
This list of skills young children can learn is not based on any research and is not a comprehensive list of skills, nor does your child necessarily need all these skills. It is strictly a list of the first 25 topics that came to my mind. You can use it to find out what your child already knows and then use it to help you choose what else you’d like to teach him. Remember, there is no set age when a child should be able to do all this. This is just a list of things you might want to teach him someday.
Dressing self
Feeding self
Handle a book appropriately
Enjoys looking at books
Enjoys being read to.
Has basic physical skills if not limited by disability—walking, running, hopping, etc.
Can follow simple directions. How many directions at once? (For instance: pick up your hat, put it on your head, and then run to the door.)
Can stack blocks
Can use crayons (staying in the lines is not important for younger children)
Can use other art supplies, such as glue sticks, safety scissors, finger paints, paint brushes, chalk
Can recite numbers to ten.
Can actually count ten items
Recognizes letters
Can read name and a few other sight words
Knows the names of basic colors
Can speak in fairly grammatically correct complete sentences
Can identify basic shapes
Asks lots of questions (shows curiosity)
Plays fairly well with other children
Can pay attention one minute for each year of his age. (A four year old can pay attention for four minutes—not always, but often enough.)
Can usually behave fairly well in public
Can take turns most of the time
Is reasonably kind
Can recite the alphabet
Understands simple science—weather, sunshine for plant growing, etc.