Your Child at 4 Years:
What Most Children Do at This Age:



Social / Emotional
•Enjoys doing new things
•Plays “Mom” and “Dad”
•Is more and more creative with make-believe play
•Would rather play with other children than by himself
•Cooperates with other children
•Often can’t tell what’s real and what’s make-believe
•Talks about what she likes and what she is interested in
Language / Communication
•Knows some basic rules of grammar, such as correctly using “he” and “she”
•Sings a song or says a poem from memory such as the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or the “Wheels on the Bus”
•Tells stories
•Can say first and last name
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
•Names some colors and some numbers
•Understands the idea of counting
•Starts to understand time
•Remembers parts of a story
•Understands the idea of “same” and “different”
•Draws a person with 2 to 4 body parts
•Uses scissors
•Starts to copy some capital letters
•Plays board or card games
•Tells you what he thinks is going to happen next in a book
Movement / Physical Development
•Hops and stands on one foot up to 2 seconds
•Catches a bounced ball most of the time
•Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes own food
Act Early by Talking to Your Child’s Doctor if Your Child:
•Can’t jump in place
•Has trouble scribbling
•Shows no interest in interactive games or make-believe
•Ignores other children or doesn’t respond to people outside the family
•Resists dressing, sleeping, and using the toilet
•Can’t retell a favorite story
•Doesn’t follow 3-part commands
•Doesn’t understand “same” and “different”
•Doesn’t use “me” and “you” correctly
•Speaks unclearly
•Loses skills he once had