The Early Childhood Development Stages From 2 to 6

Age 2

• As your child enters the first of the toddler years, you̵7;ll find his vocabulary growing. He̵7;ll be able to speak about 50 words and start to link some of them together. His language skills will be developed enough so that you can understand what he says. He will play with toys, although he will only scribble using a crayon and paper.

  A two-year-old will generally be an independent walker. He can walk alone and stand on tiptoes. He will explore a room by climbing on furniture and running around. His social skills will develop so he enjoys playing with other children. However, you may experience that he won̵7;t follow rules and can act defiantly.

Age 3

• From the age of three, your child will start to mimic you and the people she socializes with. Her language skills will develop with his use of pronouns, such as ̶0;I,̶1; ̶0;we̶1; and ̶0;you.̶1; She̵7;ll start to put three- or four-word sentences together. Your child will also advance her social skills by learning to take turns playing.

  At this age, your child will start to be inquisitive. She will ask questions as she starts to understand the concept of "same" and "different." She will develop physically by learning to walk up and down stairs using alternate feet.

Age 4

• Your child will achieve some self-care milestones by the end of his fourth year. He̵7;ll use a small spoon and fork correctly, use a toilet and brush his teeth (with help and supervision). These milestones will be achievable because of cognitive development. He will understand the concept of morning, afternoon and night.

  He can start to learn how to write letters and draw simple pictures, like a person with up to four body parts. His communication skills will allow him to answer your simple questions, speak in complete sentences and use prepositions (such as ̶0;under̶1; and ̶0;beside̶1;).

Age 5

• The final year before schooling will involve your child being more active. At this age, she will be capable of learning how to ride a bike, swim and play sports like soccer. She̵7;ll be able to brush her teeth without help and dress on her own. Her imagination will have expanded so that she can create her own stories. She will be able to draw basic shapes and count to 10.

  Your five-year-old will have the cognitive understanding to remember her full name and address. Her language skills will have developed so that she understands rhyming and can use complex sentences correctly. Her cognitive skills allow her to help make friends, including having and playing with a best friend. She will be able to understand and follow your rules and how to play by taking turns.

Age 6

• It̵7;s at the age of six that your child will usually start kindergarten. This is the time when he will learn key skills that will be needed throughout his time in education. Your child will start to learn how to read and write. He will be able to copy words onto paper, tell a story with a beginning and end, and sight-read basic words. By the end of this year, he can read simple books. He may have trouble reversing printed letters when writing, such as ̶0;b̶1; and ̶0;d,̶1; according to parenting website Baby Center.

  By this time he will be able to speak fluently, count to 100 and socialize with other kids well. Your child can start other small tasks on his own, like taking a bath and preparing breakfast for himself (such as pouring cereal and juice).