DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES: 4 TO 6 YEARS

The years between age 4 and age 6 are a time of dramatic growth and development. Although children develop at their own pace, certain stages of development happen in basically the same order for all children.

The following are some general developmental milestones for children from age 4 to age 6.

By age 4 years, most children have advanced to:

speaking fluently with more or less correct grammar
reciting his or her name, age and address
telling long stories
walking up and down stairs unassisted
standing, walking and running on their tiptoes
engaging in fantasy play
understanding the concepts of past, present, and future and
sharing

A 5-year-old can usually:

identify 10 or 12 colors
copy many letters of the alphabet
recite rhymes
hop on one foot
roll, slide, and swing
build complex structures from bricks or other objects
make friends and
understand the need for rules and fair play

A child's development can be affected by:

physical or emotional abuse
eating rules that require children to clean their plate and
parental pressure to develop too early
a home environment that suppresses a child's feelings, curiosity, and exploratory learning
a lack of discipline and
changes in physical or emotional health

The birth of a new brother or sister into a child's family may cause a child to temporarily act younger. This is normal and usually stops when the child accepts the baby as a new member of the family.

For more information about the growth and development of your child, contact your healthcare provider or the American Academy of Pediatrics at (847) 434-4000.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File CHIL4310.RF2 VRS# 4310 Data Version 7.0