Skip Navigation Home | About CDC | Press Room | Funding | A-Z Index | Centers, Institute & Offices | Training & Employment | Contact Us
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Home Page
horizontal line  
 

Learn the Signs. Act Early.
  NCBDDD HomeAct Early HomeFor more information by phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO

  Important Milestones: By The End Of 4 Years (48 Months)

Important Milestones: By the End of 4 Years

For warning signs of possible developmental delays, click here.

 

Sharing Concerns
For tips on sharing concerns about a child's development,
click on one of the following:

-
Parent to Physician
-
Physician to Parent
-
Parent to Parent

Children develop at their own pace, so it's impossible to tell exactly when yours will learn a given skill. The developmental milestones below will give you a general idea of the changes you can expect as your child gets older, but don't be alarmed if your child takes a slightly different course.

Social

  • Interested in new experiences
  • Cooperates with other children
  • Plays "Mom" or "Dad"
  • Increasingly inventive in fantasy play
  • Dresses and undresses
  • Negotiates solutions to conflicts
  • More independent

Emotional

  • Imagines that many unfamiliar images may be "monsters"
  • Views self as a whole person involving body, mind, and feelings
  • Often cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality

Cognitive

  • Correctly names some colors
  • Understands the concept of counting and may know a few numbers
  • Tries to solve problems from a single point of view
  • Begins to have a clearer sense of time
  • Follows three-part commands
  • Recalls parts of a story
  • Understands the concepts of "same" and "different"
  • Engages in fantasy play

Language

  • Has mastered some basic rules of grammar
  • Speaks in sentences of five to six words
  • Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand
  • Tells stories

Movement

  • Hops and stands on one foot up to five seconds
  • Goes upstairs and downstairs without support
  • Kicks ball forward
  • Throws ball overhand
  • Catches bounced ball most of the time
  • Moves forward and backward with agility

Hand and Finger Skills

  • Copies square shapes
  • Draws a person with two to four body parts
  • Uses scissors
  • Draws circles and squares
  • Begins to copy some capital letters
Developmental Health Watch
Alert your child's doctor or nurse if your child displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay for this age range.
  • Cannot throw a ball overhand
  • Cannot jump in place
  • Cannot ride a tricycle
  • Cannot grasp a crayon between thumb and fingers
  • Has difficulty scribbling
  • Cannot stack four blocks
  • Still clings or cries whenever parents leave
  • Shows no interest in interactive games
  • Ignores other children
  • Doesn't respond to people outside the family
  • Doesn't engage in fantasy play
  • Resists dressing, sleeping, using the toilet
  • Lashes out without any self-control when angry or upset
  • Cannot copy a circle
  • Doesn't use sentences of more than three words
  • Doesn't use "me" and "you" correctly
  • Experiences a dramatic loss of skills he or she once

From CARING FOR YOUR BABY AND YOUNG CHILD: BIRTH TO AGE 5 by Steven Shelov, Robert E. Hannermann, © 1991, 1993, 1998, 2004 by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Used by permission of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

[Return to top of page]

Date: May 15, 2007
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

Esta página en español

Blue bar
Topics in the news
Autism
Developmental Milestones
3 Months
7 Months
1 Year
2 Years
3 Years
4 Years
5 Years
Interactive Tools for Parents
Learn More About Child Development
Fact Sheets
Developmental Screening
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Cerebral Palsy
Vision Loss
Intellectual Disability
Hearing Loss
ADHD
Resources
Resources
Download Materials
Order Materials
Health Care Professional
Campaign Materials
Download Materials
Order Materials
Child Care Provider
Campaign Materials
Download Materials
Order Materials
Partners
What is a Partner?
Partner Spotlight
How to Get Involved
Public Service Announcements
Template Materials
Linking to the Site
Campaign Connections
 
    Home   |   Policies and Regulations   |   Disclaimer   |   e-Government   |  FOIA   |  Contact Us  
 Safer, Healthier People  FirstGovDHHS Department of Health
and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A
Public Inquiries: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636); 1-888-232-6348 (TTY), 24 Hours/Every Day - cdcinfo@cdc.gov