Children grow up surprisingly quickly, ask any parent! One moment they are a small baby struggling to move around the floor, the next they are a teenager that knows everything. That’s why it’s so important to enjoy all the little moments between, they only happen once.
But, as a parent, one of your primary concerns will be that they have better opportunities than you did. This is often reflected through the choice of child care suppliers like aspireearlyeducation.vic.edu.au and whether they have reached specific milestones.
When children are young their brains are like sponges, they will literally absorb any and all information you give them. This is why learning through play is so effective and a great way to teach your child while bonding with them.
Early education also helps to set them up for life, they are likely to learn more in school and more likely to succeed than those that didn’t experience early childhood education.
There are various milestones along the way and turning four is a good marking point as most children will have achieved a certain level in the language, math, and social skills. However, it’s important to note that this is an average achievement level. If your child is not capable of all the following skills that shouldn’t be seen as an issue, they are likely to develop all the relevant skills. All this provides is a bench point to assess how close your child is to the average achievements at the age of four.
Math
By the age of four, most children should be able to recite the numbers one to ten. This will have been learned through play and songs. They are also likely to be able to do simple math, such as 1+1, or learn some simple multiplication tables.
It’s likely they’ll need aids for this such as a pile of counters or building blocks. The visual aid helps them to learn mathematics.
However, as they turn four and start at preschool you should expect a mini-leap in their math ability. Four-year-olds will still need visual aids to help them solve simple math problems but the numbers will be getting bigger. For example, 2+2, 3+3, and even 7-2.
At four, children should be able to subtract as well as add, although visual aids are essential to help them understand the process.
Physical Co-ordination
This doesn’t generally require much teaching as children will be eager to move around and explore their own limits. By the age of four, you can expect them to be confident walking, running, skipping, and even jumping. They should also be able to throw a ball, although not necessarily accurately.
Some children at four will even be able to catch, providing you throw directly to them.
During their fourth year, they’ll develop the ability to stand on one foot for several seconds, somersault, walk up and down stairs, ride a bike or trike, and even draw simple shapes such as a triangle.
Children will also be able to draw a person. It won’t be a Van Gogh but it will recognize the body and head structures. They should also be coordinated enough to stack at least 10 blocks and use their own fork and knife. At four, children should also be able to dress themselves and brush their own teeth. Minimal help is acceptable with their daily personal needs.
Language Skills
Children generally learn language skills through immersion. That means they hear what you are saying every day and start to mimic words. You can help by talking to them when they are very young, using simple words and sounding out the syllables.
By the age of four, they should enjoy making up rhymes, singing, and making up an entire array of words. This will often result in laughter as four-year-olds are easily amused.
Of course, by the age of four, they should recognize and be able to repeat the alphabet. Their sentence structure should be more complex and they will be able to identify 3-4 shapes and colors.
Their improved language skills also mean that they are capable of understanding an array of commands and should react promptly to specific words, such as “stop”. You can also teach a four-year-old their home address and phone number if you think it is relevant.
Four-year-olds will remain easily distracted but their attention span should be growing, allowing you to spend longer doing specific activities with them, such as reading.
With practice, a four-year-old can write their own name and they will understand the structure of a typical day.
Emotional Progress
By the age of four, you can expect your child to understand some of the more basic emotions. They should respond if you seem sad and attempt to comfort you. They will react excitedly to good news and are more likely to suffer from anxiety when entering new situations.
This is normal as they start to discover the array of emotions that humans are capable of. Children of this age will still cry and may have the odd tantrum. However, they will be more aware of these emotions and may start to change the way they react in certain situations.
These Are Guidelines
Every parent wants the best for their child and probably wants them to be better than their peers. However, there is no set standard for achievements at this young age. The above are guidelines that most four-year-olds are capable of.
But, if yr child is not yet capable that isn’t an issue, providing they are still developing and improving. There is no guarantee that the children able to do these tasks first achieve greater success in life, slow developers can do just as well or better than their peers.
Monitoring their progress is important. But, so is giving them love and attention, including the best possible child care when you are not present. That provides them with the confidence and emotional support to achieve anything they want in life. No parent can ask for more than that.
