The Development of Preschool Children Once children reach the stage of “preschooler”, usually between the ages of three and five, they continue to develop both physically and cognitively. This paper will discuss the following areas of development of preschool-age children:
• Cognitive
• Motor
• Social
• Emotional
Jean Piaget, who is the psychologist credited with forming the Theory of Cognitive Development in the late 1920s, created a list of what children at each stage are capable of, and what they are not capable of. He found that a preschooler’s thought process does not always make sense, and they are not capable of going back through their thought process to see if all of the steps made sense. He also found that once a …show more content…

Four and five-year old children can also whirl themselves in a circle, pump themselves on a swing, and perform complex activities, such as performing summersaults. In the children’s eagerness to prove how capable and independent they are, they will often run ahead of the parents when they are out on a walk. At this age, the child’s motor skills are still far ahead of their judgment. For example, parents may need to remind the child to hold their hands when crossing the street. Parents need to be vigilant when the child is around water, even if the child can swim. This is because he probably cannot swim well or consistently, and should he accidentally go under, they may become frightened and forget how to keep themselves afloat. Three year old preschool children are also developing socially. They enjoy dramatic play with other children, and begin to learn to share. They are much less selfish at this age then they were at two. Three-year old children also begin to develop friendships with other children, and are aware of others feelings and actions. Instead of grabbing, whining, and/or screaming for something they want, they will begin to learn to ask politely. At the beginning, children may need to be encouraged to use this behavior. For example, a child may need to be reminded to “use their words”, or say “please” and “thank you”. Care givers should suggest ways to reach a simple solution when two children want the same toy. This can be