Leah will be 4 in August. Today she is 3 years, 8 months, 3 weeks & 6 days old. Crazy how time has flown by. Less than 4 months until she turns 4. Today at school the teachers were discussing some of Leah's latest things. She has taken to telling stories, elaborate, drawn out stories. She has also created her own version of gibberish. She is getting very good at pretend play and can do so for hours on end. She is a delight. An imaginative delight. She has developed an imaginary play friend or two which show up every once in a while at home. Mostly when I am busy with chores and she is out on the porch playing. One thing Leah has never done much of is having a security object, lately though she has become quite fond and attached to a few of her toys.
Seems to be right on target with all the milestones 4 year olds should be meeting.
Milestones: 4-Year-Olds
Motor Development: Gross Motor Skills
* running is more controlled; can start, stop, and turn
* turns somersaults; hops on one foot; gallops
* can easily catch, throw, and bounce a ball
* can brush teeth, comb hair, wash, and dress with little assistance
Motor Development: Fine Motor Skills
* copies crosses and squares
* prints some letters
* uses table utensils skillfully
* cuts on a line
Language and Thinking Development
* uses a 1,500-word vocabulary; speaks in relatively complex sentences ("Mommy opened the door and the dog ran out.")
* understands words that relate one idea to another — if, why, when
* continues to learn through experience and the senses
* understands, mostly, the difference between fantasy and reality
* understands number and space concepts — more, less, bigger, in, under, behind
* thinks literally; starting to develop logical thinking
* begins to grasp that pictures and symbols can represent real objects
* starts to recognize patterns among objects — round things, soft things, animals
* grasps the concepts of past, present, and future but does not understand the duration of time
Social and Emotional Development
* takes turns, shares, and cooperates
* expresses anger verbally rather than physically
* can feel jealousy
* may sometimes lie to protect herself, but understands the concept of lying
* enjoys pretending and has a vivid imagination
* Speech is almost always understandable.
* Can usually count from 1 to 10.
* Can walk on tiptoes, climb a ladder and ride a tricycle.
* May name and match three or four primary colors.
* Knows his or her own name.
* Correctly uses the pronoun "I."
* Children this age recognize gender differences and will correctly say "I am a girl" or "I am a boy."
* Can dress and undress with supervision but still has trouble with laces and buttons. Children this age also begin to be selective about what they wear.
* Holds and uses a pencil with good control. Can copy a cross, circle and possibly a square.
* Can to draw a person with a face, arms and legs.
* Engages in conversational "give-and-take."
* Can sing a song.
* Talks about his or her day's activities and experiences.
* Can identify emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety and fear.
* Enjoys the companionship of other children; plays cooperatively and shows interest in other children's bodies.
Before I know it she will be off to kindergarten.
We are currently working on Leah memorizing our home phone number, after that we will probably have her memorize her grandparents' home number. She has an excellent memory.
All in all she is a happy, healthy, well-adjusted girl. Can't ask for more than that.
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