Milestones for preschoolers
Developmental milestones are a guide, and every child is different in their development.
These milestones check how your child is growing and help find potential issues early.
If you think your child is not meeting a milestone for their age, share your concerns with your family doctor or health nurse. They will provide opportunities for early assessment and support if there is an area your preschooler might need.
Early intervention
Children have sensitive periods for development. Early assessment and intervention is essential to ensure the best outcomes for your child.
The milestones below are generalised and do not consider how disability or impairment can affect the way a preschooler learns, moves, speaks, or interacts with others.
Movement
Gross motor skills use larger muscles in the body to help children perform basic movements such as walking, running, and jumping.
Fine motor skills involve the coordination of small muscles in the wrist, hand, fingers, and even toes. They help your preschooler interact with the world in more detail.
At three years old, your preschooler will learn to:
- put on some clothes by themself, like loose pants or a jacket
- draw shapes on paper after some instruction
- use a fork
- string artwork items together, like large beads or dried macaroni.
At four years old, your preschooler will learn to:
- hold a crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not a fist)
- pour items such as cereal or water, with adult supervision
- unbutton their own clothing
- catch a large ball more consistently.
Language and communication
Language skills involve the ability to communicate thoughts, feelings, and needs through spoken words.
At three years old, your preschooler will learn to:
- asks “who,” “what,” “where,” or “why” questions, like “where is mummy or daddy?”
- say their first name when asked
- say what action is happening in a picture or book when asked, like “running,” “eating”, or “playing”
- talk well enough for others to understand them the majority of the time.
At four years old, your preschooler will learn to:
- speak in sentences with four or more words
- talk about at least one thing that happened during their day, for example, “I played soccer”
- answer simple questions like “What is a crayon for?”
- say words from a familiar song, story, or rhyme.
Social and emotional
Social and emotional skills refer to your child’s ability to positively interact with others as well as understand and manage emotions appropriately.
At three years old, your preschooler will learn to:
- calm their emotions within 10 minutes after you leave them, for example, at childcare drop-off
- notice other children and join them to play.
At four years old, your preschooler will learn to:
- change behaviour based on where they are, for example, at the playground or a place of worship
- want to be a “helper”
- play cooperatively with other children
- engage in imaginative play and pretend to be someone else, for example, a teacher, dog or superhero
- comfort children who are upset, injured, or sad
- ask to play with other children if they aren’t around.