Learning and Development: Children 36 to 48 Months
Three and four year olds tend to be active, busy, and verbal. They try hard to please adults, and tend to be more cooperative than younger children. They thrive on new experiences, both inside and outside. Imaginative play becomes important, and children begin learning to take initiative in testing out new ideas and behaviors. Find out more about developmental milestones and learning goals associated with brain development for children ages three to four in each area below:
Physical Development
Characteristics
- Ability to throw, catch, kick, balance, alternate feet on stairs, hop and skip increases as coordination improves
- Can build block towers, string beads, pour liquids, draw shapes and objects
- Can copy simple designs
- Rides a tricycle
- Is toilet-trained, but accidents still happen
Learning Goals
- Continue to perfect small and large motor skills
- Develop confidence in abilities
- Improve eye/hand coordination
Suggested Activities/Materials
- Provide equipment that varies in skill levels like tricycles, tires, hoops, balance beam, ring toss, etc.
- Prepare open-ended activities with ample time
- Offer encouragement as children try new things
- Drawing, painting, crayons, play dough, collage materials
- Music for dancing
- Puzzles, building blocks, blocks, snap-together toys
- Nature walks
Cognitive and Language Development
Characteristics
- Can follow directions with more than one step
- Has somewhat longer attention span (10-30 minutes, depending on activity)
- Ideas are based on actual experiences
- Is curious, inquisitive
- Beginning to mentally visualize objects
- Is starting to be aware of time (day, night, morning, afternoon)
- Knows several colors, first and last name
- Asks for what child wants
- Responds to comments of others
- Uses 3-4 word sentences
- Begins to count
- Begins to use plurals
- Has difficulty taking turns in conversation
- Can give simple accounts of day/experiences
- Begins to talk more clearly
Learning Goals
- Understand symbolic representations of objects
- Reason from particular to particular
- Focus on more than one aspect of a situation
- Develop ability to think out loud and talk through situations
- Represent thoughts and feelings verbally
- Learn to plan and organize own activities
Suggested Activities/Materials
- Provide opportunities to sort and classify objects
- Simple games, such as “follow the leader”
- Books, construction materials, pattern making, puzzles
- Musical instruments
- Provide a variety of settings for language use
- Talk with children frequently, listen to them carefully
- Reading and singing activities
- Establish eye contact when talking to children
- Dramatic play themes
- Writing utensils and paper, stamps and stamp pads, puzzles, magazines, chalk boards
Social and Emotional Development
Characteristics
- Beginning to show self-control
- Beginning to learn to take turns and to share but may have difficulty
- Begins to get bossy but learns to play cooperatively
- Humor emerges
- Wants to please adults
- Begins developing friendships and separates more easily from adults to play with friends
- Imagination plays important role
- Shows aggression
- Begins to “tattle”
Learning Goals
- Begin developing a positive self-concept
- Develop initiative
- Cooperate with others
- Express self in another role
- Learn to share, barter, manage conflict, take turns
- Learn to feel comfortable with emotions
- Activities/materials which support child’s self-concept and encourage positive self-esteem by praising and showing appreciation
- Provide opportunities for children to play together
- Provide activities that allow children to negotiate social conflicts (dramatic play, blocks)
- Play pretend games, dress-up, theme play
- Water colors, variety of art experiences
Self-Help Skills
Characteristics
- Can button, unbutton, zip and unzip things
- Can set the table and serve self
- Will try to wash hands, brush teeth independently
- Toilet trained, but accidents can still happen
- Cleans up spills with help
Learning Goals
- Develop self-confidence as he or she can do more things independently
- Develop more independence
Suggested Activities/Materials
- Cooking activities
- Encourage children to find toys themselves and set up play area
- Encourage children to help set table and serve themselves, with help as needed
- Provide child-size bowls, serving pieces, pitchers
- Sit with children during meals, encouraging conversation
- Consistently provide a clean-up time after each activity, encouraging all children to participate
Supporting Healthy Brain Development in Children
- Show affection and be responsive to needs
- Talk to children throughout the day
- Make up silly words and rhymes
- Write down stories that children tell
- Help children describe how things feel (soft, sticky, hard, wet, dry)
- Provide materials to sort and group
- Show children how to take things apart and put them back together
- Talk about things that are better to do outside rather than inside
- Don’t allow technology to take the place of interaction with other people
- Maintain routines with flexibility
- Continue well-child check ups
Learning Environments for Children
The following are characteristics of an effective out-of-home learning environment for groups of three and four year olds:
- Divide the classroom into interest areas, such as art, blocks, books, manipulatives, science, sand, weather, music, dramatic play, and a large motor area.
- Display learning materials and equipment on the children’s level so they can choose
- Rotate learning materials regularly to provide new opportunities for exploration
- Be sure the outdoor area has areas of shade and sun with resilient ground cover.
- Include a hard-surfaced area for riding toys outdoors, as well as multiple areas for climbing, jumping, throwing and catching, running, and pretend play
- Provide individual attention, close supervision, and responsive caregiving for children
