Child Developmental Milestone Progress: 3 years to 4 years

The following page gives normal child developmental milestone progress during the period from 3 to 4 years (36 to 48 months).

Like the other development pages, each age is divided into the main areas of development:

• gross motor
• fine motor
• speech and language
• personal/social

From 3 years of age, your toddler will be very talkative and inquisitive. Be prepared to hear a lot of "why"!

36 months child development progress

Motor Development

At 36 months, if your child is following normal development, she will be able to:

• stand on one foot
• go upstairs one foot per step
• ride a tricycle

Fine Motor / Vision Development

At 36 months, your toddler will be able to:

• build a 9 cube tower using 1 inch cube wooden bricks
• build a 3 cube bridge using 1 inch cube wooden bricks
• copy a circle
• use a tripod grasp on a pencil
• turn pages one page at a time

Your toddler will now have a hand preference

Speech and Language Development

At 36 months, your child, if she is following normal child developmental milestone progress, will be able to:

• identify 3 colors if asked
• name 8 pictures in a picture book
• ask lots of questions - "what is ...?", "why..."
• hold a good conversation
• use plurals
• count to 10
• understand simple negatives

Personal / Social Development

At 36 months, your toddler will be able to:

• dress and undress
• play with other children
• do up buttons
• understand sharing with other children

48 months normal child developmental milestone progress

Motor Development

At 48 months, your toddler will be able to:

• hop on one leg
• go downstairs one foot per step

Fine Motor / Vision Development

At 48 months, your toddler will be able to:

• draw a person with 3 parts
• build 6 cube step using 1 inch cube wooden bricks
• copy a cross
• use scissors

Speech and Language Development

At 48 months, your toddler will be able to:

• use words like "but" and "and"
• name 4 colors
• discriminate size - so will know which is the small and which is the large object
• follow a 2 step command, eg. get your doll and put her in the bath

Personal / Social Development

At 48 months, your toddler, if she is following normal child developmental milestone progress, will be able to:

• toilet herself
• play imaginatively
• show concern for others

When to be concerned

If your child has not followed the normal child developmental milestone progress or is demonstrating the following signs, see your doctor:

• if your toddler is using a fisted grasp or grip at age 3 years
• if your toddler is unable to make her needs known at age 3 years

References

• Martin Bellman and John Cash. Schedule of Growing Skills. NEFR-Nelson. ISBN 0 7005 1161 X
• Mary Sheridan. From birth to five years. NFER-NELSON. ISBN 0 85633 074 4

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For normal child developmental milestone progress from birth to six months of age, click here

For infants from 6 to 12 months of age, click here

For toddlers from 1 to 2 years of age, click here

For toddlers from 2 to 3 years of age, click here

For toddlers from 3 to 4 years of age, click here

For children from 4 to 5 years of age, click here

To go to the main Development page, click here

To return to the Home page, click here

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Last reviewed 22 February 2007

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