What a miraculous age three is for the child and for the parent. By the time your child is three the wonder of the world seems to follow him everywhere. As parents we can begin to teach in earnest. Our children are waiting to grasp each new experience.
For three-year-olds, every day is a treasure trove. While every child is different and develops at his or her own pace, the following is intended to provide a general overview of your three-year-old. From the moment your child arises in the morning until he falls asleep at night he is a sponge. He is busy exploring every nook and cranny; he is playing, building, climbing, running, and busy asking questions. "Why" becomes his favorite word. Most importantly, your three-year-old is watching you. Not only is he developing physically and cognitively, emotionally he is beginning to understand basic concepts, developing a love of learning, and learning to trust the world.
Every day is a new day, almost entirely independent of what has come before and what will follow. In other words, children at this age are very much in the moment as the concept of a continuum of time is not fully developed. When interacting with your three-year-old it is possible to see the world for the first time, through conversation, physical exercise, and through play.
By three, most children's language skills will begin to develop dramatically. Vocabulary increases daily, pronunciation improves. Three-year-olds communicate in simple sentences and are refining their use of grammar. Children at this stage are beginning to participate in conversations. They ask questions, want to discuss simple topics of interest, and respond well with minimal prompting from adults. Your child will be able to name and recognize most objects in concrete and picture form, and will begin to follow two and three-step directions. Concepts such as "up", "down", "in", "out", and "under" are generally understood. Your child may speak in short sentences, and can often answer simple questions. Most three-year-olds will begin to use pronouns (I, me, we, you, and they) and some plurals (toys, cats, dogs). People outside the immediate family will generally understand most of your child's speech.
Reading books, singing, and telling stories adds richness to language development. Your child will continue to enjoy picture books with more involved language and concepts. Three-year-olds have colorful imaginations. It is difficult for them to differentiate between what is real and what is fantasy. Because of this they often frighten easily and require reassurance. This is the ideal time to play with language, songs, and rhymes. Your child will begin to learn basic print concepts; letters and numbers begin to have meaning. Often three-year-olds will scribble and imitate letter writing. Many three-year-olds understand number concepts up to nine and begin to understand one to one correspondence through five. Spend time talking with your child, explain what you are doing, answer questions, and model the importance of language and learning.
Just as language skills are taking off, motor skills are also developing daily. Three-year-olds are active; large and small motor skills are developing rapidly. This is a great time to play outside and visit playgrounds. Your child will be likely to enjoy playing with a ball, swinging, jumping, climbing up, and slipping down slides and in turn will develop gross motor (large muscle) coordination. Most three-year-olds can ride a small tricycle and maneuver a scooter. They will often repeat the same activity in order to perfect their skills. Spend as much time out-of-doors as is reasonable as the development of gross motor skills will help your child to grow and develop physically.
Fine motor skills (small muscles) are also developing. Your child will enjoy coloring, learning to cut with safety scissors (with supervision), painting, and playing with clay or play dough. Three-year-olds begin to rationalize and use basic logic to problem solve.
Play is not only fun, it is your child's work. A three-year-old takes his playtime seriously. At this stage, your child will learn through exploration with all of the senses. They are better able to focus while playing and work toward mastering an activity. It is through play that your child learns and grows physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Play is a marvelous tool when adapted to the needs of your growing child. Toys that allow your child to build and play with space help to develop early math and science skills. Toys that encourage dramatic play help your child to develop concepts that will pave the way to language development and learning about the world in a broader sense. Three-year-olds will begin to interact with other children. They often have imaginary friends. Stuffed toys may become personified. This imaginary play is an important part of your child's development; through these interactions your child is able to act out dialogue, emotions, and behaviors.
Have your child participate in routine daily activities and chores. Your child will enjoy being a helper. Self-help skills such as using the potty, putting on clothing, zipping, and buttoning require perseverance. While rudimentary skills are emerging, three-year-olds continue to require a great deal of support, supervision, and encouragement. Your child will look to you for guidance. Three-year-olds understand the meaning of "no". While teaching your child and modeling good character traits, your child will also understand and appreciate that parents are to be respected. As your child's first teacher you not only instill a love for living and growing, but you have the golden opportunity to pave the way for future learning!
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