GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
- Walk on their tiptoes and heel-to-toe like on a balance beam.
- Jump rope and pump their legs to swing alone.
- Stand and hop on each foot.
- Catch a ball the size of a softball.
- Start to move in more coordinated ways, doing things like swimming, dribbling a basketball or dancing.
FINE MOTOR SKILLS
- Use one hand more than the other (this is sometimes called “hand dominance.”)
- Hold a pencil using a tripod grip (two fingers and a thumb.)
- Cut out basic shapes with scissors.
>Use a spoon easily.
COGNITIVE MILESTONES
- Recognize and name different colours and basic shapes.
- Know the letters of the alphabet and their sounds.
- Recite their name, address and phone number.
- Understand basic concepts about print (like knowing which way the pages go and that words are read left to right and top to bottom.)
- Know that stories have a beginning, middle and an end.
- Count groups of objects up to 10 and recite numbers to 20.
- Stick with an activity for 15 minutes and finish a short project.
- Make plans about how to play, what to build or what to draw.
- Explore make-believe play; these help children to manage thoughts, actions, and emotions.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL MILESTONES
- Enjoy expressing their talents; they’ll sing, dance, or be silly to get attention.
- Want approval and to be taken seriously for almost everything.
- Start to understand why it’s helpful to share and get along with other kids.
- Follow basic manners and rules. Also, help other kids follow the same.
LANGUAGE/COMMUNICATION MILESTONES
- Tell a story they heard or made up with at least two events.
- Answer simple questions about a book or story after it was read or told.
- Keep a conversation going with more than three back-and-forth exchanges.
- Use or recognize simple rhymes (bat-cat, ball-tall)
