As your little one learns and grows, you want to make sure he/she meets all his/her developmental milestones. Here are all the important things a 3 year old needs to know to ensure your little one is on the right track!
Things a 3 year old needs to know through personal development
Physical development
The first years of life are filled with several monumental 'first' moments. To demonstrate that by age three there are many physical milestones a child should achieve. Review the following list of physical achievements to gauge your child's development.
- Walk in a straight line
- Run without falling
- Stand back
- Balance on one leg for more than five seconds
- Hoppe
- Spring past/gallop
- Pedal on a tricycle
- Turn the pages of a book
- Alternate walking your feet up, with one foot on each step
- Kick, throw and catch a ball
- Wash and dry their hands themselves
- Dressing with a little help
- Hold a writing utensil
- Most children this age can write their names, write some letters of the alphabet and draw simple shapes.
- The voice should be clearer and easier to understand for strangers
- Cut the paper with age-appropriate scissors
- Turn the door handles and turn the hoods on and off
In addition, children between the ages of 18 months and three years are often ready to be toilet trained. If your child has not yet received any education, you may want to consider starting onetoilet training processto prepare them for kindergarten!
Emotional awareness
At this age, children become more aware not only of their own feelings, but also of those of others.
For example, around the age of three, children develop empathy for others and are more aware of others' feelings. In addition, children will show affection for others, for example by hugging a friend without asking.
As your toddler becomes more aware of his/her feelings, you can encourage him/her to identify those feelings. For example, encourage him/her to say things like "I'm happy" or "I'm sad" and explain why he/she feels that way.
As their imaginations grow and their social skills develop, three-year-olds will also move away from independent play and start playing with other children. Often this includes group games and real-world games such as 'house' or 'school'.
Cognitive skills
Your child's cognitive skills will grow exponentially as he or she grows! That's why it's important that you pay attention to the things he/she needs to know at this age. Below are some academic milestones that a three-year-old should be able to achieve.
- Say name and age
- Answer simple questions
- Recite the alphabet
- Identify basic shapes and colors
- Storytelling
- Counting (to at least 10)
- Know about 300-500 words and understand many others
- Understand the difference and similarity between things and sort them accordingly
- Complete age-appropriate puzzles
- Understand the time (morning, night, days of the week)
- Follow the three-step instructions, such as: "Brush your teeth, put on your pajamas and go to bed."
- Use basic grammar rules. Children can still mess up words that are exceptions to the basic rules of grammar, such as saying "mouse" instead of "mouse."
- Ask lots of questions, such as "why?" Make sure you are patient with them and encourage their curiosity.
Furthermore, by the time a child turns three, he or she should be speaking complete sentences of at least six words or more. By the age of four, he/she should be able to speak in complete sentences. Your little one will grow a lot in the coming year!
Should you be concerned if your 3-year-old doesn't know all these things?
Not all children develop at the same pace. If your toddler isn't reaching some of these milestones, he/she may simply be developing at a different pace.
However, if your child exhibits the following symptoms, you may want to consider talking to your child's doctor.
- Often drips
- Can't go up or down
- Has difficulty holding a writing utensil, scribbling, or drawing a circle
- Speaks only in sentences of less than three words
- Not interested in playing games with others and not engaging in imaginative play
- Does not understand simple commands
- Doesn't want to play with others
- Avoid eye contact
- Cannot work with simple toys
- Cannot dress/undress himself
- Loses skills he/she once had
- Persistent drooling or slurred voice
Encourage childhood development with the right primary school!
There are so many important things a 3 year old needs to know! Your little one grows so quickly, so it is important to nurture that growth with love and care. That's why it's important to find the best children's program or preschool for your precious son/daughter!
Little Scholars Montessori Academyhas atoddler programfor children from 18 months to 3 years and oneprimary programfor children aged 3-6 years. In the toddler program, children learn art, music, dance and practical life lessons through fun activities. The Smaller Scholars staff knows that children this age are mushrooming, so they nurture a love of learning through positive engagement!
In the basic program, children learn to develop essential skills such as time management, personal responsibility, self-awareness, independence and social awareness. In this enriching environment, your 3-year-old will have the opportunity to learn from older children.
Ultimately, this top-rated Montessori school will help your 3-year-old reach important milestones now and for years to come!Contact smaller scholars Montessori Academytoday for more information!
