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Your four-year-old child is continuing to develop at a phenomenal rate, and absorbs information like a sponge! Here are key development milestone for children ages 4-5. Subscribe to Type-A Mom articles

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Movement and mobility

• can now run quite fast, can start and stop much more easily
• can hop for a limited number of steps
• has better balance
• will be able to jump a distance of around 8” to 12” from a standing position

Co-ordination

• figures that are “people” now have facial features
• can now complete a jigsaw of around 20 to 25 pieces unaided
• will be able to throw a small ball, but has terrible aim most of the time!
• can use a small knife and fork to eat, and with a lot less mess, but still needs help to cut food up.

Vocabulary

• by now your child knows between 1800 and 1900 words, and is still adding new words to their vocabulary at a rate of around 50 words per month.
• longer sentences start to appear in speech. Can now use 5 and 6 words sentences on a regular basis.
• still enjoys talking to toys and to no-one in particular!

Social Skills

• will now interact with more that one child at a time, although the preference is still for one on one communication.
• will be able to “take turns” in a conversation and recognise when it is their turn to contribute.
• begins to prefer to play with children of the same sex
• is increasingly influenced by the likes and dislikes of other children ( the start of the dreaded “peer pressure”!)
• by now they may have a very special or best friend

Continues to learn by:

• beginning to understand that the world does not revolve solely around their wants and needs
• understanding other people´s perspectives on life
• can now follow enough instructions to play a simple board game, and will enjoy family games
• likes to count things, and is starting to show an interest in numbers and time
• has started to develop a sense of humour, and will enjoy jokes and “funny things”, which at this age tends to mean slapstick humour!

In terms of their learning and development, most children pass through roughly the same milestones at approximately the same age.

This series of articles has been written as a rough guide to how you should expect your child to develop between the ages given. Remember, all kids are individuals, and they will vary in their strengths and weaknesses and preferences for each skill set ( and this list is by no means definitive!).

Also see:

• Child Development from Age 5-6
• Child Development from Age 3-4
• Child Development from Age 2-3