Development of 4-Year-Old Toddler

    Energetic and imaginative best describes four-year-old’s. They are able to learn new words quickly, and use them in chatting with you, telling you jokes and wild stories.

          Physical Development

·       weight : 13 -25 kg

·       height : 37 – 46 inch

·       uses a spoon, fork and dinner knife skillfully

·       needs 10-12 hours sleep each night

·       dresses self without much help

·       walks a straight line

·       jump on 1 foot

·       pedals and steers tricycle skillfully

·       jump over objects 5-6 inches high

·       runs, jumps, hops, skips around obstacle with ease

·       stack 10 or more blocks

·       forms shapes and objects out of clay and play dough

·       thread small beads on string

·       catches, bounces and throws a ball easily

Mental Development

·        Can place objects in a line from largest t smallest

·        Can recognize some letters if taught and may be able to  write a            name

·       Recognize familiar words in simple books or signs

·       Understand the concepts of tallest, biggest, same, more, on, in,             under and above

·       Counts 1-10 objects out loud

·       Understands order of daily routines (breakfast before lunch, lunch        before dinner, dinner before bedtime)

·       Speaks fairly complex sentences. “the baby ate the cookies before I        could  put it on the table”

·       Enjoys singing simple song, rhymes, and nonsense words

·       Adapt language to listened ‘s level of understanding /to baby                 sisters: “daddy go bye bye” To Mother:  “Daddy went to the store           to buy food”

·       Learns name, address, and phone number if taught

·       Asks and answers who, what, when, why, where questions

·       Continues 1 activity for 10-15 minutes

·       Names 6-8 color and shapes

·       Follows two unrelated directions “put your milk on the table and          get your  coat on “

Social and Emotional Development
·       Takes turns and shares most of the time; may still be bossy
·       Understands and obeys simple rules most of time
·       Changes the rules of a game as she goes along
·       Likes to talk and carries on elaborate conversations
·       Persistently asks why; may name call, tattle free
·       Enjoy showing off and bragging about possessions
·       Fearful of the dark and monsters
·       Begins to understand danger at times can become quite     fearful
·       Has difficulty separating make believe from reality
·       Lies sometimes to protect self a friend, but doesn’t truly                 understand  the concept of lying imagination often gets in the way
·       Likes to shock others by using forbidden words
·       Still throws tantrums over minor frustrations
·       Expresses anger verbally rather than physically most of the time
·       Pretending goes far beyond “playing house ” to more elaborated           setting like fire station, school, shoe store, ice cream shop
·       Loves to tell jokes that may not make sense at all to adult

Parenting Tip on Development

✔  Read aloud each day and encourage your child to help   you tell       the  story
✔    Talk about reading, show your child that words are everywhere    grocery labels, restaurant menus, department store sign, etc.
✔    Encourage your child to play with words by providing old              coupons,  junk mail, newspapers ads , and old cereal boxes
✔     Ask your child to deliver short messages to ypur fmily members
✔  Say nursery rhymes and finger plat together

✔      Make play dough, play follow the leader

✔   Cut out magazine pictures of different shape, colors and animals
✔ Talk about things begin in, on under, behind, beside etc.
✔Pretend to walk like various animals
✔Sort and count everything in sight like silverware, socks rocks.
✔ Teach your child the correct use of the telephone
✔   Let your child help you plan activities and make lists for groceries,      errands, etc.