Goals for 3 Year Olds

I. Physical
  • Engages in a variety of activities which enhance development of both large and small muscles:
  • Begins to use scissors, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and playdough with some control and confidence
  • Is developing skill in walking, running, jumping, sliding, climbing, balancing, skipping, swinging, pedaling, galloping, hopping, and climbing stairs
  • Participates in creative movement
  • Attempts to work puzzles of 10 pieces or more
  • Builds wit small interlocking toys
  • Constructs with large and small blocks
  • Attempts to build tower of 7-10 cubes
II. Social Development
  • Knows that he/she is loved by an adult outside the family
  • Realizes that he/she is a special and unique person
  • Develops friendship roles;
  • Initiates conversation with peers
  • Attempts to enter a group play situation
  • Plays with several friends
  • Develops conversational skills
  • Participates in two-way conversation with adults and peers
  • Listens when others speak
  • Participates in group activities
  • Uses equipment appropriately
  • Exhibits willingness to share with others
  • Respects property (own and that of others)
  • Takes responsibility for helping put away toys and games
  • Begins to deal with conflicts appropriately
  • Respects others feelings, needs, and rights,
  • Verbalizes his own feelings, needs, and rights
  • Exhibits a positive self-image
  • Appears confident
  • Shows self-satisfaction
  • Willing to try new things
  • Needs minimal reassurance from adults for problem solving
  • Demonstrates independence (copes with separation from parents)
  • Exhibits some sense of humor
III. Intellectual Development
  • Listens to a story in a group
  • Participates in an activity for a period of time or to completion
  • Remembers simple poems and nursery rhymes
  • Follows sequential directions and delayed directions
  • Exhibits awareness of body parts
  • Demonstrates awareness of alphabet letters as important and useful symbols
  • Shows interest in letters in name
  • Distinguishes differences in size, shape, color, and other attributes
  • Recognizes three or more shapes
  • Attempts to recognize primary and secondary colors
  • Exhibits initial development of the concept of time
  • Has a basic understanding of prepositions pertaining to spatial relationships
  • Counts to five with one to one correspondence
  • Recognizes some numerals 1-10
IV. Language
  • Speaks in simple sentences
  • Shows evidence of increasing vocabulary
  • Recite poems and nursery rhymes
  • Show interest in rhyming words and sound
  • Learns to hold a book correctly and turn pages from beginning to end (reading readiness)
  • Begins to use words to communicate ideas of time and measurement
  • Can relate events spatially
V. Creative Development
  • Expresses self creatively role playing
  • Engages in imitation and pretend play
  • Acts out stories
  • Develops awareness of melody, rhythm, and tone (loud and soft) in music
  • Enjoys creating, listening, and moving to music
  • Uses art media in creative ways