3-5 year old development course

This course is designed to give you a better understanding of child development from ages 0-5, it has been split into two sections. The first section focuses on 0-2 years old and the second from 3-5 years old. From birth, each child will need to reach and accomplish certain developmental milestones. Milestones are the actions a child should be doing by a certain age.

This course focuses on the second section: the development of 3 to 5 year olds. In this course we will introduce you to the 4 main areas of development and share examples of behaviours and actions to look out for in the child in their early years. Our examples will help you know what to expect and encourage next with the child, but it does not include everything.

Whether you are a nanny or a parent it is great to have some understanding of what’s going on so you can actually encourage and support their development effectively. It is important to acknowledge however, that babies and children all develop differently. Sometimes babies and children will have a developmental spurt and then other times they may be a little slower- this is very normal. Additionally there are a multitude of ways of measuring a child's development, and depending on which checklist or book you’re using will tell you different things. So our advice is to take things with a pinch of salt, below is a rough guide on children's development but what it will provide more importantly is great ways to get your babies brains stimulated.

The four areas of development

Cognitive Development – (Learning, thinking, problem-solving)

This is the child's ability to learn and solve problems. For example, this includes a two-month-old baby learning to explore the environment with hands or eyes or a five-year-old learning how to do simple maths problems.

Social and Emotional Development

This is the child's ability to interact with others, including helping themselves and self-control. Examples of this type of development would include a ten-month-old baby waving bye-bye, or a five-year-old boy knowing how to take turns in games at school.

Communication/Language Development

This is the child's ability to both understand and use language. Examples of this include a two-year-old naming parts of her/his body, or a five-year-old learning to say "feet" instead of "foots".

Movement/Physical Development

This is the child’s ability to use muscles, small (fine motor skills - hands, fingers, picking up small objects and larger muscles) and large (gross motor skills - how to sit up, walk, skip)

Module 1 - Communication and Language Development

Child’s ability to understand and use language to express themselves really develops from the age of 3
During 3-5 years of age, it’s important to read to the child daily and speak to them in age appropriate language
A 3 years old child should start to understand terms such as “in”, “on” and “under”
From 4 years old they can start answering questions about “who”, “what”, “where”
A 5 year old should be able to recite simple nursery rhymes or sing songs, tell a short story and say his/her name and age correctly

Module 2 - Social and Emotional Development

From 3-5 years, they are more able to use words to express thoughts and feelings
From 3 years old they start to show affection for familiar family and friends, and understand the idea of "mine" and "his/hers"
From 4 years they will start to talk about their likes and dislikes, they will also begin cooperative play and understand turn-taking

Module 3 - Cognitive and Thinking Development

Preschool thinking is dominated by perception and not reasoning
During 3-4 years, they can complete a 3-4 part puzzle, and start citing numbers, colours and letters.
A 5 year old could start doing simple maths problems. They also have a better understanding of what’s real and what’s made up

Module 4 - Movement and Physical Development

A 3 year old can:

Kick, throw and catch a ball
Go down a slide
Walk up and down steps/stairs with one foot on each stair
From 4 years of age they should be able to bend over without falling and walk forwards and backwards easily
From 5 years of age, they should be able to go to the toilet on their own, use scissors and go on a swing set by themselves
You should always continue supervising your preschool in any activity, especially outdoor play areas