Dads and mothers are always interested in how their baby develops. Now we will talk about what a child should be able to at 4 years old. After all, it is interesting to know in which areas he is particularly successful, and which should be paid closer attention.
Skills at the kid of 4 years
So, what should a child be able to do at 4 years old:
- be aware of the meaning of ordinary words, such as furniture, dishes, toys;
- know several professions, the names of trees and animals;
- demonstrate objects located on his right, left, top or bottom;
- compare objects by their parameters - length, height, width;
- distinguish where one thing is and where there are many;
- paint objects without going beyond a certain framework;
- Be able to string beads and buttons;
- determine which of several (4-5) items is missing;
- the child's speech should be legible and understandable;
- retell in your own words the contents of the read tales or poems;
- distinguish between different weather phenomena, seasons and days;
- call ordinary household items, distinguish them by color, volume, purpose;
- make out a picture, a toy or a specific object and be able to compile its characteristics from several sentences.
These are average characteristics of what a child should be able to do at 4 years old. The development is faster, but the baby may be somewhat less than these standards. There is no need to be upset, it is better to just devote more time to classes. Maybe even turn to professionals for help.
The development of the child's speech at 4 years old
At this age, the baby should use about a thousand words in his speech, build phrases of 6-8 words. Both his parents and completely strangers should understand his speech.
The kid should know the differences between the human body and the structure of the animal’s body, know the parts of the body.
It can correctly translate nouns into the plural. The child already knows the meaning of prepositions (in, for, on, under, between, about, etc.).
He knows how to maintain a conversation and freely answer such questions: “Where did you walk today?”, “What did you buy?”, “Who did you see on the street?”, “How were you dressed?”
What else should a child be able to do? 4 years is the age when he can retell the content of a fairy tale, a heard story, know by heart several children's poems, counters. Among children's authors, B. Zakhoder, A. Vishnevskaya, I. Bursov, and others are suitable for this excellent one.
He must correctly give information about himself and his immediate family: his last name and first name, his age, where he lives, as well as the names of his parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents.
The development of memory, attention, logical thinking
Each of the psychological characteristics of a four-year-old child has its own formation standards. Next, we consider the indicative indicators for the normal development of memory, attention and logical thinking, namely, what a child should be able to do at 4 years old.
At this age, the child can already:
- Set the main differences between 2 images or objects.
- Build a finished building sample from your constructor.
- Fold the puzzle, consisting of 2-4 pieces.
- Perform the task for 5 minutes without being distracted.
- Fold the pyramid and cups without assistance, stacking them one into the other.
- Putting missing fragments of cut images into special holes.
- It is free to determine to which general group objects or animals belong (cat, dog, rooster, rabbit, cow are pets; autumn, spring, summer, winter are seasons, etc.).
- It is free to determine an excess object in each group of objects and say why it does not fit.
- Find the appropriate pair for each of the items offered.
- Choose the opposite for the proposed phrases: high fence - low fence, narrow belt - wide belt, cold coffee - hot coffee, long rope - short rope and so on.
- To memorize and then reproduce the so-called pairs of words voiced by adults: a boy-girl, a mug of water, a cat-dog, and so on, following the example.
- Correctly answer and justify your answer to such questions: "Why do we wear gloves in winter?", "Why are doors and windows at home?" Etc.
Mathematical thinking of a child at 4 years old
As practice shows, at the age of four, children already know and can quite a lot. As for mathematical thinking, at this age the child can already:
- list the main geometric shapes: square, circle, rectangle, triangle;
- knows and can list all the numbers from 0 to 10, and can also count all objects within 10;
- can easily correlate the number of objects in the picture with the desired number;
- can put in increasing and decreasing sequence all the numbers from 1 to 5;
- understands what is less, more, equally;
- gradually learns to write numbers, and also gets acquainted with the visual interpretation of numbers.
Having listed the main points in the development of the skills of a child of 4 years old, now you can decide which activities with the baby will be especially in demand during this period. Next, we consider what it is worth doing with a child in his spare time, and what classes to develop thinking and attention need to be done with him.
What should a child do
4 years is the age when a child is very mobile, active and inquisitive. He is interested in almost everything, so you need to immediately support the enthusiasm and engage in developing games with it. For example, modeling, drawing. Children at an earlier age sculpt and paint, only then the technique is quite primitive. At the moment, you can show them how to hold a brush for drawing or a felt-tip pen in their hand, and how to draw shapes correctly. You can circle the drawings on a contour or with a stencil. Of course, you need to buy a child coloring, so that he can fill in black and white drawings with color. In addition to developing fantasy, fine motor skills develop in this way .
The development of children's creativity
Using plasticine or clay, it is possible not only to crush a piece in your hand or sculpt ordinary shapes. A child at 4 years old can already create a whole composition of a certain subject: the underwater or forest kingdom, New Year's surprise or some animals. Walking in the park, it is better to first pick up acorns, interesting leaves, chestnuts, and then use them for crafts. In order to accelerate the development of children 3-4 years old, you will need various buttons, matches, beads or regular toothpicks, since it is precisely fine motor skills and everything connected with it that you need to devote a significant part of children's leisure.
Features of children 4 years old
Do not forget about simple, but at the same time effective methods for the development of erudition and the general worldview of the baby. Small poems and funny stories are a great option to spend time with the benefit of yourself and your child.
Such literary classes for children of 4 years old perfectly shape the worldview of the baby, and also teach him to be kind and decent, to love and respect elders.
Poems teach children the most basic concepts of zoology, history, geography. And if you add here interesting and instructive novels and films, then you can achieve the level of maximum development of erudition of a child.
What to teach and how to teach
If before this the baby made an applique of ready-made elements, then at 4 years old you can already allow using scissors so that he cut out the figures himself. No need to strive to cut something difficult. You can simply draw him on colored paper large geometric shapes that he should cut. You can stick not only paper, but also sprinkle with special beads, cereals or colored sand.
If the child still does not know how to count, it's time to teach this, since mathematics for children 4 years old can be quite an interesting and exciting game. This is good to do while walking. You can conduct math classes for children 4 years old, offering them to count trees, steps, cars, people around them, buildings, birds. You can try to explain simple mathematical actions using your fingers, matches or special counting sticks. You can start learning to read by memorizing ready-made phrases. It is very convenient to have special cubes with syllables or to purchase a magnetic board with signs. If he has difficulties, or he begins to pick and choose, do not insist, postpone classes. You can also purchase a book and study poems for children 4 years old.
Games and toys for babies at 4 years old
Four years is the age that is completely suitable for taking a son or daughter to a circus or a movie theater. No need to immediately take tickets to the front rows. It's just that a child may not quite correctly react to the sonorous cries of clowns, pops, growls of animals. Therefore, it is better to take other places, from about the tenth row and above.
The development of children 3-4 years old includes classes with your favorite designer, picking up interesting mosaics. Only tasks need to be complicated over time, gradually adding more elements and lowering their sizes. A very good LEGO constructor, the details of which are designed for various age categories. From it you can collect not only ordinary houses or cars, but also galactic and pirate ships, various aircraft, structures, bots. You just need to buy additional items.
Friends during this period
At this age, you can already have one or two friends, walk and play together in the yard, alternately go to visit. They will be curious to play together, and their mothers will have a little personal time. Usually girls play dolls, a clinic, a family, and boys play cars or a designer. Kids can be taken for a certain time, if you provide them with a box and ask them to build a house. Let them cut windows, decorate the walls, arrange furniture, populate toy inhabitants.
Useful tips for dad and mom
Not so long ago there was a desire for the baby to start screaming faster. At the moment, I want him to be silent at least from time to time. The period has come when the restless “little thing” interests everyone: “Why is the dog barking and the cat meowing?”, “Why is the grass greenish and the sky blue?”, “Why are the stars visible only at night, and the sun is in the afternoon?” And many more different "why."
Children not only want to find out, but also to understand, that is, to understand why this is happening specifically. From time to time, these “why” dad and mom go around spinning, especially if one question is asked more than once, and you need to clarify everything again. The most important thing here is to show patience and wisdom. In order to slightly stop the pressure of an inquisitive child, you can ask him what he thinks about this or another. So he will have the opportunity to reflect on his own a little, and then you need to listen to his reasoning.
From time to time, he may ask questions on rather interesting topics. Do not shame or pull him. After all, for kids there are no prohibited topics, they are driven only by curiosity. It is also recommended not to forget about various entertaining games, during which you can make interesting crafts with a child of 4 years old.