From learning to cut with scissors or hold a pencil to learning to share, take turns, and problem solve, these are developmental skills for preschoolers.
The early years are the time to build a strong foundation in all developmental areas. Meeting specific milestones in all five domains of development and learning helps preschoolers establish behaviors and skills that will make them successful.
At Stay At Home Educator, we focus first on developmental skills for preschoolers so we can watch these foundational elements set the stage for a lifetime of learning and success.
What Are Preschool Developmental Skills
The preschool years are a crucial time for building a strong foundation in early childhood development. These formative years are the perfect opportunity for children to develop essential skills across various domains, all of which have equal importance.
There are five domains of preschool development. Creating thoughtful and intentional lesson plans within these developmental areas will ensure that your preschoolers get a well-rounded education, as well as help them with the most important developmental skills.
Cognitive Development
Physical Development
Social / Emotional Development
Language Development
Self-Help / Adaptive Development
Why are Developmental Skills Important for Preschoolers?
Preschool developmental skills are cannot be ignored because they lay the foundation for future learning and social interactions, ensuring well-rounded growth across essential life skills.
How Preschoolers Develop Best (and Learn Best)
Simply put…though play.
Play is an elusive concept, and it’s an essential part of life, not just childhood. But it is absolutely necessary for proper development in the formative years. Even the cognitive development of preschoolers happens most readily through play-based activities, which makes teaching in all the preschool developmental areas all the more important.
What is Learned Through Play
Play encourages all areas of proper development, from cognitive and physical to social and emotional. Here are some facts about the benefits of play:
- Play builds self-esteem and confidence.
- Play develops problem-solving skills.
- Play encourages new vocabulary usage.
- Play teaches children to collaborate.
- Play teaches children to be alone and independent.
- Play allows children to release their emotions.
- Play encourages planning and thinking ahead.
These are developmental skills, too!
Read this article about how play impacts brain development.
Preschool Play Activities for Learning
Creating simple play ideas for preschoolers is remarkably easy, often using everyday materials found at home. These activities seamlessly integrate educational concepts, such as counting, color recognition, and fine motor skills development.
By engaging in purposeful play, children not only have fun but also increase their cognitive and physical abilities.
See all our preschool play activities for learning.
Five Domains of Early Childhood Development Explained
There are five domains of early childhood development. For children to grow into strong, healthy, and giving adults, their education in the early years should meet specific developmental milestones in each of the five domains.
Some without another may result in an incomplete or unbalanced education. And yes, while some of these skills seem to develop naturally through child’s play, they still are all skill areas that should be included during lesson planning.
Cognitive Developmental Skills in Preschoolers
Cognitive development pertains to preschool skills regarding learning and thinking. It is not remembering facts and trivia.
Cognitive skills include:
- asking questions
- developing an increased attention span
- problem solving
- visual discrimination, matching, comparing, sorting, and organizing
- understanding fact and fiction (or the difference between a truth and a lie)
- understanding cause and effect
- simple reasoning
Preschoolers are full of questions. They love to collect things. Preschoolers also like to practice the same thing again and again, and love hearing the same story told multiple times. They love taking risks and trying new things.
These are efforts in developing their cognitive abilities. Whether in formal schooling or playing at home, these characteristics should be embraced and encouraged.
More information and activities that support cognitive development
When to Be Concerned About Your Preschooler’s Cognitive Development
It’s important to monitor your preschooler’s cognitive development and be aware of any signs of delays, such as difficulty with language, memory, or problem-solving tasks compared to peers.
If you notice your child struggling significantly in these areas, or if they seem to lose skills they previously mastered, it may be time to consult with a pediatrician or child development specialist. Early intervention is key.
Read more about when to worry about your preschooler’s cognitive development in this article.
Physical Developmental Skills for Preschoolers
Physical development skills are an important part of any early learning program. They include skills like:
- Muscle control, balance, and coordination (climbing ladders, opening doors, and putting on coats)
- Body awareness (sitting next to a friend rather than in her lap)
- Wellness, rest, exercise, health, and nutrition (healthy lifestyles and living)
- Self-help skills (feeding, brushing teeth, dressing, and washing hands, for example)
During the preschool years, children learn to manage and take control of their bodies. They become more aware of what their bodies can and can’t do, especially when it comes to gross motor skills.
Coordination and balance play an important role alongside fine motor skills when children are learning life skills like buttoning or using silverware, for example.
Preschool teachers and parents should be mindful of important milestones in the physical development domain and provide children lots of opportunities to practice physical development skills.
More information and activities that support physical development
Social / Emotional Development Skills for Preschoolers
Social and emotional development for preschoolers covers a wide range of skills, such as:
- Regulating one’s own behavior and emotions
- Developing friendships with other children and healthy relationships with adults
- Creating a positive personal identity (liking oneself and building confidence, for example)
- Developing a working memory, curiosity for the world, and persistence
- Participating and engaging in learning
Children are naturally social and curious. They are also packed full of big emotions and need help navigating their feelings and learning how to react and respond in social situations. Social skills can be taught, and doing so will help children develop the strategies and coping skills they need as they navigate social situations.
It’s an important part of growing up around other kids. It is also under this domain that children need to feel safe, nurtured, respected, and loved.
More activities that support social/emotional development
Understanding Emotional Development in Preschoolers
Preschoolers are learning to recognize and express their emotions. They start to understand feelings like empathy and how their actions affect others. Caregivers can support them by offering a loving environment, encouraging kids to talk about their feelings, and showing them how to handle emotions positively.
To learn more about emotional development in preschoolers, read the linked article.
- Marotz, Lynn (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 320 Pages – 01/01/2015 (Publication Date) – Cengage Learning (Publisher)
- Marotz, Lynn (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 320 Pages – 01/10/2022 (Publication Date) – Cengage Learning (Publisher)
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Bantam, A nice option for a Book Lover
- Condition : Good
- Ideal for Gifting
- Cohen, Dorothy H. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 240 Pages – 11/20/2015 (Publication Date) – Teachers College Press (Publisher)
Language Developmental Skills for Preschoolers
We know that children are naturally social, so they need the skills to be able to communicate their ideas and feelings. Language skills for preschoolers include:
- Foundational emergent reading skills (concepts of print, phonemic awareness, and phonics)
- Emergent writing (developmentally appropriate drawings, dictated storied and messages, beginning letter formations)
- Speaking and listening (participating in conversations, asking and answering questions, describing things, adding details, speaking audibly, clearly, and in complete sentences)
It’s important to include language development in any preschool program because language skills have a direct impact on reading and writing success.
Even though children don’t need to learn how to read until they are in kindergarten or first grade, teachers and parents should be reading to their children every day. Doing so develops their speech skills, teaching appropriate pronunciation and articulation, as well as exposing them to important emergent reading and writing skills that will prepare a way for them to learn how to read and write with ease once they enter elementary school.
More activities that support language development
Self-Help / Adaptive Developmental Skills for Preschoolers
These are self-help skills needed for daily living. The skills developed should include:
- dressing
- brushing teeth and brushing hair
- feeding oneself
- toileting and washing
- climbing stairs
- cleaning up messes
- blowing their nose
- sneezing safely (into the elbow)
- road safety
Included in the self-help / adaptive domain are any skills needed for daily living. These are important for any child to develop, and are skills that will help a child to be more independent and self-sufficient.
More activities that support self-help / adaptive development
Which Skills are Most Important?
The short answer?
None of them.
While many preschools are pushing more academic skills than social or physical, all five domains have equal importance in developing preschoolers. They are also all interlinking.
Here is a good example. Gross motor strength is needed to execute fine motor movements, which lead to grasping a pencil correctly, leading to developing writing and language skills, which also applies to self-help skills. See how the developmental skills are interwoven between the various domains? One doesn’t exist without the other and it is not uncommon for activities to naturally overlap.