What stages of development are preschoolers in?

Child Development Stages

Everybody appreciates a good map. Some might like the aesthetic appeal of a physical map, but it’s safe to say everyone would literally be lost without the map on their smartphones. Very few people would want to travel to an unknown destination without their phone telling them where to go. Having a guide makes things easy. Dependable. Relaxing.

Which might explain why parenting feels hard, chaotic, and stressful — there is no map for being mom and dad.

Or is there?

No, sorry, there isn’t. But there is a guide! Which is the next best thing, right?

5 Stages of Child Development

Obviously, no two kids are the same and every parenting journey is different. Thankfully, there are some “hardwired” developmental milestones that most kids follow. And each milestone (for the most part) falls into one of five stages that children go through. They are:

1. Newborn (0-3 months)
2. Infant (3-12 months)
3. Toddler (1-3 years)
4. Preschool age (3-4 years)
5. School/Pre-K age (4-5 years)

Each stage takes a look at certain characteristics, such as a child’s physical, speech, cognitive, emotional, and social progression. 

The keyword here is progression. While there will be checklists you and your doctor will use to monitor progress, don’t think of the lists as a test your child has to pass. They are there to help you know what to look for. If you see that progress has stopped in any one area, that’s when it’s time to talk to your doctor. (More on that later.)

Child Development Stages by Age

Have you ever been reading a parenting blog, gotten to a giant chart of information, and thought, “Oh my gosh, just give me the checklist.”

Your wish is our command 🙂 Check out this list from the CDC that lists milestones for kids 2 months to 5 years old.

1-12 Months

1-2 Years

2-3 Years

3-4 Years

5-6 Years

What to Do if You’re Worried

If you take a look at these lists and see that your child isn’t hitting every single item, remember … these lists are approximations. Very few children hit every milestone at every stage of their life. 

Thankfully, your child’s pediatrician is the perfect person to talk to about this. They evaluate these milestones and can provide you with the expertise you need to make an informed decision. Their evaluations are more thorough than online checklists, and they can connect you with specialists if they think your child needs one.

Paying attention to what children typically do at a given age is an important job, but it can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, with a digital guide (checklist) and a physical guide (your pediatrician), your child’s developmental stages don’t have to feel like a topsy-turvy detour. 

What are some of the developmental milestones my child should reach by three to four years of age?

With your child’s third birthday, the “terrible twos” are officially over and the “magic years” of three and four begin—a time when your child’s world will be dominated by fantasy and vivid imagination. During the next two years, he’ll mature in many areas.

Here are some milestones to look for.

Movement milestones

• Hops and stands on one foot up to five seconds

• Goes upstairs and downstairs without support

• Kicks ball forward

• Throws ball overhand

• Catches bounced ball most of the time

• Moves forward and backward with agility

Milestones in hand and finger skills

• Copies square shapes

• Draws a person with two to four body parts

• Uses scissors

• Draws circles and squares

• Begins to copy some capital letters
  

Language milestones

• Understands the concepts of “same” and “different”

• Has mastered some basic rules of grammar

• Speaks in sentences of five to six words

• Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand

• Tells stories

Cognitive milestones

• Correctly names some colors

• Understands the concept of counting and may know a few numbers

• Approaches problems from a single point of view

• Begins to have a clearer sense of time

• Follows three-part commands

• Recalls parts of a story

• Understands the concept of same/different

• Engages in fantasy play

Social and emotional milestones

• Interested in new experiences

• Cooperates with other children

• Plays “Mom” or “Dad”

• Increasingly inventive in fantasy play

• Dresses and undresses

• Negotiates solutions to conflicts

• More independent

• Imagines that many unfamiliar images may be “monsters”

• Views self as a whole person involving body, mind, and feelings

• Often cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality

Developmental health watch

Because each child develops in his own particular manner, it’s impossible to tell exactly when or how he’ll perfect a given skill. The developmental milestones listed here will give you a general idea of the changes you can expect as your child gets older, but don’t be alarmed if his development takes a slightly different course. Alert your pediatrician, however, if your child displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay for this age range.

• Cannot throw a ball overhand

• Cannot jump in place

• Cannot ride a tricycle

• Cannot grasp a crayon between thumb and fingers

• Has difficulty scribbling

• Cannot stack four blocks

• Still clings or cries whenever his parents leave him

• Shows no interest in interactive games

• Ignores other children

• Doesn’t respond to people outside the family

• Doesn’t engage in fantasy play

• Resists dressing, sleeping, using the toilet

• Lashes out without any self-control when angry or upset

• Cannot copy a circle

• Doesn’t use sentences of more than three words

• Doesn’t use “me” and “you” appropriately

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

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