3-4 years
 

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1. Motor Skills:

   • Walking and Running: Children can walk and run with more agility, speed, and confidence.

   • Climbing and Jumping: They can climb well, hop, and jump forward with ease.

   • Balance and Coordination: They can balance on one foot for a few seconds and start to ride a tricycle.

2. Fine Motor Skills:

   • Hand and Finger Control: Improved dexterity allows them to draw shapes, use safety scissors, and build more complex structures with blocks.

   • Self-Care Skills: Increased ability to dress and undress themselves, brush their teeth, and use utensils properly.

Cognitive Development

1. Language Development:

   • Vocabulary Expansion: Rapid growth in vocabulary, often using 900-1,200 words. They can form more complex sentences and are better at understanding and following instructions.

   • Storytelling and Conversation: They enjoy telling stories, asking many questions, and engaging in conversations. They start to understand the concept of past, present, and future.

2. Problem-Solving and Imagination:

   • Logical Thinking: They begin to understand cause and effect, sort objects by shape and color, and complete simple puzzles.

   • Pretend Play: Engaging in more elaborate pretend play, they often create detailed scenarios and roles, enhancing creativity and social understanding.

Social and Emotional Development

1. Self-Identity and Independence:

   • Autonomy: Children are more self-sufficient, insisting on doing things by themselves, and showing pride in their achievements.

   • Self-Awareness: Greater awareness of their own emotions and the ability to identify and express them.

2. Emotional Expression and Social Interaction:

   • Emotional Regulation: Better at managing emotions, though they may still have occasional outbursts. They show empathy and concern for others.

   • Peer Interaction: Developing friendships, playing cooperatively, sharing, and taking turns. They start to understand and follow simple rules in games.

Important Experiences and Activities

1. Play and Exploration:

   • Creative Play: Encouraging activities that foster imagination, such as dress-up, role-playing, and storytelling. Art supplies, building toys, and musical instruments are beneficial.

   • Physical Play: Providing opportunities for active play, such as running, jumping, climbing, and playing with balls. Outdoor play and organized activities like dancing or sports are great for developing motor skills.

2. Reading and Language Development:

   • Storytelling: Regularly reading together, encouraging them to tell their own stories, and expanding their vocabulary by introducing new words in context. Picture books and stories with repetitive phrases are particularly engaging.

   • Interactive Communication: Engaging in conversations, asking open-ended questions, and listening to their responses to develop language skills and critical thinking.

3. Routine and Structure:

   • Consistent Schedules: Maintaining consistent daily routines for meals, naps, and bedtime provides a sense of security and helps with the development of self-discipline and understanding of time.

4. Social Interaction:

   • Group Activities: Participating in group activities, playdates, preschool programs, and organized sports to develop social skills, cooperation, and understanding of group dynamics.

5. Learning through Play:

   • Educational Toys: Using toys and games that promote problem-solving, fine motor skills, and cognitive development, such as shape sorters, simple puzzles, interactive books, and age-appropriate electronic and board games