
By age 4 to 5 year olds, your child is beginning to explore many basic concepts that will be taught in greater detail in school. For example, she now understands that the day is divided into morning, afternoon and night, and that there are different seasons. By the time she enters kindergarten she may know some days of the week, and that each day is measured in hours and minutes. She also may comprehend the essential ideas of counting, the alphabet, size relationships (big versus small) and the names of geometric shapes.
There are many good children's books that illustrate these concepts, but don't feel compelled to rush things. There's no advantage to her learning them this early, and if she feels pressured to perform now, she may actually resist learning when she gets to school.
The best approach is to offer your 4 to 5 year olds a wide range of learning opportunities. For instance, this is the perfect age to introduce her to zoos and museums, if you haven't already. Many museums have special sections designed for children, where she can actively experience the learning process.
Respect your 4 to 5 year olds special interests and talents. If your child seems very artistic, take her to art museums and galleries or let her try a preschool art class. Also, if you know an artist, take her for a visit so she can see what a studio is like. On the other hand, if she's most interested in machines and dinosaurs, take her to the natural history museum, help her learn to build models, and provide her with construction kits that allow her to create her own machines. Whatever her interests, you can use books to help answer her questions and open her horizons even further. At this age, then, your child should be discovering the joy of learning so that she will be self-motivated when her formal education begins.
You'll also find that, in addition to exploring practical ideas, your 4 to 5 year olds probably will ask many "universal" questions about subjects, such as the origin of the world, death and dying, and the composition of the sun and the sky. Now, for example, is when you'll hear the classic question "Why is the sky blue?" Like so many other parents, you may have trouble answering these questions, particularly in simple Language your child will understand. As you grapple with these issues, don't make up answers but rely instead on children's books that deal with them. Your local library should be able to recommend age-appropriate books to help you.

Although 4 - 5 year olds develop at different rates, here are some common things that most can do at this age:
- Uses a spoon, fork, and dinner knife skillfully
- Dresses self without much help
- Walks a straight line
- Hops on one foot
- Pedals and steers a tricycle skillfully
- Jumps over objects 5-6 inches in height
- Places objects in a line from largest to smallest
- Can recognize some letters if taught and may be able to print name
- Recognizes familiar words in simple books or signs (STOP sign)
- Counts 1-7 objects out loud
- Enjoys singing simple songs, rhymes, and nonsense words
- Learns name, address, and phone number, if taught
- Follows two unrelated directions: “Put your milk on the table and get your coat on.”
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