I Am Growing & Developing
The first five years of a child’s life are the most critical period in development and have a lifelong impact on learning, health, work, relationships and well-being.
By five years old a child should show age-appropriate knowledge and behaviours in the following
five areas of development:
- Social Competence
- Language & Thinking Skills.
- Physical Health & Wellbeing.
- Emotional Maturity.
- Communication Skills & General Knowledge.
On this page:
Development Skills
1. Social Competence
- Plays and gets along with other children
- Able to follow rules and instructions
- Able to follow routines
- Accepts responsibility for actions
- Shows respect for others
What you can do as your child grows:
- Hold your baby close and provide skin-to-skin contact
- Provide a safe environment so your child can explore
- Work on establishing a routine for sleeping, feeding and playtime
- Play turn taking games such as peek-a-boo and ensure turn-taking by saying “my turn” and “your turn”
- provide opportunities for your child to be with other children
2. Language & Thinking Skills
- An interest in reading, writing and language-related activities
- Age-appropriate reading, writing and counting skills
- Recognition of shapes, sizes and colours
- Can easily remember things
What you can do as your child grows:
- Read to your child everyday. Name the objects you see in the books and their environment
- Provide quiet opportunities for play without interruptions
- Provide age-appropriate toys such as ring stacks, nesting cups, farm animals, puzzles, blocks etc.
- Provide only one or two toys at a time. Alternate them several times a day.
- Limit screen time (No screen tie for children under 2 years, less than 1 hours per day for children 2-4 years, less than 2 hours per day for older children )
3. Emotional Maturity
- Able to deal with feelings at an age-appropriate level
- Able to separate from parent/guardian
- Not too fearful or impulsive
- Able to focus
What you can do as your child grows:
- Get close and make eye contact with your child when you feed, talk, sing and read to them
- Help baby self soothe by offering a pacifier and providing a comforting environment
- Name your child’s feelings so they learn the words
- Creating art allows children to express themselves. Provide clay, paints and building materials. These items can be used to recreate things children experience in their world
- Maintain consistent expectations for your child’s behaviour and tell them in advance about changes in their routine or when you are somewhere
4. Communication Skills & General Knowledge
- Ability to communicate needs and wants in socially appropriate ways
- Ability to tell stories
- Can say words clearly
- Age-appropriate knowledge about life and the world
- Ability to take part in imaginative play
What you can do as you child grows:
- It is important to respond to your crying baby. Their cries are their way to communicate that they need something
- Talk to your baby; describe what you’re doing and name familiar objects
- Reply when your baby babbles to encourage them to take a turn to communicate
- Praise your child’s attempts to speak and repeat the word correctly when pronounced incorrectly
- Take time to talk to your child and ask open ended questions that start with who, what or where
5. Physical Health & Wellbeing
- Fine and gross motor skills (can hold a pen, crayons or brush, can climb stairs, etc.)
- Independence in looking after own needs (able to go to the washroom most of the time)
- Physically prepared for school (dressed appropriately, well nourished and rested)
- Able to sustain energy levels throughout the day
What you can do as your child grows:
- Provide supervised tummy time to help strengthen baby’s neck, back, upper trunk and arms
- Provide a variety of healthy foods for meals and snacks
- Ensure you child has adequate sleep and encourage good sleeping habits by keeping a regular sleep routine in a darkened, quiet place
- Provide plenty of outside play and activity such as walking, bike riding, etc.
- Encourage fine motor activities such as reaching, grasping, breading, drawing and cutting
I Am Growing
I Am New
(nurture me)
I’m a bundle of potential and need.
I’m a consumer of information; I watch, listen, touch, taste and smell.
I’m a scientist and problem solver.
I’m hope and joy personified.
Social Competence
6 Months: Enjoys and interacts with own reflection in a mirror
9 Months: Enjoys turn-taking games such as peek-a-boo
Language & Thinking Skills 
6 Months: Responds to own name
9 Months: Responds to simple verbal requests; waves bye-bye
Emotional Maturity
6 Months: Says “mama” and “dada” nonspecifically
9 Months: Babbles a lot; imitates sounds and actions
Communication Skills & General Knowledge
6 Months: Seeks comfort when upset
9 Months: Starts to read emotions of others
Physical Health & Wellbeing
6 Months: Sits up with support, then independently
9 Months: Rolls and crawls
I Am One
(I’m not a little baby)
I’m curious, observant, energetic, determined, focused and sometimes stubborn scientist.
I’m a natural born-learner, all-the-time explorer of stuff… An insatiable consumer of sensory experiences.
I’m a highly evolved and very capable future adult, eager to engage the world.
Social Competence
18 Months: Finds it hard to share “mine”
Language & Thinking Skills
18 Months: Points to pictures when named
Emotional Maturity
18 Months: Uses voice in conjunction with pointing and gesturing
Communication Skills & General Knowledge
18 Months: Explores from secure base of parent or caregiver
Physical Health & Wellbeing
18 Months: Likes to ride on toys; runs
I Am Two
(don’t underestimate me)
It’s not easy. I’m realizing the world no longer revolves around me like it did when I was younger.
Still, likes not so terrible. It’s just a bit complex and overwhelming at times.
Im trying to understand the world and my curiosity and drive sometimes look like trouble.
I’m a force to be reckoned with, a busy brain on the go.
Social Competence
Language & Thinking Skills
Emotional Maturity
Communication Skills & General Knowledge
Physical Health & Wellbeing
I Am Three
(let me play. trust me, I’m learning)
I am not built to sit still, keep my hands to myself, take turns, be patient, stand in line, or keep quiet all the time.
I need motion.
I need novelty.
I need adventure.
I need to engage the world with my whole body.
Social Competence
Language & Thinking Skills
Emotional Maturity
Communication Skills & General Knowledge
Physical Health & Wellbeing
I Am Four
(challenge me)
I’m a smooth talking, agile and observant seeker of adventure.
I’m kind of a know-it-all… as in… I want to know it all.
I have more questions in me than you have answers.
I’m perceptive enough to send this can frustrate you, but please don’t discount my inquisitiveness.
Social Competence
Language & Thinking Skills
Emotional Maturity
Communication Skills & General Knowledge
Physical Health & Wellbeing
I Am 5
(don’t rush my childhood)
I’m a risk taker and mess maker.
I’m a confident doer of exciting things. I’m not built for desk sitting. My busy brain creates action and novelty.
I’m not as grown up as some people think.
I still need to play, move and explore.