- How do I get my child interested in reading?
- What is typical development for a four year old?
How do I get my child interested in reading?
Helping your child to enjoy reading needs to start early. The
most important thing you can do is to read out loud to your child
regularly. Research shows that reading together just 30 minutes
a day significantly increases your child's reading ability.
Another important activity is using the library. Get a library
card for your child and go often to select new books. Take time
to look at your daily activities and help your child see the
connection to reading and writing. Cooking, reading food labels,
playing word games and writing stories together are all great
activities that promote literacy.
What is typical development for a four year old?
Listed below are some stages of development or milestones for a
four and five year old. Keep in mind, all children develop at
different rates and these skills are approximations.
LARGE/SMALL MOTOR SKILLS
* can hop for five seconds
* can catch a ball bounced to him/her
* can kick a ball forward
* can draw circle and squares
* can draw a person with two to four body parts
* can use scissors comfortably
LANGUAGE
* has a vocabulary of approximately 1,500 words
* uses five to six words in a sentence
* tells stories
COGNITIVE
* can name colors
* can name letters of the alphabet
* understands the concept of counting
* knows some numbers
* participates in pretend play
* can match, sort and classify objects
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
* is interested in new experiences
* can cooperate/share with other children
* is becoming more independent and more confident
* participates in group activities
* listens attentively
* demonstrates self-control
Source: Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
