Typical Development Through the Lens of a Therapist: 3-4 years old

Speech and Language:

Receptive Language

• Understands simple who, what, where questions
• Identifies colors and categories (e.g., food and clothing)
• Can follow simple directions, even if stimulus objects are not in sight

Expressive Language:

• Talks about events that have happened in the past
• Expresses ideas and feelings
• Uses sentences with 4 or more words

Articulation:

• Beginning to correctly produce k, g, d, t, and ing
• May distort difficult sounds such as l, r, s, sh, ch, y, v, z, and th
• Strangers usually understand child’s speech

Play/ Social Development

• Being turn taking
• Enjoy brief group activities
• Children can discuss an activity, assign roles, or take turns (cooperative play)
• Likes to “help” in small ways
• Highly imaginative (make believe)

Occupational Therapy:

Fine/Visual Motor Skills:

• Uses tripod or quadruped grasp
• Colors within the lines
• Copies shapes (circle, square, triangle, and X)
• Beginning to copy upper case letters
• Cuts along a line
• Imitate 3-dimensional block designs

Gross Motor Skills:

• Jumps forward 26 inches
• Can stand on one leg for 4-6 seconds
• Beginning to skip and hop
• Walks up and down stairs independently (alternating feet)

Self-help Skills

• Feeds using fork and spoon
• Unbuttons buttons
• Attempts to brush teeth
• Toileting independently
• Dresses self independently (help with fasteners)
• Able to bathe self except hair

Cognition:

• Uses imaginary objects in play
• Categorizes and sorts objects
• Understands common dangers