Health Topics for Child Health and Development

UI Children's Hospital

UI Family Care Centers

Divisions Within the Department of Pediatrics

Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders

Development milestones: 4 to 6 years

The years between age 4 and age 6 are a time of dramatic growth and development. Although children develop at their own pace, certain stages of development happen in basically the same order for all children.

The following are some general developmental milestones for children from age 4 to age 6.

By age 4 years, most children have advanced to:

• speaking fluently with more or less correct grammar
• reciting his or her name, age and address
• telling long stories
• walking up and down stairs unassisted
• standing, walking and running on their tiptoes
• engaging in fantasy play
• understanding the concepts of past, present, and future and
• sharing

A 5-year-old can usually:

• identify 10 or 12 colors
• copy many letters of the alphabet
• recite rhymes
• hop on one foot
• roll, slide, and swing
• build complex structures from bricks or other objects
• make friends and
• understand the need for rules and fair play

A child's development can be affected by:

• physical or emotional abuse
• eating rules that require children to clean their plate and
• parental pressure to develop too early
• a home environment that suppresses a child's feelings, curiosity, and exploratory learning
• a lack of discipline and
• changes in physical or emotional health

The birth of a new brother or sister into a child's family may cause a child to temporarily act younger. This is normal and usually stops when the child accepts the baby as a new member of the family.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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