Developmental Milestones in the Preschool Years

Sense of TRUST and a BOND with others Social smile
Beginning of sound making and conversational turn taking
Stranger anxiety
Object permanence
Reproduces actions for pleasure
Explores the environment with increased body control

THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE INFANT

Should be safe, stimulating, respectful, consistent, and responsive
Should have caregivers with knowledge of child development
Should provide a variety of accessible play materials that the
child can interact with
Should use routines to offer individual attention and learning experiences
Should provide opportunities for on the floor time with play materials,
other children, and caring adults
Should provide each infant with an individual schedule

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES OF THE TODDLER

Striving for power/autonomy
Tantrums
Emergence of language
Continued development of both gross and fine motor skills
Emergence of make-believe play
Beginnings of soda! play with others
Beginning of potty training
Love of ritual and routine

THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE TODDLER

Should offer a variety of play materials and choices
Should recognize that tantrums are a normal part of development
Should ignore tantrums and encourage the development of language
Should differentiate between tantrums over power and control and the need for comfort
Should provide adults who interact with the children, modeling and
encoding actions with language
Should offer experiences with music, songs, stories, fingerplays, and other
activities that enhance language development
Should provide adults and materials that support the development of
dramatic play
Should provide space and play materials inside and outside that support
exploration, discovery, and autonomy
Should provide adults who pay close attention to individual differences
and support success without shame for mistakes or potty training accidents
Should provide a predictable schedule, explain changes to the children,
and give them time to react
Should provide adults who exhibit consistent reactions

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES OF THE PRESCHOOLER

Continuous control over gross and fine motor movements
Increased language development
Use of language to solve problems
Use of language to maintain play with other children
and adults
Emergence of cooperative social interactions with
other children
The ability to use a variety of play materials
Progression from the sensorimotor or process play of the toddler to the ability
to represent the world realistically in blocks, at the easel, and with a variety
of other construction play materials

THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PRESCHOOLER

Should provide opportunities for both inside and outside play
Should provide opportunities for the children to interact with adults
and other children in a language rich environment
Should provide experiences with music, puppets, stories, and dramatic play to enhance language development
Should provide adults who model and support children's development of language to solve problems
Should provide a variety of play materials that support the three kinds of play (sensorimotor, dramatic, and construction)
Should provide daily opportunities for children to play with a variety of play materials
Should provide adults who have knowledge of child development and who use that knowledge to support the children's development through play