Childcare with Preschool Programs

Your Three-Year-Old Child

It seems like only yesterday they were babies. In three short years, your child has developed into a truly special, unique person with a distinctive personality. Some children are quiet and introspective; some are gregarious and love adventure. Most children fall somewhere in between.

One of our most-asked questions is, "Is my child ready for pre-school?" All children develop at their own pace. Some children quickly develop motor skills while their language skills seem to lag behind other children. Some children are very verbal at a young age, but are slower to crawl and walk. Normal ranges of development are fairly broad. Even though children develop different skills at different rates, most children fall comfortably within normal developmental parameters. If you have concerns about your child's development, please consult with your pediatrician.

Physical Development:

Sometimes it seems as if your three-year-old is constantly in motion, a bundle of boundless energy. Some of the physical milestones of a three-year-old may include:

• Runs well
• Marches
• Briefly stands on one foot
• Pedals a tricycle
• Walks up steps, alternating feet
• Builds a tower of 10 cubes
• Throws a ball overhand
• Walks on tiptoes if shown how
• Kicks a ball forward
• Jumps with both feet
• Imitates cross and a circle
• Pours from pitcher
• Folds paper if shown how
• Washes and dries hands by himself
• Holds a glass in one hand
• Opens doors
• Feeds self well, with some spilling
• Puts on shoes, but not cannot tie them
• Uses toilet with some help
• Unbuttons and buttons

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Emotional Development

As you watch your child transform from a "terrific two" into a self-assured three- year-old, you may begin to notice that he or she clings to you less often as time passes. Three-year-olds tend to be a bit more flexible, but still like the reassurance of a set routine at home and at school.

• Likes to conform
• Easy going attitude
• Not so resistive to change
• More secure
• Greater sense of personal identity
• Beginning to be adventuresome
• Enjoys music
• Talks about feelings and emotions

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Social Development

Socially, a three-year-old likes to be around others, both adults and children. Their rapidly increasing language skills help them transition from parallel play to cooperative play during this year.

• Parallel play
• Enjoys being with others
• Takes turns
• Knows if he or she is a boy or girl
• Enjoys brief group activities requiring no skill
• Likes to "help" in small ways
• Assigns roles in pretend social play
• Responds to verbal guidance
• Imitates housework or helps with simple tasks
• Enjoys being read to
• Developing sense of humor - tries to make other's laugh
• Plays spontaneously with two or three children in a group

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Intellectual Development

Parents are often amazed at their three-year-olds ability to absorb spoken language, remember in detail things they have seen or heard, and begin to recognize letters and numbers. Some intellectual milestones for a three-year-old may include:

• Says short sentences
• Vocabulary of nearly 900 words
• Uses plurals
• Great growth in communication
• Tells simple stories
• Uses words as tools of thought
• Wants to understand environment
• Answers questions
• May recite few nursery rhymes
• Recognizes sounds in the environment
• Remembers what happened yesterday
• Looks through books alone
• Knows some numbers
• Knows where things usually belong
• Substitutes one object for another in pretend play
• Laughs at silly ideas (like a flying cow)
• Matches circles and squares
• Matches objects and a picture of the object
• Counts 2-3 objects
• Follows simple one-step commands
• Can name at least one color correctly
• Names at least 10 familiar objects
• Understands “now,” “soon” and “later”

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As a parent, you know your child better than anyone. Trust your own judgment about your child's “readiness” for preschool. Most children thrive in a stimulating, supportive preschool that recognizes each child's strengths, building on those strengths to reinforce the idea that school is a wonderful place to learn and grow.

It’s important that all learning activities are age-appropriate. Preschool programs are designed to teach small children through play, by imitation, and by “doing.” That's why you will see lots of activity, many different creative materials, books, songs, games, and equipment at Bright Beginnings. Young children are invited to explore their world while being guided by a warm, loving teacher.

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Your Four-Year-Old Child

Where does the time go? Next year your child will be entering Kindergarten. Your child's development between three and four was a very dramatic transformation as he or she left behind toddlerhood and became an inquisitive, articulate child. Children are all unique, some quiet, some gregarious. Some love books, while others never seem to stop moving.

Some of our most-asked questions are, "Is my child ready for pre-school?" and "Does my child need the enrichment class?"

Children develop at their own pace. Some children quickly develop motor skills while their language skills seen to lag behind other children. Usually by age four, most children are adept at physical milestones such as running, hopping, and skipping. Most also have a very good command of language with ever expanding vocabularies. During the fours, many children will begin to develop more sophisticated social and problem-solving skills. Normal ranges of development are fairly broad and most children fall comfortably within normal developmental parameters. If you have concerns about your child's development, please consult with your physician.

Physical Development:

Sometimes it seems as if your three-year-old is constantly in motion, a bundle of boundless energy. Some of the physical milestones of a three-year-old may include:

• Skips on one foot
• Pours from pitcher
• Draws "man"
e
• Catches a bouncing ball
• Cuts with scissors (not well)
• Brushes teeth with help
• Dresses self except for tying shoes
• Holds a glass with one hand
• Draws a circle and face
• Walks down stairs using a handrail and alternating feet
• Builds a tower of 7-9 blocks
• Throws a ball overhand
• Feeds self well, beginning to use fork
• Holds a pencil
• Uses toilet alone
• Swings, starting by himself and keeping himself going
• Puts together simple puzzle of 4-12 pieces
• High motor drive

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Emotional Development

As you watch your child transform from a three-year-old into a self-assured four-year-old, you may begin to notice that he or she clings to you less often as time passes. Four-year-olds still like the reassurance of a set routine at home and at school, but are more willing to explore the world around them.

• Seems sure of self
• Separates from parent for a short time without crying
• Pushes limits of good behavior
• Often negative
• Needs controlled freedom
• May be defiant
• Seems to be testing self

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Social Development

Socially, a four-year-old likes to be around others. They usually prefer playing with other children rather than playing alone. Their rapidly increasing language skills help them transition from parallel play to cooperative play during this year.

• Cooperative play
• Helps clean up toys at home or school when asked
• Enjoys other children's company
• Highly social
• Pretends to play with imaginary objects
• May play loosely organized group games such as tag
• Changes the rules of the game as he goes along
• Likes to moderate "rough and tumble" play
• Likes to do things by themselves
• Tries to bargain or negotiate
• Acts out events which tell a story
• Shares when asked
• Likes to play dress-up

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Intellectual Development

Parents are often amazed at their four-year-olds' verbal skills. They are still absorbing spoken language at an amazing rate, remember in detail things they have seen or heard, and can now recognize some letters and numbers. Some intellectual milestones for a four-year-old may include:

• Uses complete sentences
• Relates a simple experience he or she has had recently
• Typically has over 1500 word vocabulary
• Asks endless questions
• Recognizes red, yellow and blue
• Learning to generalize
• Typically understands "big," "little," "tall," "short"
• Highly imaginative
• Dramatic
• Wants to know what will happen next
• Can draw recognizable simple objects
• Sorts by shape or color
• Often talks about action in conversation
• Counts up to five objects
• Enjoys rhyming and nonsense words
• Follows three instructions given at one time
• Uses regular past tenses of verbs
• Asks direct questions ("May I?")
• Distinguishes between the reality and fantasy
• Wants explanations of "why" and "how"
• Identifies situations that would lead to happiness, sadness or anger

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As a parent, you know your child better than anyone. Trust your own judgment about your child's "readiness" for preschool or enrichment classes. Most children thrive in a stimulating, supportive preschool that recognizes each child's strengths, building on those strengths to reinforce the ideas that school is a wonderful place to learn and grow.

Preschool programs are designed to teach children through play, by imitation, and by "doing." Even though they're bigger now, you will still see lots of activity, many different creative materials, books, songs, games, and equipment at Bright Beginnings. Our students are invited to explore their world while being guided through age-appropriate learning experiences by a warm, loving teacher. Along the journey, they learn skills they need for kindergarten and beyond - a lifelong love of learning.

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