Preschool (ages 0-4) – Cultivating Communities for Change

Preschool

0–4 years of age

Infancy and toddlerhood is a busy time for children, who develop around 80% of their brains by age 3. Most of the development during this period happens during interactions and play with caregivers, so consistently showing up for your child and responding to their needs as best you can will support their successful development.

Milestones

Developmental Milestones

The following milestones, including cognitive, social/emotional, and physical domains, are markers of a child’s development from infancy on into adolescence. They are used to help determine if a child is undergoing typical development and/or if support may be helpful for them.

Milestones

What is happening cognitively?

Cognitive skills throughout infancy primarily include development of vision, attention, the ability to make various sounds, and the ability to understand simple words. During the toddler years, children begin to understand how common objects are used, play pretend, draw simple shapes, follow directions, use various gestures, expand their vocabulary, use two-word phrases, ask questions, and speak in ways that are understood by others.

Throughout this developmental stage, a child typically:

watches as you move
reacts to loud noises
turns head towards sound of your voice
understands the word “no”
communicates nonverbally (e.g., points to objects when asking for them)

copies/mimics adults (e.g., cooking in play kitchen)
points to at least two body parts when asked
uses objects to play pretend (e.g., feeding a doll)
shows simple problem-solving skills (e.g., using a stool to reach an object)
follows two-step directions (e.g., put toy down and bring me the book)

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Milestones

What is happening socially and emotionally?

Secure attachment begins in infancy and is built through consistent, caring, and competent bonding with their adult(s). Infants and toddlers learn mostly through interacting with their caregivers and through play. Infants mirror caregiver facial expressions, begin making noises or smiling to attract a caregiver’s attention, express basic emotions, recognize familiar people, and become cautious around unfamiliar people. Toddlers play with caregivers, show affection to caregivers, show more independence by helping with simple tasks, and play next to children (and eventually with other children).

Typically at this developmental stage, a child will begin to:

calm when spoken to or picked up
smile when caregiver talks or smiles
recognize familiar people
scream or grunt when frustrated or annoyed
display shy, clingy, or fearful behaviors around strangers
react when you leave (for example, cries or reaches)

form attachments to people, toys, or books
show affection to caregiver and toys (e.g., hugs, cuddles)
notice when other people are hurt or upset
look at caregiver’s face to see how they should react in new situations
play next to other children (parallel play) and sometimes with them (associative play)
calm down within 10 minutes of caregiver leaving (e.g., at preschool or childcare)

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Milestones

What is happening physically?

During infancy and toddlerhood, children’s physical abilities develop quickly. In infancy, babies will develop from moving their arms and legs to standing with support. Toddlers learn how to feed themselves with their fingers and utensils, walk, run, jump, use the stairs, take off their clothes, and turn the pages of a book.

Typically at this developmental stage, a child will:

hold head up when on tummy
begin to develop teeth
get into sitting position on their own
move objects from one hand to the other
move around by rolling, crawling, or shuffling
progress from standing, to walking, to running

scribble
drink from a cup without a lid (may spill sometimes)
use fingers, then spoon and fork, to feed themselves
walk up a few stairs without help
use hands to twist (e.g., turning a doorknob or unscrewing a lid)
put on and takes off some clothes by themselves

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Mind the Signs

Adults and caregivers in a child’s life can keep an eye out for the following concerns that caregivers or children might have. Items under typical worries, such as separation anxiety or fear of the bath, are expected in infants and toddlers and are likely to go away with time. Items under warning signs, such as withdrawing from certain people or showing little interest in playing, might be a sign that something more serious is going on in a child’s life. If your child is exhibiting a behavior under the warning signs category and you are concerned, you should contact your child’s pediatrician or a professional of your choice for guidance.

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Typical or Expected Worries:

Fear of loud noises
Fear of strangers (typically passes by 2 years)
Separation anxiety or fear of being away from caregiver (typically begins around 6 or 7 months, is most common around 14-18 months, and slowly goes away in early childhood)
Fear of the bath
Overstimulation
Shyness
Defiant behaviors
Sleep schedule or waking during the night
Tantrums
Taking off clothing/enjoying being nude
Exploring body and curiosity about bodies

Warning Signs:

Child is particularly clingy
Withdrawing from family or friends
Anger or aggression
Crying for no apparent reason
Nightmares or extreme fears
Shows little interest in playing
Large changes in eating habits
Headaches or stomach aches with no apparent physical cause
Inability to sleep
Wetting the bed (in toddlers who previously had stopped wetting the bed for some time)
Continuing to touch or attempt to touch their own or other’s genitals after someone has tried to distract them
Touching genitals in a way that irritates or injures them
Use of sexually explicit words
Sexually explicit play
Avoidance of specific adults
Symptoms of sexually transmitted infections or urinary tract infections