Literacy Partnerships: the Very Early Years

Stepping Stones: Birth to Five Years

Parents the first Teachers

Four Years

They can or soon will be able to:

  • Run well
  • Walk up and down stairs without holding on
  • State name and address
  • Understand  time words like: yesterday, today, lunch time
  • Use 4-5 word sentences
  • Explain why something happens and asks "Why?"
  • Follow 2 -3 step instruction - eg. "Go to the fridge and get me the milk and butter."
  • Tell simple stories, (may confuse fact with fiction)
  • Recognize shapes - square, circle, triangle star, rectangle
  • Rote count up to 20 and count objects meaningfully up to 5.
  • Enjoy jokes and make up silly words
  • Blow nose independently
  • Fully dresses self except for buttons and shoelaces.
  • Play well with other children - understanding taking turns, sharing and simple rules.
  • Hold a pen like an adult
  • Draw a person with trunk, arms and legs
  • Draw a likeness of a house.
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You have been the most important person in teaching your child all the skills they have acquired in the last 4 years.
As you have talked and listened,  let them help you with tasks inside and out, taken them shopping and on outings you have been paving the "stepping stones" to reading and writing.

  • Asking them "when, why and how " questions
  • Encouraging then to speak for themselves rather than talking for them when out
  • Asking "what do you think?' "tell me about"

is preparing them for success at school.
Four Year olds enjoy:

  • Singing along to tapes and CD's
  • Watching Play School and Videos and talking about  what they have seen.
  • Using the computer.
  • Using pens, textas, scissors, staplers,
              note pads, paper clips in play.
  • Seeing their name on bags, lunch boxes, bedroom doors
  • Experimenting with writing - in the sand , with water, blackboard, white board, and keyboard
  • Playing with magnetic letters
  • Playing pretend games
               (Providing small table/chairs, dress ups,    telephone,
                empty  supermarket  items,  play dough, sand and water
               encourages and enhances children's play.)
  • Doing things for themselves             

Children learn from what they see around them.
Wanting to learn to read and write is an attitude you can foster .  Seeing you read magazines, papers, telephone numbers,  etc and write notes, cards, letters provides them with and understanding of the purpose of reading and writing.