Preschool Developmental Stages

We begin to...

• care about others.
• share toys and take turns.
• settle our own arguments.

Sometimes we need help...

• learning to trust.
• controlling behavior.
• learning to be independent.
• expressing and understanding our feelings.
• dealing with our fears & remembering our daily routines.

We...

• wash and dry our hands.
• undress and dress ourselves.
• know when we need to use the bathroom.
• pick up and put away our toys.

We are beginning to ...

• bounce, throw, and catch a ball.
• hop, jump, and gallop.
• climb, balance and ride a tricycle.

We learn when...

• you read us books with pictures.
• you say rhymes and repeating words.
• you read us the same book over and over.
• you read us new books, we talk about the stories.
• we talk about the stories we read and heard.

We..

• like to see our name in print.
• can recognize certain words.
• want to know what words say.
• are interested in what letters look like.

We need to be reminded...

• that we are special - to take turns.
• to be kind - to tell the truth.
• to say “please” & “thank you.”

We really like to ...

• play with “messy stuff” (play-dough, mud, glue).
• sing and dance.
• play with imaginary friends.
• pretend to be grown ups.

We...

• often talk just to talk - use lots of words.
• can tell you what we want or need.
• usually speak clearly enough for others to understand.
• follow simple directions.
• understand and ask a lot of questions.

We...

• build with blocks.
• eat with forks and spoons.
• use crayons, markers, and scissors.
• spread food with a knife - “dish up” own food.

We like to...

• scribble and draw.
• pretend we are “grown up” and write like you.
• find or make letters out of sticks or pretzels.
• write our own name.

We begin to...

• learn our colors and shapes.
• learn to count and sort objects.
• learn about concepts like big and small, near and far, same and different.

We...

• like to help.
• like to play group games.
• usually share and take turns.
• value friends.
• notice that everyone is not the same.

We...

• continue to learn about right and wrong.
• see our behavior as good and bad.
• care about others feelings.
• like things to be fair.

We...

• are getting pretty good at throwing, catching, kicking, and bouncing a ball.
• can climb, balance, run, hop, gallop, jump and skip.
• like doing challenging tricks - so keep an eye on us.
• are learing to tie our shoes.
• want to ride a bike.

We...

• can carry on a conversation.
• can listen and pay attention for longer periods of time.
• may surprise you with the big words we know.
• ask questions to get more specific information.

We...

• may reverse letters when writing.
• can write some words but spell many words like they sound.
• are learning about capital letters and sentences.
• want to share our stories with you.

We are able to...

• create realistic art with different materials.
• make up songs and dances.
• act out stories and “put on” shows.
• tell jokes.

We..

• need both noisy and quiet activities.
• tire easily but get over it quickly.
• can get tired even when we sit.
• can control our fingers better for cutting, drawing, and writing.

We...

• need you to read to us every day.
• like to make up, tell, and write our own stories.
• often choose books because of the author or subject.

We...

• know that the words tell the story.
• may point to words as we read.
• can read simple stories (but usually use the pictures to help us).
• know alphabet letters and the sounds they make.

We...

• have a daily routine
• need help selecting appropriate TV shows.
• are influenced by commercials/advertising.
• are still learning through hands-on play but can understand many things we cannot see or touch.
• write numbers but sometimes write them backwards.
• learn our address, phone number, and birth date.