| | Age 2 | Age 3 | Age 4 | Age 5 |
| Language skills |
| Links two words together | Identifies most common objects | Describes the uses of common objects | Uses compound and complex sentences |
| Speaks clearly enough for parents to understand about half the words | Says first name and age | Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand | Says full name and address |
| Knows some adjectives (big, happy) | Uses pronouns (I, you, we, they) and some plurals | Uses verbs that end in "ing" and some irregular past tense verbs, such as ran and fell | Uses future tense |
| Speaks about 50 words | Answers simple questions | Tells simple stories | Understands rhyming |
| Social skills |
| Becomes aware of his or her identity as a separate individual | Imitates parents and playmates | Cooperates with playmates | Wants to be like friends |
| May become defiant | Takes turns | Tries to solve problems | Follows rules |
| Becomes interested in playing with other children | Expresses affection openly | Becomes interested in new experiences | Understands gender |
| Separation anxiety begins to fade | Easily separates from parents | Becomes more independent | Wants to do things alone |
| Cognitive skills |
| Begins to play make-believe | Plays make-believe | Becomes involved in more complex imaginary play | Uses imagination to create stories |
| Begins to sort objects by shape and color | More confidently sorts objects by shape and color | Prints some capital letters and names some colors | Correctly names at least four colors and counts at least 10 objects |
| Understands some spatial concepts (in, on) | Understands more spatial concepts (over, under) | Understands more complex spatial concepts (behind, next to) | Distinguishes between fantasy and reality |
| Scribbles | Copies a circle | Draws a person with two to four body parts | Copies a triangle and other geometric patterns |
| Finds hidden objects | Understands the concept of two | Understands the concepts of same and different | Understands the concepts of time and sequential order |
| Physical skills |
| Walks alone and stands on tiptoe | Walks up and down stairs, alternating feet | Stands on one foot for at least five seconds | Stands on one foot for at least 10 seconds |
| Climbs on furniture and begins to run | Kicks, climbs, runs and pedals tricycle | Throws ball overhand, kicks ball forward and catches bounced ball most of the time | Hops, swings and somersaults |
| Builds a tower of four blocks or more | Builds a tower of more than six blocks | Dresses and undresses | May learn to skip, ride a bike and swim |
| Empties objects from a container | Manipulates small objects and turns book pages one at a time | Uses scissors | Brushes own teeth and cares for other personal needs |
