‘I’m going to come to visit you.’“
Read them emails and text messages also. Sometimes words on a screen aren’t as obvious to children. Showing them these words helps them see how technology can also carry written words and communication. Many of the words in their environment are electronic, and this can also provide opportunities for pre-reading activities.
Look for opportunities to write down their words. Writing down children’s words is one of the most important things you can do to demonstrate to them the power of writing and reading. If their own words can be “saved” and shared with more people and at a different time, they can feel the power of writing and reading. If they are feeling sad to say good-bye to their friend, you can suggest that they might want to write a note. They can draw the picture and tell you what to write. Once you have written their words down, read them back to your child If their friend is having a birthday, they can help make a card—by drawing and telling you the words to write. If they build something and want to save it, you can help them make a sign (using their words) to tape on their structure.
Make drawing materials (pencils, pens, markers, chalk) available to them. When they draw, you can ask if they want to tell you about it. You can write down their “story” on a post-it note and then ask if they want you to read it back to them. Drawing materials give them a chance to practice how to make lines and shapes—the skills they will eventually need for writing. Even drawing pictures gives them the sense of being able to communicate their ideas in different ways, and they can begin to have the experience of being an “author” themselves.
Read books to children. Reading books to children not only gives them practice with all the skills necessary for reading, but it also communicates to them how important reading is to you. Provide a variety of children’s books on a shelf or in a basket that children can reach. You can make regular trips to the library or bookstore to get books for your child. Include reading as a regular activity with your child (find a time every day when you can read books with your child). Turn off the TV to make time for reading. Read books more than once to your child. Children generally love to read the same book many times. Talk about the book with your child. Before turning the page, ask your child what he thinks is going to happen next. As well as reading the words, you can discuss the story and pictures with your child: “What do you see on this page?”; “Why do you think the boy climbed to the top of that tree?”; “What would you do if you were riding that horse?” Before reading one of your child’s favorite books to him, ask if she wants to tell you the story first. Sometimes, when reading to your child, you can point to the words as you read them. Explain to your child what the words on the cover of the book are. “This is the title of the book. It gives you an idea of what the book is about.” “This is the author’s name. The author is the person who wrote the book. This is the illustrator’s name. He is the person who made the pictures for the book.” Talk to your child about letters and sounds. Point out the letters in special words, like your child’s name. “Your name starts with an ‘“S,’” Sergio. Can you think of any other words that have that ‘“ssss’” sound? We can also look around for words that start with ‘“S.’” We could make a list of all the words we hear the ‘“ssss’” sound in.” Play with sounds and rhyming. Using songs, poems or other rhyming words, you can help children hear and compare the sounds of the words. You can play rhyming games in the car. “The bear has black hair. Can you think of a word that sounds like ‘bear’ and ‘hair’?”
Use your phone to record yourself reading books to children and they can listen to them when you are busy or when they are waiting in the doctor’s office.
Writing
How do children learn to write?
By 4 years old, many children have become aware of several of the uses of writing. They know that there are words in many places—books, signs, notes, letters, magazines, computers, stores.
They are beginning to understand that people can use writing to give messages to other people.
When they draw something, they may also want to write letters on the paper. Their “letters” may not yet look fully like letters, but often they are beginning to look more like writing than drawing.
A child may make several wiggly lines across a page and say, “This is the story of the scary wolf.” Then she might draw some circles at the bottom of the page and say, “And here is a picture of the wolf.” Writing and drawing together is a step in the direction of learning to write legible words.
Having ready access to a variety of drawing and writing tools and paper encourages children to use these tools to express themselves and to communicate.
Tips for what families can do to support children learning to write
Have a variety of writing tools and paper (pencils, pens, fine-tip markers, paper of different sizes) where children can see them and reach them themselves. Children often have the need to draw pictures or make signs in their play. Having materials readily available will encourage them to use these in their play more often.
You can also include tape and paper strips, so children can make signs or envelopes and can write letters or notes. Some children may like to have paper with wide lines for writing.
Create a favorite “word envelope” for your child that can hold words your child has asked you to write for them. When children can revisit those words, they start to become familiar with what they look like and can begin to start “reading” them.
You can print or buy an alphabet chart so that you and your child can refer to it when he is wanting to know how something is spelled. Posting an alphabet allows your child to reference the letters on their own and may help them to feel like they can begin to write independently.
You can offer sets of letters to your child. Having letters around helps your child become familiar with their shapes and allows her to start arranging them, even before she is fully able to write them. There are different kinds of letters you can buy, including magnetic letters that children can use on the refrigerator, or you can simply write letters on little pieces of thick paper and offer them to children to use in making words.
Invite your child to write with you when you are writing notes or making lists. Children love to be helpful and to participate in adult work. This can spark their interest in learning more about writing. “I’m going to make a shopping list. Do you want to help me?” If you know your child can write certain letters, you can invite him to write them on your list. “I’m writing ‘apples’ on the list, and that starts with an ‘“A’” like your name. Do you want to write the ‘“A’” for me?”
Offer to write children’s stories or words for them. Writing down their ideas and reading them back their words is a powerful experience for children in the effectiveness of writing to hold and express your ideas. If there is a friend or someone they would like to communicate with, you can offer to help them write a note. If they draw a picture, you can ask them if they want to tell you about it and have you write down their ideas.
NUMBER SENSE 36 MONTHS (3 YEARS) TO 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) How are children learning about numbers?
Play the video to see examples of how children are learning about numbers for ages 36 months (3 years) to 48 months (4 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/NS-36-48.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Number Sense
Introduction
What are preschool children learning about numbers?
Young children begin to practice the skills needed for arithmetic and math long before they enter elementary school. Most of these skills are developed through their self-initiated play with materials and through simple interactions with adults.
Young children learn counting skills through everyday interactions such as putting plates on the table, counting their fingers to tell you how old they are, and counting the number of apples needed so each child can have one.
Children usually learn how to say “1-2-3-4-5” (sometimes putting the numbers in different order) before they know that each number represents something. For example, they might have three strawberries and count them “1-2-3-4-5,” because they don’t know that each strawberry gets only one number. As a child begins to get this concept, you might see her lining up all the animals and giving each one a leaf to eat. Eventually, they learn that if you are counting something each object gets one number.
Young children are also beginning to understand the ideas of “more” and “less” and will notice if someone has more cookies than they do, but they don’t clearly understand quantity. If they have one cookie and their friend has one cookie cut into two pieces, they might think that their friend has more cookies. Their ideas about “more” and “less” help them learn to compare more than two things. As they get more experience, they will be able to sort three sticks from shortest to longest or three balls from smallest to biggest.
At around four years old, children may be able to count to 10, but may miss some of the numbers (for example., “1-2-3-5-7-8-10”).
They may recognize a written number. For example, they might point to a street sign and say, “That’s a number 4—just like I am 4.”
They can also look at a small number of things and know how many there are without counting: “He has three cars and I only have one!”
At four years, children can usually count up to five objects, pointing at each when they say the number.
Four-year-olds can often tell you which is more just by looking. If their friends have six blocks and they have two, they can let you know that their friend has more than they do.
They can predict that if there is a group of dolls in the bed and one gets taken away, there will be fewer dolls in the bed. Similarly, if they put two groups of things together (combining their crackers and their friend’s crackers), they know that now they have more.
At four years old, children can do very simple adding and subtracting. If they have four apple slices and they eat one, they can tell you that now they have three—without counting. If they have a train that is four cars long and they add one, they can tell you that there are five cars now.
Tips for families to help children in understanding numbers:
Many of the things that families do naturally with children help them to develop their math and number skills. There are many opportunities in our everyday lives where adults are counting things and children are practicing numbers in their play. Here are some suggestions of things families can do:
Count out loud, so your children can hear the sequence of numbers and notice how often you use counting in your day. When children learn from you how numbers are useful in everyday life, their interest in numbers grows. Count the kisses you give your child, count the trees outside your home, or count the number of times the dog barks.
Point to things as you count them so that children can see how each number you say represents one object.
Ask your child to guess or predict how many things there are and then count them together: “How many buses will come by before our bus gets here?”
Children will make lots of mistakes when they are learning about numbers. Without saying that they are “wrong,” you can gently suggest that we count again together. Or you can say, “You counted 5 ducks and I only see 4.” Children are naturally interested in imitating you to learn about things like numbers. Over time, they will say things the way you do and self-correct” to be more like you.
Shopping, cooking and eating provide many opportunities for counting: “Shall we get four ears of corn or five? Can you count them for me as I put them in the bag?” “If we get two bananas and you eat one in the car, how many will be left?” “I think I’ll get the bigger bag of tortillas, because we have all our cousins coming for dinner. Can you reach the bigger one for me?” “We have three bags of groceries. Do you think they will all fit in our car?” “How many bags would you like to carry in and how many shall I carry?” “Can you put the bananas on this plate and the plums in this bowl?” “We need three pieces of bread. Can you get them out of the bag?”
These conversations about numbers should be fun. If your child seems stressed or doesn’t want to do these games, you can wait and try again later or try a different game.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT 36 MONTHS (3 YEARS) TO 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) How are children becoming skillful at moving their bodies?
Play the video to see examples of how children are becoming skillful at moving their bodies for ages 36 (3 years) months to 48 months (4 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/PD-36-48.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Physical Development
Introduction
Some of the things you might see with four-year-old children:
Showing a developed sense of balance.
Maintaining balance while standing on one foot as well as maintaining balance when they come to a stop after running.
Balancing while walking on the edge of the sandbox or while reaching down to touch their toes.
Walking up stairs, one foot per step, without holding on to the railing.
Walking along a thin line on the sidewalk, waving arms to maintain balance.
Running with feet flat.
Running, but may have trouble stopping.
Galloping (running, leading with the same foot).
Jumping up to touch something out of reach.
Hopping ahead using both feet.
Jumping like a frog from a squatting position.
Jumping off a curb or a low climbing structure with both feet.
Hopping forward on one foot.
Tips for families to support preschooler physical development:
Preschoolers need lots of opportunities to move, to run, to climb, to jump, to build and to throw. They enjoy carrying heavy things and building with blocks and other natural materials.
Preschoolers love to transport things. They like to carry things and to push things in carts, boxes or trucks. They also enjoy carrying things, such as baskets or purses with handles that they can use to fill and carry—recycled water bottles, or other things they find.
Preschoolers love to build, both stacking things and knocking them down, but also creating houses, roads, buildings, bridges and other structures they can use for pretend play. They will do this with almost anything they can find—cans and boxes from the cupboard, sticks and leaves from outside, small scraps of wood from the lumber store, several large cardboard boxes or sets of building blocks or snap-together blocks. Children’s pretend play about activities such as building, running, hiding, jumping and carrying motivates them to practice their physical skills.
Preschoolers also love to climb, and some will climb on anything they can find (chairs, tables, shelves, couches, benches). Decide what is safe for your child to climb on and remind them to climb on those things when they start climbing on other things You can also use mattresses, cushions and low platforms for children to climb on and use in building forts. Outdoor playgrounds provide opportunities for climbing for children, as do natural areas with logs, boulders and hills. You and your child can explore your neighborhood for appropriate climbing places. Children will sometimes fall when they are climbing, and most of the time they catch themselves and only get small scratches. These simple falls are also how they learn. They often want to go back to the same spot to try climbing again and will do it successfully because of what they learned the previous time. When your child begins to climb, it is important that you look around the area to see if it is a safe environment.
Preschoolers enjoy being outside. Even short walks outside give children a chance to try out different surfaces for walking, running, galloping, hopping and jumping, and to watch the seasons and experience what the community has to offer. Outside environments offer children interesting challenges such as balancing on rocks and painted lines and jumping off logs and curbs.
Preschoolers enjoy challenges. If you are walking on the sidewalk, you might want to set different goals for them. “Can you run to the big tree? Can you hop all the way to the corner? Shall we try walking backwards for a few steps? Can you walk on the line down the center of the sidewalk?”
Children at this age also enjoy throwing. You can provide a variety of soft balls that they can throw. They may also be interested in beginning to hit balls with things like bats, sticks, or cardboard tubes.
Preschoolers also like to stretch their muscles by carrying or moving heavy things. A sealed bottle or box of laundry detergent would be fun for them to move. They enjoy carrying small stools around so they can reach a book off the shelf. They can help take out the trash or push the laundry basket to the table for folding.
Children around the age of 4 love wheel toys, small tricycles and bikes, wagons, carts and trucks, all of which provide ways for them to use their physical skills and also can be part of their pretend play.
APPROACHES TO LEARNING 36 MONTHS (3 YEARS) TO 48 MONTHS (4 YEARS) What skills help children learn?
Play the video to see examples of what reasoning skills children are learning for ages 36 months (3 years) to 48 months (4 years) followed by a group discussion by parents.
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AL-36-48.mp3 Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video.
Play this audio file to hear a narration of the examples of child behavior from this video. Download a PDF version of this print resource.
Approaches to Learning
Introduction
What skills do preschool-aged use to solve problems?
One skill that preschool children use to solve everyday problems is math reasoning.
Math concepts like number, counting, shape and size all help children with solving problems. Children use these skills to choose what size plate they will need for their quesadilla, to figure out how many cars they need so each of their friends can have one and to search for a blanket big enough to cover two babies.
A young preschool child may begin by trying an idea that doesn’t work. An older preschool child may try several strategies, finally finding one that works. Whether their ideas work at first doesn’t matter as much as the fact that they are practicing using these ideas, testing them out and changing their course of action when necessary. These strategies are useful in everyday problem-solving, as well as in developing other math skills.
Children also use observation and investigation skills to solve problems.
Children use all their senses to gather information, and to construct meaning and knowledge.
They are naturally curious observers and notice small things that many adults miss, like the ants coming out of the crack in the sidewalk.
Children may also use tools provided to them for measuring or observing, with the guidance of adults. For example, when observing a leaf, they may use a magnifying glass to see the “lines” more clearly or use a ruler (or unit blocks) to measure its length. Through observation, children begin to recognize and describe similarities and differences between one object and another.
Children use their developing skill at careful observation to compare and contrast objects and events and classify them based on different attributes. For example, a child might separate all the “pointy” leaves from all the round leaves or separate the big leaves from the small ones.
Children may also investigate objects and events by trying things to see what happens. For instance, they may investigate what happens to the toy car when it rolls down ramps with bumpy or smooth surfaces, test what happens to plants placed in locations with or without light, or test out their ideas of how to use pipes to make water go up and down in the water table.
They learn to make predictions about changes in materials and objects based on their knowledge and experience, and to test their predictions through observations or simple experiments.
Children use their skills of observation and investigation to ask questions, observe and describe observations, use scientific tools, compare and contrast, predict, and make inferences.
Children use mathematical thinking to solve problems every day.
Children rearrange blocks to build a balanced, tall tower, for example, by placing the rectangular blocks at the bottom and triangular blocks at the top.
A child might go to get one more horse, so that each of her corrals has a horse in it.
A child might give his friend two flowers and keep two for himself, so they both have the same number of flowers.
A child might compare the length of her play-dough snake with her friends to see which is the longest.
A child might create groups of things according to whether they can roll or not.
A child might pour sand from a big bucket into a smaller container and realize that the sand won’t fit, and then might go to get another, bigger bucket.
Children demonstrate curiosity and ask simple questions about objects and events in their environment.
A child might build a tower higher and higher to see how high it can get before it falls.
A child might look at a snail and ask why it is hiding in its shell.
A child, when the car gets stuck on the ramp, might turn a car upside down and notice that a wheel is broken.
Children observe objects and events in the environment and describe them.
A child might observe the inside and outside of a pumpkin and describe how it looks, smells, and feels, using her senses of sight, smell and touch.
A child might observe a ball rolling down the slide and communicate, “Look how fast it is rolling. Let me try it again.”
A child might taste a piece of orange and a piece of lemon and call the orange sweet and the lemon sour.
A child with a visual impairment might touch the bark of a tree and communicate, “It feels a little scratchy when I touch the bark.”
A child, after dropping different balls onto the floor, might listen to and compare the different sounds they make and indicate which ball makes a loud sound and which ball makes a soft sound.
A child, while on a walk around the neighborhood, might squat down to smell some blooming flowers and exclaim, “It smells so good!”
Children begin to identify and use, with adult support, some observation and measuring tools.
A child, while exploring leaves, might use a magnifying glass, with a parent’s assistance, to observe a leaf closely.
A child, while digging in the garden, might use a shovel to move soil in the yard.
A child might hold a measuring tape up to the table and say, “I’m measuring the table. It is 6 long.”
A child, using a measuring cup, might help a family member measure two cups of flour during a cooking activity.
A child, while observing ants with a magnifier, might say, “Look how big the seed is. It is bigger than the ant.”
Children compare objects and events and begin to describe similarities and differences.
A child might observe rocks and sort them by size, indicating which are big and which are small.
A child might observe the inside and outside of a watermelon and describe the difference: “The outside is green and hard, and the inside is red and soft.”
A child might see images in a picture book and describe what she sees: “Frogs are green, and toads are brown.”
A child might demonstrate how a truck is very slow and a yellow car is very fast.
A child with a speech delay might dip his fingers in cups of water and indicate which cup has colder water.
Children make predictions and check them, with adult support, through real experiences.
A child might explore an apple and make a prediction: “Maybe it has six seeds inside.” After a parent cuts it open, he might count the seeds.
A child might look through the window on a windy day and predict, “More leaves will fall down.”
A child might make a prediction about how far the toy car will travel down the ramp, by indicating the distance with a gesture. Then he might push the car down to test his prediction.
Tips for families in helping children to practice mathematical thinking, to be observant, and to engage in investigation:
Toddler Month by Month
24-Month-Old
Your toddler is 2 years old. Happy birthday!
Your 24-month-old is likely playing pretend, sorting stuff into categories and is hip to simple abstract concepts (like “sooner” vs. “later”). Your toddler is also getting more verbal every day, is sometimes whiny and may be having some separation anxiety. They like to do things for themselves and, of course, can throw a doozy of a tantrum. The fun part: They’re probably big on showing other emotions too, like love and joy, and are absolutely smitten with you.
2-Year-Old Development
As your 24-month-old baby continues to grow, you might find their confidence growing too. This can mean becoming braver about trying new things—and about testing your parental limits too.
2-year-old weight and height
Wondering how much should a 2-year-old weigh? Average weight for a 24-month-old is 26.5 pounds for girls and 27.5 pounds for boys, according to the World Health Organization.
How tall is the average 2-year-old? Average height for a 24-month-old baby is 33.5 inches for girls and 34.2 inches for boys.
At the two-year checkup, the pediatrician will weigh and measure your 24-month-old to make sure their growth is following a healthy upward curve on the growth chart.
2-year-old milestones
You’re probably starting to notice that your 24-month-old baby is less of a baby and more of a toddler these days as they check off more and more skills on the list of 24-month-old milestones. Here are some milestones your 24-month-old may have hit or may be working on:
Motor skills. Your 24-month-old can probably walk up the stairs one foot at a time, walk down the stairs and jump with both feet at once. You’ll notice your 24-month-old is running well and kicking a ball pretty accurately too. Help your child develop their 24-month-old milestones by playing outside with them and going for short walks.
Your 24-month-old can probably walk up the stairs one foot at a time, walk down the stairs and jump with both feet at once. You’ll notice your 24-month-old is running well and kicking a ball pretty accurately too. Help your child develop their 24-month-old milestones by playing outside with them and going for short walks. Speech. Your toddler may be saying 50 words or as many as 100, and you can probably understand your kiddo at least half the time now, which should help cut down on tantrums. They may even be saying two-word phrases—but it’s not usually worrisome if they aren’t yet. They should be able to use a noun plus a verb, refer to themselves by name and verbally identify three pictures. The pediatrician will probably check for hearing problems if your child isn’t talking as much as expected.
Your toddler may be saying 50 words or as many as 100, and you can probably understand your kiddo at least half the time now, which should help cut down on tantrums. They may even be saying two-word phrases—but it’s not usually worrisome if they aren’t yet. They should be able to use a noun plus a verb, refer to themselves by name and verbally identify three pictures. The pediatrician will probably check for hearing problems if your child isn’t talking as much as expected. Teething. A toddler’s upper second molars tend to poke through around the second birthday, causing some teething discomfort.
A toddler’s upper second molars tend to poke through around the second birthday, causing some teething discomfort. Potty training. The second birthday is a popular time to start ramping up potty-training efforts if your child is showing signs of readiness. This may include telling you they have to go, wanting their dirty or wet diaper changed, showing interest in the potty, being able to pull their pants up and down by themselves and/or staying dry for at least two hours in a row. Don’t rush your tot if they’re not there yet; experts say potty training is likely to go most smoothly when started around 30 months.
What should a 24-month-old be able to do?
Your 24-month-old baby is becoming more coordinated and better able to communicate. You might notice that they can now turn pages on their own, scribble on a piece of paper and jump up and down. Your 24-month-old may now be able to identify different body parts and understand most two-step directions. You might also notice them copying you frequently, so do your best to set good examples.
2-year-old behavior
Have you noticed that your 24-month-old baby is full of ever-changing opinions? This can cause joyful behavior that makes you giggle, or more frustrating behaviors that test your patience. Now that your child is officially 24 months old, here’s advice on how to deal with new toddler behaviors:
Tantrums. Welcome to the terrible twos. Seventy-five percent of kids have tantrums by the time they hit age 2, so your child is certainly not alone in this tough phase. It can be one of the more frustrating 24-month-old milestones, but it’s not always as, well, terrible as it sounds. In fact, you may start to learn what helps stop your child’s tantrums. Many kids calm with hugs, some respond to redirection and others may just have to vent their frustration.
Welcome to the terrible twos. Seventy-five percent of kids have tantrums by the time they hit age 2, so your child is certainly not alone in this tough phase. It can be one of the more frustrating 24-month-old milestones, but it’s not always as, well, terrible as it sounds. In fact, you may start to learn what helps stop your child’s tantrums. Many kids calm with hugs, some respond to redirection and others may just have to vent their frustration. Separation anxiety. It’s common for 2-year-olds to have a tough time separating from their parents. As hard as it is, gently but firmly show them that their tears aren’t going to change things. Keep goodbyes short and sweet, and reassure your 24-month-old that you’ll be back—and be specific with the details. For example, “I’ll be back after your nap.”
It’s common for 2-year-olds to have a tough time separating from their parents. As hard as it is, gently but firmly show them that their tears aren’t going to change things. Keep goodbyes short and sweet, and reassure your 24-month-old that you’ll be back—and be specific with the details. For example, “I’ll be back after your nap.” Emotions. A 2-year-old’s feelings are big. Don’t worry about constantly trying to cheer your tot up or convincing them not to be angry. In fact, teaching your 24-month-old that their feelings are valid is important, but they should also learn how to express them without tantruming. Teach your child how to use words to describe their feelings; helping to identify out loud when they’re mad, frustrated or sad can be useful. Acknowledgment is an important step toward learning to handle negative emotions.
Do 24-month-olds understand emotions?
A 24-month-old baby is capable of understanding the feelings of others around them, which can be one of the especially exciting 24-month-old milestones to see. You might notice your child comforting someone who is upset or crying when they see someone else cry. Encourage this empathy by talking about your own emotions with your 24-month-old and teaching them to use words to describe how they feel.
2-Year-Old Health
My 24-month-old has diarrhea. What should I do?
My 24-month-old is constipated. What should I do?
My 24-month-old is throwing up. What should I do?
My 24-month-old has a fever. What should I do?
Don’t be surprised if your 24-month-old’s afternoon nap gets a little bit shorter as they get older. But keep in mind that their total sleep per day should remain about the same, so you might consider putting them to bed a little earlier on days with shorter naps.
How much sleep does a 2-year-old need?
Most 24-month-olds need around 11 to 12 hours of nighttime sleep, plus a nap of about 1.5 to 3 hours, for a total of about 13 to 14 hours of sleep per day.
2-year-old sleep schedule
Every kid is different, but your child’s schedule may look something like this:
Image: Smart Up Visuals
2-year-old sleep regression
Tired because your 2-year-old is waking up at night? Regression can happen when a formerly good sleeper suddenly begins waking more, throwing you for a loop. A bout of teething or illness could be the cause, or maybe a trip or holiday where your child’s sleep routine changed. To get back to the usual snoozing routine, it’s important to know the root of the problem, so you can help your little one get through it. Stick with the usual bedtime routine and set limits that will help your 24-month-old get back on track.
2-Year-Old Food
There’s one big change to your child’s menu this month: Now that they’re 2 years old, talk to your pediatrician about switching them from whole milk to 1 percent or skim milk. Try to offer low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese, as well. Doctors recommend kids ages 1 to 3 get 700 mg of calcium and 600 IU of vitamin D per day, so drinking 16 oz of milk is a great source for your 24-month-old.
How much should my 24-month-old be eating?
Two-year-olds should continue to eat three meals per day, plus two snacks. Offer them a variety of foods in all food groups—vegetables, fruits, grains, protein and dairy—daily.
A serving of pasta the size of a Ping-Pong ball, protein as big as four marbles and chopped veggies or fruit around the size of four dominoes are all considered normal portions for a toddler this age.
What to feed my 24-month-old
Variety is still key. Most toddlers should eat about ¾ to 1 cup of fruits and veggies, ¼ cup grains and three tablespoons of protein per day.
Looking for some tasty and nutritious meal inspiration? Check out these food ideas for a 2-year-old:
2-year-old feeding schedule
Image: Smart Up Visuals
2-year-old not eating: What to do for a picky eater
Try not to worry too much if your child is turning down nutritious foods and choosing only white and brown foods. It’s normal for 24-month-olds to be picky eaters—consider it their way of exercising their newfound independence. The best you can do is keep offering nutritious food options, choosing and preparing food together and modeling healthy eating behaviors for your child. They’ll come around to eating other colors…eventually.
Activities for a 2-Year-Old
Your 2-year-old is probably interested in coloring, building and pretend play. You might find they’re spending more time playing independently than they used to. Keep your 24-month-old baby busy with activities that help them practice their motor skills and use their imagination.
Looking for things to do with a 2-year-old? Some fun activities, games and toys for a 2-year-old include:
Crayons. Two-year-olds will pretend to write if you give them crayons and paper. At two, they begin making horizontal and circular strokes with a crayon.
Two-year-olds will pretend to write if you give them crayons and paper. At two, they begin making horizontal and circular strokes with a crayon. Building blocks. Duplos and other large Lego-type blocks are excellent toys to help build fine motor skills. At this age, they should be stacking five to six blocks.
Duplos and other large Lego-type blocks are excellent toys to help build fine motor skills. At this age, they should be stacking five to six blocks. Imaginative play. Playing with dolls, cars, trains and stuffed animals are all popular activities for 2-year-olds.
2-Year-Old Baby Checklist and Tips
Take your toddler to their two-year (24-month) checkup. Ask any questions you might have about 24-month-old milestones and make sure you tell the pediatrician if you have any concerns. During this visit, your pediatrician may order a blood test to check for iron deficiency and lead poisoning.
Schedule your toddler’s 2 ½-year (30-month) checkup.
Instead of brushing teeth, let your toddler “paint” their teeth (with toothpaste, of course). This makes it way more fun.
Start practicing pulling pants up and down with your 24-month-old. This will make potty training significantly easier once it’s time, and will also help your 24-month-old baby become more independent.
Read to your 24-month-old every day and keep screen time to a minimum (ideally no more than one hour a day, per the American Academy of Pediatrics). If you do allow screen time, watch with your 24-year-old so you can monitor and discuss what they watch.
Thinking about baby no. 2? Try reading books together about bringing home a new sibling. Spend time around babies, so your toddler learns how to touch them gently. And, if they’ll be moving out of their crib or into a new room, make the change at least four weeks before you’re due so your child has time to adjust.
Time is flying with your 24-month-old. They’re doing something new and exciting every day. Enjoy this exhilarating—and exhausting—stage, and get rest when you can.
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