4 year old development...?

Question

What are the typical 4 year old milestones? Should a 4 year old (will be 5 in April) be expected to know the alphabet, spell their name, be able to try to write letters, or maybe even spell their name before kindergarten?

Answer 1

you need to remember that all children develop differently.

it is more important that milestones come in the right order than at the right age.

it depends what your 4 yr old has been exposed to.. for example if they have been to child care they may be more ahead in knowing the alphabet or copying letters rather than at home with busy parents. not saying thats whats happening in your case but it is common.

i work in child care and most of the 4 yr olds can copy their name if i write it and some are able to write it without copying. but then again some of them cannot.

depends on your child and their capabilities really

good luk =]

Answer 2

I live in Tn and down here the school systems want your child to know there name and recognize it, there address, there alphabet, and count to 20.  I teach 4-5 year olds and we have been doing curriculum since Aug and all my children know there name, ABC's and can count to 20.

Answer 3

both my kids knew the alphabet, and how to spell their first names before kindergarten.

Answer 4

It is helpful if a child entering kindergarten can recite the alphabet, recognize some or all of the letters of the alphabet, recognize his own name in print and identify the letters, and at leat attempt to write his name.  Writing the big "A" for "Adam" is better than nothing!

A child should be able to count to 20, and it's good if they can count with a one-to -one correspondance (like counting five objects and pointing at each one as he counts them).  They should at least recognize numbers, even though they may not know each number.  Numbers are even more abstract than letters. It's a hard concept to learn. Counting is more important at this point.

They should know the names of the colors. They should know how to hold a pencil properly, even if just for drawing.

They should understand how to wait for a turn, how to sit still for short (5 minutes) periods of time, how to follow simple directions.  

They should be able to play companionably with other children, and interact with them. They should ask and answer questions.

Childen enter kindergarten with a wide range of abilities.  they will all have strong areas and weaker areas. The most important thing is that they be happy to be there, and eager to learn.

Answer 5

yes, those are all the things we do in preschool.  They are expected to write them name - first letter capital, the rest lower case - and spell it as well.  They count to 100 and can recognize all numbers and letters. They know their name and address and birthdate.   It's a lot to learn before kindergarten and that's why there are preschools out there to help you. A good preschool will know how to do these things in a very fun and interactive way.    Once they get to kindergarten, they are writing simple sentences and reading sight words.  good luck!