The Mom I Want to Be

 

Your child grows by leaps and bounds this year — among many others, large-motor skills are developing quickly.

 

Remember: Every child develops at her own pace. These guidelines are general. There is a broad range of what is considered “normal.” It’s not unusual for a child to be advanced in one area, lag slightly in another. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns.

 

What a delightful age! They are becoming social animals — interested in playing with other children, beginning to share and take turns. They are learning to separate from you. Small-group activities are more effective than large-group activities. The preschool curriculum should focus on language, activity, and movement. Large-motor skills are developing quickly: threes need to ride wheel toys, climb, jump, run, kick a ball. For any activity, the process is more important than the finished product.

 

Language
They are learning about:

• writing their own name (may be able to write first letter)
• pretend writing (scribble)
• sitting and listening to a book in a group
• speaking to a group
• looking at books
• playing rhyming games and songs
• new vocabulary
• telling a story to accompany their artwork
• drawing stick figures (may not have anatomical details, such as fingers)

 

Physical
The are developing their:

• large-motor skills. They can run, jump, climb, ride a tricycle, walk up stairs with one foot on each step.
• small-motor skills. They can use a brush, crayon, marker, (preferably with a fat shaft); string beads; build with large Legos; unzip; draw a circle.

 

Intellectual
They are learning about:

• colors, shapes
• things that are alike and those that are different
• spatial relationships: over/under; near/far
• the world around them: seasons, weather, animals, plants
• counting from 1 to 10

 

Social/Emotional
They are learning about:

• separating from home
• making a transition to a new setting
• themselves, their families, other families
• the classroom as a community
• interacting with new adults
• following classroom routines (e.g., snack time, cleanup)
• identifying body parts, feelings (happy, sad, angry), and needs (“I want to paint”; “I want more juice”)
• self-control (“use your words, not your hands”) — although they may still have problems remembering the rules)
• self-help skills (putting on coat, washing hands)
• following one-step directions (“put a napkin at each chair”)
• sharing and cooperating (although don’t expect them to give up favorite items or always wait patiently)