Ensuring your child is progressing developmentally is crucial for their overall well-being and future success. Early detection of delays allows for timely intervention, fostering skills in speech, motor functions, and social interactions. By monitoring their growth, you can help your child reach their full potential and navigate each developmental milestone with confidence. We expect to see the following milestones for children during early childhood development – ages 48 to 54 months:
Cognitive
- Identifies first, middle, and last
- Distinguishes between real and make-believe
- Understands the concept of zero
- Identifies half and whole objects
- Names at least 20 letters
Communication
- Identifies rhyming words
- Completes simple verbal analogies (e.g., “Ice is cold; Fire is _.”)
- Can state similarities between objects (e.g., “How are juice and milk alike?”)
- Uses possessives
- Uses sentences of five or more words
Social-Emotional
- Offers item or activity to another in exchange for an item or activity
- Accepts valid criticism
- Asks before using another’s belongings
- Talks about own feelings
- Shows pride in accomplishments
Adaptive
- Crosses street safely
- Requests food to be passed at the table
- Knows which shoe goes on which foot
- Put dirty dishes in sink or dishwasher
- Adjusts water temperature for bath or shower
Physical Development
- Can cut a straight line
- Balances on one foot
- Swings on swing maintaining own momentum
- Can rapidly touch each finger to thumb
- Turns a somersault
Notes:
Folio, M.R., & Fewell, R.R. (2000). Peabody developmental motor scales-Second edition. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
Kipping, P., Gard, A., Gilman, L., & Gorman, J. (2012). Speech and language development (3rd ed.), Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
Linder., T.W. (1993). Transdisciplinary play-based assessment. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.
Voress, J.K., & Maddox, T. (2013). Developmental assessment of young children-Second edition. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
