Development at 52 Months
Click for more details:
Activity 1
Age Appropriate Social Development
Settles Down After A Period Of Physical Activity
 Settling down after a physical time of play may be difficult for me. Learning when to turn my energies on and off is not easy because expending physical energy at this age is much more fun than to be quiet. Plan such "quiet times" for me during the day. Quiet times concretely help me to regulate myself to a right level of arousal so that I can be prepared for the next activity. I can settle down after a period of physical activity between 48 and 55 (4 years and 4 year 7 months). |
Steps
-
Use any natural situations. E.g. after going to the park, upon returning home.
-
Determine what "quiet down" means: quiet, no running or walking around, placing head on the cushion/table.
-
Give your child a place to quiet down. E.g. lying down on a sofa, laying his head on the table, or relaxing in a quiet corner with cushions.
-
Set him a time limit (e.g. 5 minutes).
-
Observe whether your child can settle down after a physical activity and can transit to the next activity.
Feedback
Your child is learning to regulate his energy levels according to the specific situation at this stage. Your observations that he is able to settle down after a period of physical activity show that he is ready for group learning and is able to control his attention channels accordingly.
If your child seems to have lots of energies, do remember that it is quite normal for a child at this age. You can try to give him a little help to make this quiet down process a more acceptable one for him.
Look at our suggested ideas for ways to help personalize these quiet and break times for your child.
|
-
Decorate a permanent cozy quiet area with your child. You could even make it out to be a hideaway tent for the child. The quiet place can be used not only to regulate energy levels but whenever you child needs help to cope with his feelings of anger, sadness and disappointment. Tell him he needs to "quiet and calm down" in the quiet corner.
-
Provide straightforward and clear-cut rules for quiet time. You can write it up into a chart and stick it in the quiet area. E.g. rules of quiet, lying down, when there is no screaming. Do explain why the quiet area is important. E.g. "You need to quiet down to be ready.”
-
 A quiet area is not a punishment. Associate quiet areas and quiet times with pleasant experiences of relaxation. Teach your child to use it as a way of calming himself down to such an extent that he is ready for the next activity.
-
Play pleasant calming music that your child likes to help him calm down.
|
|
Activity 2
Age Appropriate Speech, Language And Communication Development
Engages In Conversation
 I am interested in conversing with other children and adults! I can be polite and enjoy contributing to conversations around me. I also know it's good not to interrupt while others speak! See how I'm developing into an interesting conversation partner! I usually develop the ability to engage in conversation when I am between 48 and 72 months. (4 years and 6 years). |
Steps
Feedback
It is always helpful to acknowledge his good behavior and appropriate language usage with smiles, nods or with praise. Remember that a child usually develops the ability to engage in conversation between 48 and 72 months. If he consistently listens but doesn't contribute, he may not be confident of his expressive skills. If it's the other way around, you may need to work on his listening skills. Check out the suggested activities for more teaching ideas!
|
-
Role-play using dolls and/or puppets. Start by teaching your child how to introduce himself and asking if he can join in to play. This way he learns how to start a conversation. You can slowly build his confidence from there by inviting some of his classmates or neighbors over to play. Stay close initially to help him communicate with his friends. Over time, begin to observe from a distance.
-
 Provide simple and clear instructions so that the child does not become confused. For example, only one person can speak at one time, pay attention to the speaker, speak in a moderate tone and don’t shout, etc.
-
Exposure in the form of activities/classes like speech and drama, swimming, art class etc. are also good places for your child make friends and practice his language and social skills.
|
|
|
