Fine and gross motor skills,
body awareness, physical health
| Three Year Olds | At this stage a child has dificulty with independent limb movement, shows wide flexibility in range of joints, walks with automatic gait, runs with increased smoothness, walks on a balance board, blances on one foot for an instant, alternates feet going upstairs, jumps off a low box with both feet together, throws an object with total body ivolvement, catches an object thrown directly into stiff outstretched arms, and shows readiness for riding a tricycle. |
| Four Year Olds | At this stage a child controls independent movement of body parts, shows increased spatial orientation, has a near adult style walking gait, shows increased smoothness when running, turns corners quickly, accelerates, decelerates and stops running motion, begins alternating feet while walking on a balance board, begins mastery of galloping skills, throws with arm only, relaxes arms as they move to catch an approaching object, and begins to control a bouncing ball. |
| Five Year Olds | At this stage a child shows increased control of fine movements, has increased endurance, uses running skills in play activities, has improved motion balance, has refined climbing skills, skips, gallops and jumps with smoothness, attempts to master hopping with increased sense of balance, shows rapid improvement in throwing skills, begins to move body to catch an object, begins to control a bouncing ball with one hand, shows increased leg backswing, follow-through and appropriate trunk rotation when kicking. |
Source : MacDonal, S. (1997) The Portfolio and Its Use : A Road Map for Assessment.
Southern Early Childhood Association