Preschooler Development by Age and Domain
Note: all domains are interrelated, for example “recognize and calm down to familiar gentle voice” in
the Cognitive domain is also part of social, language and hearing development.
Note: All skills are listed by the age when most children should have accomplished them unless
otherwise indicated. When observing a child between two ages refer to the younger age group (e.g.,
expect a four and a half year-old child to accomplish the skills listed for four years of age).
By 3 Years of Age
Expect the child to:
Social Emotional
Imitate adults and playmates Spontaneously show affection for familiar
Greet friends and familiar adults when playmates
reminded Show affection with words and actions
Be able to take turns in games most of the Be able to wait for his needs to be met
time some of the time
Understand concept of “mine” and “his/hers” Object to major changes in routine
Share some of the time (e.g., toys, books) Express a wide range of emotions
Play with others comfortably Show awareness of own and other’s
Cooperate with parent’s request half of the feelings
time Begin to show an understanding of other’s
Put toys away feelings
Ask for help Begin to describe himself as either “good”
Possibly engage in aggression: instrumental or “bad”. (This indicates that the child is
(e.g., want something and pull it away from beginning to develop self-esteem. In the
someone else or push or shout at someone to preschool years self-esteem is primarily
get it) or hostile (e.g., want something and linked to feedback from caregivers.)
deliberately hurt someone to get it)
Language Cognitive
Understand two-and three-step directions Make mechanical toys work
(e.g., “Pick up your hat and shoes and put Match an object in his hand or in the room
them in the closet”) to a picture in a book
Understand and use some describing words Play make-believe games with actions
like big, dirty, wet and hot and words (e.g., “pretending to cook a
Understand “who”, “why”, “what” and “when” meal, fix a car”)
questions Sort objects by shape and colour using
Understand physical relationships (e.g., on, in, two categories (e.g., all blue circles and
under) all yellow triangles)
Recognize and identify almost all common Complete puzzles with three or four
objects and pictures pieces
Speak in five or more word sentences (e.g., “I Can use appropriate counting words to
go home now and play”) identify quantities of 3 or more
Can say full name, age, and gender Ask a lot of questions
Use pronouns (e.g., I, you, me, we, they) and
some plurals (e.g., cars, dogs, cats)
Speak clearly enough to be understood most
of the time by family
Name body parts
Talk about past events (e.g., trip to
grandparents house)
Listen to music or stories for 5 to 10 minutes
with caregiver
Turn the pages of a book one at a time
Be aware of the function of print (e.g., lists,
menus, signs)
Begin to make over-regularization errors (e.g.,
I runned home; I have two feets); these types
of errors continue into middle childhood
Motor
Gross Motor Fine Motor
Climb well Make vertical, horizontal, and circular
Walk up the stairs using the handrail strokes with pencil or crayon
Run easily Can copy a circle or a cross with a crayon
Bend over easily without falling Hold a pencil in writing position
Stand on one foot briefly Turn book pages one at a time
Throw a ball forward at least one meter (three String big beads
feet) Build a tower of six blocks
Twist lids off jars or turn knobs
Work latches and hooks
Dress or undress with help
Nutrition/Feeding
Nutrition Feeding
Have improved appetite and interest in food Lift and drink from a cup and replace it on
Be influenced by TV commercials the table
May have food “jags” (e.g., refusal of one or Hold handle on cup
two favourite foods over an extended period of Insists on doing it “myself” (may not be
time) common in all cultures)
Eat a variety of foods according to Canada's
Food Guide
By 4 Years of Age
Expect the child to:
Social Emotional
Be interested in new experiences Try to comfort someone who is upset
Take turns and share with other children in Use words to communicate empathic
small group activities feelings
Play near and talk to other children while Persevere longer on a difficult task
continuing with own activity Show improvement in emotional self-
Play “mom” or “dad” regulation (e.g., controlling expression of
Engage in increasingly inventive fantasy play emotions); decline in emotional outbursts
Look for adult approval (“Watch me.” or
“Look what I did”)
Be more independent
Form first friendships
View self as a whole person involving body,
mind, and feelings
Negotiate solutions to conflicts
Language Cognitive
Understand the concepts of “same” and Correctly name some colours and numbers
“different” Identify written digits up to 9
Master some basic rules of grammar Count correctly to determine quantities of
Matches some letters with their sound (e.g., more than 10
letter T says “tuh”) Understand three-part related directions and
Speak in sentences of five to six words longer sentences (e.g., “Put your toys away
Speak clearly enough to be understood most and wash your hands before lunch”)
of the time without repeating or stuttering on Approach problems from a single point of
sounds or words view
Speak clearly enough for strangers to Imagine that many unfamiliar images may
understand be “monsters”; often have difficulty
Say rhymes (e.g. cat-bat-hat) or sing distinguishing between fantasy and reality
children’s songs Recall parts of a story
Ask and answer a lot of questions (e.g., Why, Understand the concept of same/different
What are you doing?) Know his address
Tell stories with a clear beginning, middle
and end
Recognize familiar signs
Distinguish writing from non-writing
Motor
Gross Motor Fine Motor
Stand on one foot up to five seconds Hold a crayon or pencil correctly
Go up and down stairs alternating feet (e.g., Draw a person with three or more body
with one foot on each step) parts
Kick ball forward Snip paper with scissors
Throw ball overhand Draw circles, squares, crosses
Catch a large ball with outstretched arms Begin to copy some capital letters
Move forward and backward with agility Undo buttons and zippers
Use the toilet/or potty during the day (e.g., Dress or undress but may need help with
toilet trained) closures
Twiddle thumbs
Build a tower of nine blocks
Manipulate and shape clay
Nutrition/Feeding
Nutrition Feeding
Request favourite foods Use a fork at mealtimes (use of utensils
May want favourite food at most meals varies by culture)
Eat a variety of foods according to Canada’s Self-feed well using fingers, spoon or fork
Food Guide Finish most meals
Prefer foods plain and not mixed together
By 5 Years of Age
Expect the child to:
Social Emotional
Respond verbally to “hi” and “how are you” Separate easily from caregiver
Show more independence and may even Want to please friends
visit a next-door neighbour by himself Recognize another’s need for help and
Want to be like his friends give assistance
Talk about having a best friend Identify and talk about feelings in relation
Usually play well in groups to events
Play make-believe games with others
Share willingly with others
Be more likely to agree to rules
Like to sing, dance, and act
Be aware of sexuality
Cooperate with adult requests most of the
time
Work alone at an activity for 20-30 minutes
Language Cognitive
Understands directions involving “if…then” Count out loud or on fingers to answer
(e.g., “If you are wearing runners, then line “How many are there?”
up for gym.”) Can solve simple addition problems up to
Use future tense 5 + 5 from memory or using fingers
Recall part of a story Know common shapes and most of the
Describe past, present and future tense letters of the alphabet
Tell long stories about own past Have an improved ability in distinguishing
experiences fantasy from reality
Say name and address Understand time of day and days of the
Speak clearly in adult-like sentences most week
of the time Experiment with strategies to solve simple
Use almost all the sounds of his own arithmetic problems
language with few or no errors Know about things used every day in the
Understand that letters and sounds are home (e.g., money, food, appliances)
linked in systematic ways Begin to know that others have thoughts
(e.g., “Mommy thinks I am hiding in the
bedroom.”)
Motor
Gross Motor Fine Motor
Stand on one foot for 10 seconds or longer Draw lines, simple shapes and a few
Hop on one foot several times letters
Somersault Draw person with body
Swing, climb Use scissors to cut along a thick line
Walk on a straight line, only stepping off drawn on a piece of paper
once or twice Dress and undress with little help
Stop, start, and change direction smoothly
when running
Throw and catch a ball successfully most of
the time
Climb playground equipment without
difficulty
Usually care for own toilet needs
Walk backward, toe to heel
Nutrition/Feeding
Nutrition Feeding
See food as an important part of social Use fork, spoon, and (sometimes) a table
occasions knife (use of utensils varies by cultures)
Prefer plain food, but will try some mixtures Can open most food containers
Eat a variety of foods according to Canada’s
Food Guide
By 6 Years of Age
Expect the child to:
Social Emotional
Play cooperatively with 2-3 children for 20 Able to control emotions in most situations
minutes Show empathy in most situations or when
Apologize for actions he didn’t mean to do made aware of another’s feelings
Listen while others are speaking; pay Can wait his turn or wait to have his needs
attention and follow instructions in a group met
Help others Can complete most tasks with few
Explain rules of a game or activity to others reminders
Engage in better social problem-solving
Language Cognitive
Understand some words about time and order Copy shapes (e.g., circle, square, triangle)
(e.g., morning, afternoon, yesterday, next, Solve simple addition and subtraction
last) problems either from memory, using
Correctly say almost all of the sounds in fingers or drawings
words Know number words beyond 50
Identify sounds at the beginning of some Use tokens to solve simple real-world
words. (e.g., “What sound does pop start problems (e.g., “if we have 6 cookies and 3
with? “puh”) children, how many cookies can each child
Recognize some familiar written words (e.g., have, if they all share equally?”)
own name, some store signs) Learn more complicated games and play
Recognize short, high-frequency words in text by the rules most of the time
(e.g., the, in, on, is) Know right from left on own body
Tell about own experiences and ask about Be able to distinguish between fantasy and
yours reality
Speak clearly enough to be understood by Show an understanding of right and wrong
everyone Demonstrate a more realistic
understanding of space, size of objects,
Pay attention and follow instructions in a and distance in drawings
group Demonstrate a more realistic sense of self
Have a vocabulary of about 10,000 words by assessing their strength and
weaknesses (e.g., I am a good runner, but
I have trouble riding my bike”)
Motor
Gross Motor Fine Motor
Skip across a room Catch a small ball
Walk on a beam without falling (e.g., curb) Cut out simple shapes following an outline
Hop on one foot for 3 meters ( 10 feet) (e.g., circle, square)
Run lightly on toes Tie shoelaces
Jump rope Complete washroom routines without help
Ride a bicycle with or without training Skate
wheels Print words and numerals
Colour within lines
Have an adult grasp of pencil
Use glue appropriately
Nutrition/Feeding
Nutrition Feeding
Eat a variety of foods according to Begin to use chop sticks (use of utensils
Canada’s Food Guide varies by culture)
Able to open and close most food containers
Atypical Development
Although all children develop at their own rate, there are certain signs in a child’s development
which may indicate more serious concerns. If any of the following signs of atypical development are
noted in children in your care, these concerns should be discussed with the child’s primary health
care professional. Subsequently, a referral to the appropriate specialist may be required.
Age: three to four years
Cannot throw a ball overhand
Cannot jump in place
Cannot ride a tricycle
Cannot grasp a crayon between thumb and fingers
Has difficulty scribbling
Still clings or cries whenever his caregiver leaves
Shows no interest in interactive games
Ignores other children
Does not respond to people outside the family
Does not engage in fantasy play
Resist dressing, sleeping, using the toilet
Lashes out without any self-control when angry or upset
Does not use sentences of more than three words
Does not use “me” and “you” appropriately
Unable to draw a straight line - 3 years
Less than half of his speech is understandable - 3½ years
Age: four to five years
Exhibits extremely fearful or timid behaviour
Exhibits extremely aggressive behaviour
Is unable to separate from primary caregiver without major protest
Is easily distracted and unable to concentrate on any single activity for more than five minutes
Shows little interest in playing with other children
Refuses to respond to people in general, or responds only superficially
Rarely uses fantasy or imitation in play
Seems unhappy or sad much of the time
Doesn’t engage in a variety of activities
Avoids or seems aloof with other children and adults
Does not express a wide range of emotions
Has trouble eating, sleeping, or using the toilet
Seems unusually passive
Cannot understand two-part commands using prepositions (“Put the cup on the table”)
Cannot correctly give his first and last name
Does not use plurals or past tense properly when speaking
Does not talk about his daily activities and experiences
Cannot build a tower of six to eight blocks
Seems uncomfortable holding a crayon
Has trouble taking off his clothing
Cannot brush his teeth efficiently
Cannot wash and dry his hands
Does not understand prepositions - 4 years
Cannot hop on one foot - 4 years
Unable to copy a square - 4 ½ years
Cannot count in sequence - 4½ years
Does not use proper syntax in short sentences - 5 years
Does not know colours or any letters - 5 years
Unable to walk a straight line back and forth or balance on one foot for 5 to 10 seconds - 5 years
Unable to copy a cross - 5 years
Does not know own birthday or address - 5 ½ years
3 – 5 years: in constant motionresists; discipline consistently; does not play with other children
