What are some of the developmental milestones my child should reach by four to five years of age?
Movement milestones
- Stands on one foot for ten seconds or longer
- Hops, somersaults
- Swings, climbs
- May be able to skip
Milestones in hand and finger skills
- Copies triangle and other geometric patterns
- Draws person with body
- Prints some letters
- Dresses and undresses without assistance
- Uses fork, spoon, and (sometimes) a table knife
- Usually cares for own toilet needs
Language milestones
- Recalls part of a story
- Speaks sentences of more than five words
- Uses future tense
- Tells longer stories
- Says name and address
Cognitive milestones
- Can count ten or more objects
- Correctly names at least four colors
- Better understands the concept of time
- Knows about things used every day in the home (money, food, appliances)
Social and emotional milestones
- Wants to please friends
- Wants to be like her friends
- More likely to agree to rules
- Likes to sing, dance, and act
- Shows more independence and may even visit a next-door neighbor by herself
- Aware of sexuality
- Able to distinguish fantasy from reality
- Sometimes demanding, sometimes eagerly cooperative
Developmental health watch
- Exhibits extremely fearful or timid behavior
- Exhibits extremely aggressive behavior
- Is unable to separate from parents without major protest
- Is easily distracted and unable to concentrate on any single activity for more than five minutes
- Shows little interest in playing with other children
- Refuses to respond to people in general, or responds only superficially
- Rarely uses fantasy or imitation in play
- Seems unhappy or sad much of the time
- Doesn’t engage in a variety of activities
- Avoids or seems aloof with other children and adults
- Doesn’t express a wide range of emotions
- Has trouble eating, sleeping, or using the toilet
- Can’t differentiate between fantasy and reality
- Seems unusually passive
- Cannot understand two-part commands using prepositions (“Put the cup on the table”; “Get the ball under the couch.”)
- Can’t correctly give her first and last name
- Doesn’t use plurals or past tense properly when speaking
- Doesn’t talk about her daily activities and experiences
- Cannot build a tower of six to eight blocks
- Seems uncomfortable holding a crayon
- Has trouble taking off her clothing
- Cannot brush her teeth efficiently
- Cannot wash and dry her hands
Thanks to the American Academy of Pediatrics for this content, available at: Healthychildren.org