Parents the first Teachers

Three Years

They can or soon will be able to:

• Jump with two feet together.
  
• Pedal a tricycle
  
• Walk on tiptoe
  
• Catch a ball with arms outstretched
  
• Speech intelligible to strangers
  
• Understand size difference (big/little)
  
• Asks  "What, Where, Who" questions
  
• Uses "I', "you", "me"
  
• Talks to self while playing
  
• Enjoys stories and likes favourite stories read over and over again.
  
• Chant numbers to 10
  
• Recites  Nursery Rhymes independently
  
• Understands functions of objects   (eg. cups are for drinking, beds for sleeping)
  
• Use craft scissors
  
• Copy a circle.
  
• Recognise sameness in colour, though not necessarily knowing the colour name.
  
• Can describe what has happened in simple terms
  
• Likes to help adults with chores
  
• Beginning to share toys and play "with" rather than alongside other children.
  

You have been the most important person in teaching your child all the skills they have acquired in the last 3 years.
Giving your child a love of books is an important "stepping stone" in learning to read and write.
Children this age love "flap" books like "SPOT the Dog".
They  enjoy  looking at  family photos and
particularly photos of themselves.
Home made books from magazines, calendars or old birthday cards are another fun way to 
develop a love of books.
Joining the library, swapping books with friends, the Op. Shop  or garage sales are great places to access books for little cost.

There are lots of  ways to read a book:

• Look and talk about the pictures
  
• Put your child's name in the story
  
• Let your child hold and turn the pages.
  
• Encourage them to join in repetitive phrases or parts they know well.