Child developmental Milestones Preschoolers Five Years

GROWTH AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• gains 4 to 5 pounds per year; weighs an average of 38 to 45 pounds
• grows an average of 2 to 2.5 inches per year; is approximately 42 to 46 inches tall
• heart rate (pulse) is approximately 90-110 beats per minute
• respiratory rate ranges from 20-30 depending on activity and emotional status
• may begin to lose “baby” (deciduous) teeth
• visual acuity is 20/20 using the Snellen E chart
• grow into slimmer, straighter children
• arms, trunk, and legs lengthen
• legs grow faster than the rest of the body
• bones become denser

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

• walks unassisted up and down stairs, alternating feet
• bends to touch toes without flexing knees
• learns to skip using alternating feet
• rides a tricycle or wheeled toy with speed and skillful steering; some children learn to ride bicycles
• builds three dimensional structures with small cubes by copying from a picture or model
• reproduces many shapes and letters: square, triangle, A, I, O, U, C, H, L, T, V
• demonstrates good control of pencil or marker; may begin to color within the lines
• hand dominance is usually established
• become more poised and controlled
• may seem less active because he is not in constant restless movement
• can stand on one foot
• run on their toes
• love jumping
• bounces and catches a ball
• runs in even strides
• ascends and descends stairs smoothly and with a foot-alternating pattern
• jumps and hops
• pours liquids from various containers
• dresses self fairly well
• prints letters and numbers

PERCEPTUAL-COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

• builds steps with set of small blocks
• understands concept of same shape, same size
• sorts objects on the basis of both color and form
• rote count to twenty and above
• recognizes numerals from one to ten
• knows what a calendar is for
• continues to ask many questions
• eager to learn new things
• forms rectangle from two triangular cuts
• powers of thought developing rapidly
• learn best by doing
• powers of recognition are developed
• imagine and fantasize in a controlled way
• begins to develop the ability to deal with abstraction
• begins to distinguish between appearance and reality
• begins to understand false beliefs
• perceives another person’s point of view
• develops increased memory and attention span and can recall objects and events
• develops counting, math, and problem solving skills
• speaks fluently and correctly, but may confuse sounds f, s and th
• sings or says jingles and rhymes, and like riddle and jokes
• enjoys hearing stories and later enacts them with friends
• can quote full name, age, birthday, and address

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

• vocabulary of 1500 words or more
• tells a familiar story while looking at pictures in a book
• identifies and names at least four colors
• produces sentences with an average length of 5 to 7 words
• speech is nearly 100% intelligible
• uses “would” and “could” appropriately
• language develops alongside their powers of thought
• can understand more words than they can say
• gaining an increasing precision in the use of words
• language becomes more difficult
• more language they have, the faster thinking will progress
• acquires vocabulary rapidly
• begins to use complex sentences, indicating increased understanding of grammar and structure of language
• uses private speech more
• understands and shows interest in printed and handwritten words; tries to read and write
• speaks fluently and correctly, bur may confuse sounds f, s, and th
• signs or says jingles and rhymes, and like riddles and jokes
• enjoys hearing stories and later enacts them with friends
• can quote full name, age, birthday and address

PERSONAL-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

• enjoys friendships; often has one or two special playmates
• participates in group play and shared activities with the other children; suggests imaginative and elaborate play ideas
• is affectionate and caring, especially toward younger or injured children and animals
• generally does what parent or caregiver requests; follows directions and carries out responsibilities most of the time
• children describe themselves almost entirely in physical terms
• able to differentiate between themselves and other people
• cannot easily distinguish their own thoughts and feeling from other people's

DEVELOPMENTAL ALERTS

Check with a health care provider or early childhood specialist, if by the sixth birthday, the child does not:

• alternate feet when walking down stairs
• use 4 to 5 words in acceptable sentence structure
• cut on a straight line with scissors
• sit still and listen to an entire short story (5 to 7 minutes)
• play well with other children
• maintain eye contact when spoken to (unless this is a cultural taboo)