Tatyana Stanislavovna Kurtsaeva

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Article last updated: 01/18/2017

4 years is the age when kids can already do a lot on their own: eat, get dressed, put away toys. Some speak well and are able to solve simple logic problems. Four-year-old children undergo intensive development of their psyche and intellect - they are inquisitive, actively explore the world around them and show new emotions.

Features of intellectual development of 4-year-old children

At the age of 4 years, children are actively interested in the world around them and ask many questions - what, where, why, etc. They can carefully watch a program that interests them on TV, listen to fairy tales with pleasure, and look at books. During this age period, it is very important to patiently answer all the child’s questions in a language that he understands.

The child’s cognitive ability grows, memory actively develops and logical thinking. The baby learns to compare and group objects by shape, color and size. Attention becomes more stable.

At this age, the child begins to be drawn to peers and is interested in various joint games. He learns to communicate, make friends and interact in every possible way with other children. The task of parents is to tell the child what to do in a given situation.

What should a 4 year old child know and be able to do?

Psychologists and teachers have developed a basic list of knowledge and skills that a 4-year-old child should have. By carefully observing the baby, parents can understand how well he is progressing. intellectual development. If necessary, you can adjust it with the help of games that develop thinking. It is believed that at the age of 4 a child should have developed certain logical, mathematical and speech abilities.

Math skills:

• knows and understands quantitative concepts - many, few, one;
• can count to five;
• able to distinguish elementary geometric figures– squares, circles, triangles;
• knows the concepts of “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “right”;
• can compare the number of objects and determine which is more or less.

For 4-year-old children, introduction to mathematics should take place in game form– you can count cars, trees, flowers, etc. together. For explanation simple examples you can use anything - apples, cubes, pencils, etc.

Logical thinking:

• knows how to group objects by shape, color, size;
• understands the meaning of general concepts - transport, dishes, toys;
• understands the location of an object in space - close, far;
• collects a picture cut into 2-4 parts;
• builds various buildings based on the model - pyramids, towers;
• finds differences and similarities between objects;
• can find an item by description;
• identifies an extra item in the group and can explain his choice.

At the age of 4, children actively develop logical thinking. Kids begin to build cause-and-effect relationships, compare objects according to various characteristics, analyze their properties, similarities and differences.

The world:

• navigates time and knows how to determine morning, afternoon, evening and night;
• knows basic colors;
• recognizes and names domestic animals and the sounds they make;
• knows some professions;
• can name the season from a picture;
• distinguishes weather phenomena.

Children of 4 years old are very inquisitive - they are actively interested in everything that happens around them. The task of parents during this period is to encourage the child’s desire to learn something new and answer questions that interest him.

Speech development:

• knows about a thousand words;
• builds sentences from several words;
• is able to retell a short fairy tale or story;
• learns short poems by heart;
• knows his first and last name, age and city in which he lives;
• can carry on a conversation – knows how to ask and answer questions.

By the age of 4 years, children have formed quite a large lexicon. Speech becomes more expressive and emotional. The ability to reproduce polysyllabic words develops.

Daily Skills:

• strings large beads or buttons onto a thread;
• fastens zippers and buttons on clothes, unties shoelaces independently;
• skillfully handles a spoon and fork;
• can play a game he likes for quite a long time and with interest - collect puzzles or mosaics, build with a construction set, draw.

At 4 years old, many children are already quite independent; they want and can do a lot without outside help.

Graphic skills:

• can draw lines different lengths, simple geometric shapes and figures;
• connects points with lines;
• knows how to color and shade pictures without going beyond the edges of the outline.

At 4 years old, most children can handle pencils, brushes and markers well. With the help of an adult, they can draw simple pictures.

Remember that the concept of “developmental norm” is quite broad - some children can barely keep up with their peers, others, on the contrary, are ahead. There are many reasons why a child “doesn’t have time.” However, in most cases it is enough to devote more time to communication and cooperative games to fill gaps in the baby’s knowledge.

Games that develop intelligence

You can develop your child’s intellectual abilities independently. For this there is a large number of various games and exercises that promote the formation of logical thinking, train memory and attention.

"What does it consist of"

A good exercise for 4-year-old children that teaches them to analyze, think and look for answers. It does not require special conditions and materials. The point is that you ask the baby to tell what this or that object consists of. During a walk, you can ask him what flowers, cars or trees are made of. In order for the baby to be able to answer these questions, it is necessary to focus his attention on small details while playing or looking at pictures, talk about them and list their names.

"Where you can see it"

This exercise perfectly develops thinking, attention and memory. You can ask your child where you can see a tree, a car, a chair, a cat, a saucepan, etc.

"Edible - inedible"

An educational game that teaches a child to think and reason. Before you start playing, you need to explain to your baby what edible and inedible means.

Graphic developmental tasks are also very useful for 4-year-old children.

"Connect the dots"

This game allows the child to understand the sequence of actions and promotes the development of motor skills, which is especially useful, because at the age of 4 you can already begin to prepare your hand for writing. The essence of the game is that the child must sequentially connect several dots to finally get a picture.

“Complete the object”

A useful game for children that develops imagination and the ability to identify individual components from a whole. These should be images of simple, well-known objects or geometric shapes.

Activities and games that encourage mental development There are a lot of 4-year-old children. Listed above are the simplest games that you can play at home, on a walk or on a trip. They contribute to the development of the baby’s thinking and imagination, encouraging him to acquire new knowledge in a playful way.

The mental development of a child depends on many factors. You should not compare your baby with others and strive to meet all the listed standards and requirements - these data can only be used as a guideline that allows you to understand what needs to be given special attention. Exercises and games that form logical thinking and develop memory should be fun and entertaining for the child.

Parents are always interested in how their child is developing. I would like to find out in which areas he particularly succeeded, and which ones should be paid more attention to. What should a modern four-year-old child know and be able to do:
- find and recognize a square, circle, oval, triangle;
- understand the meaning of general words - dishes, furniture, transport, toys, clothes;
- know several professions, names of trees, animals;
— show objects on the left, right, above, below;
- compare objects by size - length, height, width;
- understand where there is one object and where there are many;
- color carefully without going beyond the line;
- string beads and buttons;
— determine which of the 4-5-6 objects has disappeared;
- retell the content of the fairy tale;
- distinguish between weather phenomena, seasons, days;
- name familiar household appliances, recognize them by color, shape, purpose;
- know the detailed home address, names of mom, dad, grandparents;
- look at a picture, toy, object and make up a description of it in three to four sentences.

These are averages. Your child may or may not be ahead of them. There is no need to be upset; it is better to devote more time to its development. It is possible to attract specialists to help.

Child care at 4 years old

At 4 years old, the child is quite independent and performs many daily procedures without the help of adults. It is only necessary to occasionally remind him whether he forgot to wash his face, wash his hands, brush his teeth or rinse his mouth after eating. If a child is not yet accustomed to washing his neck, ears, and caring for his mouth in the morning, he needs to be taught this. He should have his own towel, comb, toothbrush and cup. To make the morning hygiene ceremony more interesting, you need to buy bright hygiene products and other accessories for your children.

After every walk in the summer, you need to wash your feet, rinse your child in the shower in the evening, and bathe more thoroughly at least once a week. The child must be instilled intolerance to dirt and sloppiness. He will quickly get used to cleanliness and neatness if his parents show this by example. He needs to be trained to have all his supplies when finished. hygiene procedures you need to put it in its place: put the soap in a soap dish, rinse the toothbrush and put it in a glass, hang the towel on the hook.

Adults should monitor the cleanliness of children's hygiene items: periodically wash a comb and toothbrush with soap (the brush is replaced with a new one after 1.5-2 months), change towels on time. Keep the washbasin, bathtub, and mirror perfectly clean. It is best to cut your child's nails after bathing, while they are soft. They are usually thin and, when cut, form sharp corners. To prevent it from being scratched, the sharp edges can be filed with a file.

Nutrition for a 4 year old child

The diet of four-year-old children should be varied and balanced. The child grows at a rapid pace, so his body must be supplied with nutrients daily. Even adults know that the healthier a product is, the less tasty it is. And the children understood this a long time ago. That’s why it’s sometimes so difficult to get them to eat a full meal. They already have their favorite dishes that they are ready to eat from morning to evening. Soup, porridge or vegetable salad are unlikely to be included in this list. Parents sometimes need to show cunning and ingenuity in order to feed their baby healthy food. Of course, it’s not worth organizing home concerts with the participation of all family members to entertain the child. But you need to talk to him like an adult. Explain that from healthy food He will grow up faster, like dad, he will go to school, he will be strong.

Alternatively, you can serve the most ordinary dishes in a new way. If your child does not eat fried or stewed zucchini, you can make delicious pancakes from them. Cut out shapes from your least favorite vegetables and fruits and decorate the plate. Children love octopuses very much. The sausage or sausage should be pierced with dry long pasta along the entire length in several places, then boil it all together. Boiled pasta will soften and resemble tentacles or rays of the sun. It’s like a child will start to fantasize. And when placing a baked pumpkin on a plate, you can casually mention that this is the same pumpkin that turned into a carriage for Cinderella.

Every day, the diet of 4-year-old children should include half a liter of milk, not necessarily in its pure form. This takes into account kefir and other fermented milk products, as well as milk used for making porridge. It is better to give heavy, high-protein foods in the first half of the day so that they have time to digest, and after lunch, lighter ones - carbohydrate, dairy-vegetable ones. The child moves a lot, so he loses moisture, especially in summer period. Be careful not to become dehydrated. In order not to kill your appetite, instead of sweet compotes and juices during the day, it is better to drink freshly boiled water, still mineral water or lightly brewed tea.

Daily routine for a 4 year old child

If a child has developed a certain daily routine, he has already become a habit of doing basic things at a certain time. He has enough time to play and relax, he is less capricious, does not delay bedtime and lunch, and becomes more collected and organized. His meals, as before, are divided into breakfast with lunch and afternoon snack with dinner. With intervals between doses of 3.5-4 hours. But the need for sleep has decreased. Now he needs 12 hours of sleep. Of which 10 hours are allocated for night rest, 2 hours for day rest. To make his sleep healthier and more beneficial, the room must first be ventilated. In the warm season, if possible, it is better to move daytime rest to Fresh air– equip a place on the veranda, balcony, in the garden.

Activities with a 4 year old child (how to develop)

At four years old, children are very mobile, active, and inquisitive. They are interested in literally everything, so you need to maintain their interest in time and play educational games together. For example, modeling, drawing. They sculpted and painted in more early age, only the technology was quite primitive. Now you can show them how to hold a brush or felt-tip pen in their hand, show them how to draw shapes correctly. You can trace the pictures along the contour, or draw using a stencil. Be sure to buy coloring books for your child so that he can fill in black and white pictures with color. In addition to developing imagination, fine motor skills develop.

Using plasticine and clay, you can no longer just crush a piece in your hand or sculpt simple figures. At the age of 4, you can already create an entire thematic composition - an underwater or forest kingdom, a New Year's composition, on the theme of animals. While walking in the park, it is advisable to collect acorns, tree leaves, and chestnuts in advance, and then use them for crafts. Various buttons, beads, matches or toothpicks will also come in handy.

If previously a child made an applique from ready-made parts, then at 4 years old you can give him scissors in his hands so that he can cut out the figures himself. There is no need to demand that something complicated be cut out. Draw him large circles, squares, triangles on colored paper, and let him cut it out. You can glue not only paper, but also sprinkle the paste with beads, cereals (semolina, buckwheat, millet) or colored sand.

If your child has not yet mastered counting, it’s time to catch up. Walking down the street with him, count trees, steps, cars, people, houses, birds. You can try to explain simple mathematical operations - addition and subtraction. For convenience, using fingers, matches or counting sticks. You can start teaching your child to read by memorizing ready-made syllables. It is very convenient to have ready-made cubes with syllables or buy a magnetic board with letters. If he has difficulties or starts to be capricious, do not insist, postpone the lessons until later.

Games and toys for children aged 4 (how to entertain)

Four years is quite a suitable age to take your son or daughter to the circus or theater for the first time. children's performance. You should not immediately buy tickets to the front rows. You don’t know how your child will react to the loud cries of clowns, claps, and roars of animals. Therefore, it is better to take other seats, from about the tenth row and above.

Children as young as 4 years old can entertain themselves well by assembling construction sets, mosaics, and puzzles. Only the tasks need to be complicated by adding more parts and reducing their size. The Lego constructor is very good, the sets of which are designed for different age categories of children. From it you can collect not only simple houses or cars, but also space or pirate ships, planes, castles, robots, bribing additional parts.

At this age, you can meet one or two friends, play together in the yard, or take turns taking children to visit. They will be interested in playing together, and their mothers will have some free time. Usually girls play with dolls, hospital, family, boys - with cars or designs. Children can be occupied for several hours by giving them a box and asking them to build a house. Let them cut out windows, paint walls, arrange furniture, and move in toy inhabitants.

Medical supervision at 4 years

Every year the child undergoes a routine medical examination. He needs to be examined by specialists such as a dentist, orthopedic surgeon, otolaryngologist (ENT), neurologist, and ophthalmologist. And also do it once a year general analysis blood, urine, feces on worm eggs. It wouldn't hurt to check internal organs for an ultrasound and an ECG. If something bothers or hurts your child, you should contact your local pediatrician. He will prescribe an in-depth examination and refer you to more specialized specialists.

Until recently, you dreamed that your child would start speaking faster. Now you want him to be silent at least sometimes. The time has come when your restless “why” is interested in absolutely everything: “Why does the dog bark and the cat meow?”, “Why is the grass green and the sky blue?”, “Why are the stars visible only at night, and the sun during the day?” and many more different “whys”.

Children not only want to know this, but also to realize it, i.e. understand why this happens. Sometimes these “whys” make parents’ heads spin, especially when one question is asked several times and everything needs to be explained again. The main thing here is to show patience and wisdom. To stop the pressure of your inquisitive child a little, you can ask him what he thinks. You will give him the opportunity to think, listen to his reasoning, and at the same time get a few minutes of rest.
Sometimes he can ask questions on rather sensitive topics. Don't try to shame him or pull him down. After all, there are no taboo topics for children; they are just driven by curiosity. It’s better to try to find words suitable for his understanding and give a comprehensive answer so that he understands everything the first time and doesn’t return to these topics again.

Parents can breathe a sigh of relief and prepare for three years of peace and tranquility in the life of their grown-up tomboy.

General development of a child at 4 years old

At the age of 4, a child enters the next stage of his growing up - junior preschool age. A noisy and capricious three-year-old turns into an obedient and smiling baby. The crisis of negativism has successfully passed. From now on, all the child’s actions will be dictated by the desire to please and please parents and loved ones.

Adults who are important to the child should especially monitor their attitude towards him, the ways they respond to his actions and their own emotional state in general. The baby becomes vulnerable and defenseless because of his attachment to them. Now it is easy to hurt and offend him with the wrong action, word, intonation. And this can forever break the thin thread of communication and trust between the child and the close relatives around him.

The mental development of a child at the age of 4 fills his emotional life with new shades of feelings and impressions. The baby may be sad, yearn, grieve, or feel ashamed. Such manifestations, which frighten vigilant parents, are completely normal and are the result of the formation of the child’s mental organization. Despite the sharply increased independence, it is important to continue to pay enough attention and involve joint activities and don't forget about magical power praise, which, of course, must remain adequate and commensurate with his achievements.

Physical development a child aged 4 years is characterized by a decrease motor activity. If earlier the need for movement was the defining instinct in life, now awareness and control come to the fore in actions. At this stage, experts recommend walking a lot and playing outdoor games with the baby. It will be a good help Sport section or dance group. A 4-year-old child is already ready for regular organized activities in a group of peers. This disciplines him, helps him develop his strong-willed character, and teaches him to achieve his goal.

Speech at 4 years old

If you ask yourself what a 4-year-old child should be able to do, then his ability to speak correctly will undoubtedly come to the fore. A rich vocabulary and correct pronunciation become part of the generally accepted norm for this age. If there are deviations or delays in this area, you need to contact a speech therapist who will test and develop a special course of classes. It is important to do this now, when the child is 4 years old, because in the future it will be possible to correct such speech errors it will be much more difficult.

The main engine of development and personality formation has always been imitative activity. A child at 4 years old begins to actively repeat words and expressions used by parents and close relatives. Therefore, in the same situation, two children may show different personal attitudes to the events taking place. One will say: “Okay! Great!”, and another uses a bunch of obscene words. And it’s not he who is “such an ill-mannered rude guy at 4 years old,” it’s just that the adults around him forget to control their speech flow in the presence of a child. To avoid such incidents, you should always remember that the phrases used by parents in Everyday life, are written into the baby’s consciousness and are then very difficult to correct.

An important circumstance that stimulates speech development a child aged 4 years - knowledge of poems and songs. Many children, having reached this age, begin to show unprecedented artistic abilities. They are attracted to the stage, performing in front of close adults, their applause and praise. This is where the rhymes learned with mom come in handy, which the child will proudly demonstrate to the loud applause of the audience.

Baby care

What should a 4 year old child be able to do? First of all, take full care of yourself: dress and undress, bathe and dry yourself with a towel, tie your shoelaces, feed yourself and go to the toilet. From the point of view of his everyday skills, he is already a completely independent person. The functions of parents are limited to helping, mentoring and ensuring the safety of the baby.

Child nutrition

A 4 year old child continues to eat in 4 sets. Now you can introduce sweets and fatty foods into your diet. This should be done gradually and moderately. The little eater's body must accept the changes and adapt to them.

Sleep at 4 years old

Maintaining a rest schedule remains an important condition for successful growth and development at 4 years of age. Ten hours of sleep at night and one or two hours of quiet time during the day allows you to be alert throughout the day.

Safety

Parents often wonder what a 4-year-old child should be able to do to stay safe when there are no adults around to protect him. Now the baby is already a conscious person, capable of remembering a certain amount of information and using it for its intended purpose. Therefore, when a child is 4 years old, he is already able to learn the basic rules with the help of an adult. traffic, remember precautions while being on the street, and if necessary, give your exact home address.

What can you teach four-year-old children?

A sore subject for all concerned parents: what should a child be able to do at 4 years old? And are there any standards and criteria in this matter at all? Everyone decides this for themselves. But in general there are no templates or rules here.

Should you teach your child to read? Necessary. If he himself expresses a desire or at least is not against it.

Does he need math now? Needed. Again, focusing on the interest and mood of the student himself. Everything is good in its time and in moderation. The main thing here is not to discourage prematurely the desire for knowledge and research. Information should not be presented in ready-made form.

Reading is exciting process, not forced torture. Mathematics is the work of the mind and abstract thinking, not dry numbers and examples. So, what should a child of 4 years old be able to do? Enjoy the learning process itself, strive to gain knowledge and never give up in the face of temporary difficulties and obstacles along the way.

Educational games

Role-playing games come to the fore in entertainment and educational activities. A 4-year-old child has an amazing imagination, thanks to which he can act out entire theatrical performances. At this age, a child often has an imaginary, non-existent friend with whom he can have long conversations and play for hours without leaving the room. Parents should not worry about the mental state of their child - this is a normal stage of his development. Moreover, having such a friend speaks of creativity and rich imagination.

Often a baby's playmate becomes his beloved soft toy, which is also the norm. A 4-year-old child is a tireless inventor and dreamer. The role of parents in his playing field comes down to inventing new stories, scenarios and active participation in them. Let's consider several options for games that can interest a four-year-old child.

Thematic mini-scenes. We choose two characters, for example, a teddy bear and a bunny. We distribute roles between the baby and mother. Then, with the help of animals, we act out a number of diverse scenes. Examples: a bear cub visiting a bunny, a bear cub and a bunny going on a hike, to the theater, to the forest.

Puppet show. We make several hand puppets from old gloves and socks. We come up with a plot performance with their participation. Such a game can range from spontaneous momentary fun to a thoughtful, carefully organized performance with the use of a screen (to hide the actors) and the presence of spectators (fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers).

One actor theater. We set up a homemade stage - curtains instead of backstage, decorations from the baby's drawings and, of course, any oblong toy as a microphone. And then - the flight of creativity. You can come up with and show a whole performance with the participation of a child, or limit yourself to a single performance. As they say, the owner is the master. The main thing is a full hall of enthusiastic spectators (household members) and the sincere interest of the actor himself.

It's time to take stock of the next year of your baby's life. Remember what successes he has achieved over the past period, what he can do well on his own, and where he still needs the support of his parents? Compare your results with the opinions of experts on this matter and determine which areas of your fidget’s life should be given a little more attention.

Child development at 4 years old

Each age is characterized by a specific set of skills and knowledge, which can be used to form a general idea of ​​the child’s level of development and timely focus on improving problem areas.
At 4 years old, the child is active social life: interacts with older family members, communicates with peers. The time is coming role playing games, which are increasingly divided by gender - “mothers and daughters”, soldiers, “war girls”. At this age, children are very active and inquisitive, they are happy to learn new things, have their own point of view and can defend it, and strive for independence. Support and guide the child's interest, noting his passions and hobbies, take part in games and teach correct social behavior (respect elders, give way to older people, do not offend little ones, etc.).
Emotionally, four-year-olds are already able to recognize their feelings and name them correctly, but sometimes they still may not be able to cope with their mood, and then whims are inevitable. Help your child calm down and only then discuss the situation. Allow the child to draw the right conclusion himself - this way he will learn the right lesson from what happened. Don’t forget to support your children’s faith in themselves and their strengths, praise them for small victories and don’t refuse help.

Norms of child development at 4 years old

Generally speaking, in children aged 4 years:

• average weight - from 14.1 kg to 18.5 kg cm
• average height - from 98.5 cm to 107.4 cm
• 20 baby teeth
• Shoe size 27
• 28/30 clothing size

Four-year-old children have good control over their movements, can maintain balance, love outdoor games, but are already showing greater perseverance and concentration than before.

What should a 4 year old child know?

Each baby is unique and develops in its own way. individual program, given by nature. And at the same time, we can say more specifically what a four-year-old child should know:

• your first name, last name and patronymic, as well as the names of your parents and immediate relatives;
• your age and show it on your fingers;
• use about 1500 words, make sentences of 7-8 words;
• conduct a dialogue, answer questions;
• distinguish objects by shape, weight, size;
• colors;
• numbers, learning to count;
• all fruits, berries and vegetables;
• short poems, songs and fairy tales;
• items of clothing and the sequence of putting them on;
• some letters;
• animals, aquatic inhabitants and insects, as well as sounds and movements characteristic of them;
• where the items he needs are located in the house;
• seasons, guesses from pictures.

What should a 4 year old child be able to do?

Let's give sample list skills and abilities of a four-year-old child:

• concentrate for an average of 15 minutes;
• recognize a book read by passage;
• remember the sequence of movements in exercises and dances;
• find differences and similarities in the pictures;
• use forks and knives as intended;
• brush your teeth and wash your face;
• clean up after yourself;
• collect your toys;
• use a potty or toilet;
• put on shoes, dress and undress independently (the degree of proficiency in the skill depends on the amount of clothing, the presence of complex fasteners on clothes and shoes);
• walk up stairs, run, jump from low objects, ride downhill, perhaps mastered a balance bike or bicycle;
• build houses, towers from construction sets, assemble large puzzles;
• draw people, simple animals (cat, dog), house, tree, sun, basic geometric shapes;
• play in the company of other children, participate in role-playing games;
• sculpt from plasticine;
• learns to hold a pen, pencil, brush correctly;
• tie knots, fasten zippers, buttons;
• wield scissors.

As you can see, there is a pretty decent list of what a 4-year-old child should be able to do. But don’t rush to get upset if your child has not yet mastered some points. Perhaps some activities are simply not to his liking, but he excels at others. Take your time to show him everything at once, choose 1-2 things at a time and practice - first together, and then gradually transferring the leading role to the baby. Try not to get hung up on the need to urgently educate your child, enjoy your time together and don’t get tired of repeating that you believe in your treasure. You'll see, success is guaranteed!
It happens that 4-year-old boys are subject to higher requirements than girls. The arguments are dubious: “men don’t cry”, “be a man”, “this is not like a man”, etc. Of course, the bar for education should be high, but this applies more likely to the parents themselves than to their little ones. Your high expectations are unknown to the child, so such phrases can undermine his faith in himself and, at the same time, in the love of mom and dad. A dubious basis for raising a real man, right? Treat your son with understanding, show a fatherly example of correct masculine behavior. Finally, we will list separately what else a boy at 4 years old should be able to do.

Four-year-old children are already considered preschoolers: the child acquires his first ideas about the world, which will expand with age.

Four years is a stage full of discoveries for parents and babies. And for your discoveries to be successful, you should rely on age characteristics child, helping him to develop.

Psychological state of a 4-year-old child

A psychological feature of a four-year-old child is a vivid manifestation of “feelings and sensitivity.” As the Soviet psychologist and teacher V.S. Mukhina notes, “in preschool age, especially at the age of three or four years, feelings dominate all aspects of a child’s life, giving them a special coloring and expressiveness. Small child does not yet know how to manage his experiences, he almost always finds himself captive of the feeling that has captured him” (Mukhina V.S. “Developmental psychology. Phenomenology of development”, 1999).

The scientist also focuses on the fact that “the feelings of three- to four-year-old preschoolers, although vivid, are still very situational and unstable.” Therefore, parents should not take an over-emotional reaction to events seriously. Sometimes children deliberately play pranks in order to see the reactions of others and understand what emotions pranks evoke in them. This is how the child learns to distinguish between positive and negative sides.

Now children are beginning to become more aware of what is happening. They develop new emotions: shame, resentment, disappointment, sadness. Children at 4 years old become sensitive: they pick up on moods loved one and empathize. Are being formed moral qualities: understanding, insight, kindness, responsiveness.

Intellectual characteristics at 4 years old

The intellectual characteristics of a child at 4 years old are explained by the level of his anatomical development. The brain is already almost comparable to the brain of an adult. But the right and left hemispheres are developed to different degrees: the right hemisphere, responsible for the manifestation of emotions and feelings, predominates.

The fourth year is a time of increased interest in studying the world, manifestation cognitive activity. A child learns about the world not only through books and toys. It's time to consciously explore the world while walking or attending a children's event.

It's time to introduce your son or daughter to the alphabet and prime numbers. Teach your child to perform simple arithmetic calculations and form words from letters. You can still teach your child foreign language. There are many schools offering foreign language acquisition programs for preschoolers. Or conduct classes at home.

It is important to regularly train your memory. For example, lay out cards with simple images and ask them to remember the sequence. Mix and ask your child to restore the order of the pictures from memory. Read short children's fairy tales and poems more often, offer to memorize them and tell them from memory.

Full physical development of a child at 4 years of age implies the formation fine motor skills hands To practice finger dexterity and prepare your hand for writing, sculpt from plasticine or clay, cut out large and medium-sized elements of different shapes with scissors. Also draw with different art tools (brushes, felt-tip pens, pencils, crayons, finger paints). Albums and coloring books will serve as assistants for the young artist. Continue collecting puzzles and construction sets.

How to raise 4 year old children

What your son or daughter will become depends on parental upbringing. Therefore, the key rule for parents is to be attentive to the child. Spending time together brings you closer and establishes an emotional connection. A child who feels the love and care of loved ones has correct example family relationships.

• Cultural leisure. Attend cultural events to introduce your child to the world of art. Going to the cinema, puppet theater, circus, zoo, and city holiday celebrations socialize and develop imagination.
• Praise for small and big reasons. Praise even for small victories - this will give confidence and understanding that the child is proud.
• Self-care skills. Teach to observe the rules of personal hygiene, use cutlery, dress and undress, throw garbage into bins, put toys away.
• Observation by a doctor. Bring your child for routine examinations, especially if you suspect any disease. The child should be regularly examined by a pediatrician, ophthalmologist, surgeon, ENT specialist, cardiologist and endocrinologist.
• Healthy food. Provide balanced diet, which will contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The frequency of meals for a 4-year-old child is 4-6 times a day.
• Mode. Establish a daily routine: this will make it easier for you to control his activities, and for him to get used to the routine.
• Useful games. Teach in a playful way: this makes classes more fun and easier.
• Living encyclopedia. Don't ignore or get angry at a child who asks questions. Four years is the age of a “why” who wants to know everything. Explain phenomena while remaining patient and understanding.
• Search for friends. Help establish contacts with children: give tips on how to get acquainted, invite the little one’s parents and friends to visit, spend leisure time together.
• Rules without exceptions. Create family rules and responsibilities that all family members must follow. If a child breaks the rules, punish, but without humiliation. Agree with your relatives that in the event of punishment, you will all act according to the same scheme, without exceptions out of pity or misunderstanding. The baby must learn to be responsible.