Know

During preschool, amazing changes happen in children's "thinking skills." Their memories are becoming stronger-they often remember surprising details. They can share their ideas in new and interesting ways. Their imaginations are becoming a primary vehicle for play and learning. They begin to compare, contrast, organize, analyze, and come up with more and more complex ways to solve problems. Math and scientific thinking become more sophisticated.

Read the table below that describes cognitive developmental milestones in preschool.

All of these thinking skills usually develop in a predictable sequence. Remember, though, that every child is unique. You have the ability to help children learn and grow to their potential. Along with a family's pediatrician, preschool teachers must be knowledgeable about children's developmental milestones. Developmental milestones help adults to understand and recognize typical ages and stages of development for children. Milestones are not rigid rules for when or how a child should develop. Rather, milestones provide a guide for when to expect certain skills or behaviors to emerge in young children based on cognitive, gross motor (movement), fine motor (finger and hand skills), hearing, speech, vision, and social-emotional development. You can use your knowledge of these milestones to meet children's needs in your classroom.
Cognitive development is a unique process and is specific to each child. A family may wonder about their child's cognitive development and feel uncertain about what they are observing, as well as what to expect. You have an opportunity to learn first from a family and consider offering additional developmental information, including possible warning signs. The Kids Included Together can be a valuable resource for you (http://www.kitonline.org), as well as the developmental milestones and act early information located on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html. The chart below also highlights possible warning signs for preschool children:

If you are concerned about a child's development, talk with your trainer, coach, or supervisor so that you can brainstorm and work together to talk with parents about your observations. This may be difficult, but it can make the difference in meeting a child's needs. With the guidance of your supervisor, trainer, or coach along with program management, you can share information with families about typical child development and let them know you are available to talk. If your program provides developmental screening tools, these can help you start a conversation about your concerns.

Ultimately, if families are concerned about a child's development, they should talk to the child's pediatrician about their concerns. The pediatrician can perform developmental screenings and possibly refer the child to specialists. Families should also contact their local school district (for children over age 3). The school district can arrange a free evaluation of the child's development. This can help the child get the services and help he or she needs.

This video, developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offers tips for identifying and acting on suspected developmental delays.

See

Just as children's bodies grow throughout the preschool years, their brains are growing too. You will see major changes between three and five years old in a child's thinking skills. Watch this video to learn about milestones during the preschool years.

Do

Understanding these milestones will help you know what kinds of learning experiences to plan in your classroom. Based on your knowledge of development, you can plan activities that are challenging but achievable for individual children. Remember, milestones are markers that let us know a child is growing in a healthy way. These markers are not thresholds or "tests" that a child must pass. Think about milestones when you:

• Set learning goals for your class.
• Read all you can about the stages of development especially for the ages of the children you serve.
• Post developmental milestone charts for reference.
• Recognize that children need different things from you as they move through the developmental stages.
• Provide a range of interesting materials that spark preschoolers' interests and allow for hands-on exploration.
• Provide a range of developmentally appropriate and culturally diverse books.
• Find teachable moments to encourage learning and development.
• Observe children on a regular basis to determine where they are developmentally.
• Remember that children are unique and progress at different rates and that one area of development may take longer than other areas.

Consult with your supervisor, trainer, or coach if you feel that there might be a concern with how a child is developing.