Four years old

Parenting and literacy

The four-year-old child’s world is expanding. She is pushing the boundaries of everything and will ask endless questions. What an opportunity to teach your child what her place is in the world! This can be done through your family stories, photo albums and books about other people, places and things.

Some four-year-olds have a lot of fears. They like hearing about scary or silly situations that end safely. Take time to comfort your child when she is scared.

Your child needs simple, predictable, repetitive stories so she can repeat them and “read” the story to you. Even though your child’s attention span is increasing, she still needs short stories with lots of action.

Let your child know that other people have the same experiences she does. Help her see the difference between imagination and reality.

Begin collecting recyclable materials for making crafts with your child.