[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Behavioral science](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/) › [Human development across the life span](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/areas/development/) › Milestones from 4 years to school age # Milestones from 4 years to school age - Life stage From 4 years the child tells stories, plays by rules, holds a pencil and gets ready for school; at school age logic, friends and competence grow. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - 4 years: sentences of four or more words, pretend play as other people or animals, catches a large ball most times, holds a crayon with fingers and thumb, draws a person with three body parts. - 5 years: tells a story with two events, counts to 10, hops on one foot, follows rules and takes turns, writes some letters of the name. - 5 years: attention of 5 to 10 minutes on an activity (screen time does not count). - Classic copying sequence: circle about 3, cross about 4, square about 4 to 5, triangle about 5 years. - School age: concrete operations (Piaget) and industry versus inferiority (Erikson). - Bedwetting is still common at 5 years; daytime and night-time continence come at different ages. ## What it is In the preschool years language becomes a tool for storytelling, play turns cooperative, and fine motor skills prepare the child for writing. The CDC checklists end at 5 years and list skills that at least 75 % of children show by that age. At school age (about 6 to 11 years) development is followed through school performance, friendships and self-esteem rather than single milestones. ## Key facts - Play is cooperative by 4 to 5 years: shared goals, roles and rules. - Gender constancy (knowing that one's sex does not change with clothes or activities) is usually reached between about 5 and 7 years. - Readiness for school depends on attention, self-regulation and language as much as on letters and numbers. - At school age, the main markers are learning, friends and self-esteem, so poor school performance is a developmental signal. ## Milestones from 4 years to school age | Age | Motor | Language and cognitive | Social-emotional | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 4 years (CDC) | Catches a large ball; unbuttons some buttons; holds a pencil with fingers and thumb | Sentences of four or more words; describes the day; names a few colors; draws a person with three body parts | Pretends to be others; comforts others; asks to play with other children; adjusts behavior to the place | | 5 years (CDC) | Hops on one foot; buttons some buttons | Tells a story with two events; counts to 10; names some letters and numbers; uses time words | Follows rules and takes turns; does simple chores; sings or dances for others | | School age (6 to 11 years) | Rides a bicycle, sports with rules, neat handwriting | Reads and writes, reasons logically about concrete things, understands conservation | Best friends, same-sex peer groups, sense of competence, rules and fairness | ## Clinical notes - Unclear speech to strangers at 4 years, no sentences, or no interest in other children needs evaluation (hearing, language, autism). - Inattention or hyperactivity only counts when it is out of line with age and present in more than one setting; preschoolers are normally active. - Falling school performance in a child who used to do well suggests a problem to look for: hearing or vision, learning difficulty, sleep, bullying, family stress, maltreatment or mood. ## Memory aid Four tells, five rules: at 4 the child tells the day in sentences, at 5 the child plays by the rules and hops on one foot. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Which drawing skill is listed for 4 years in the CDC checklist? Drawing a person with at least three body parts. ## By what age do most children hop on one foot on the CDC checklists? By 5 years. ## In what order do children copy simple shapes? Circle (about 3 years), cross (about 4), square (about 4 to 5) and triangle (about 5). ## Which Piaget and Erikson stages correspond to school age? Concrete operational stage (Piaget) and industry versus inferiority (Erikson). [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/behavioral-science/milestones-from-4-years-to-school-age/) ## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - [Pediatric history: perinatal, growth, development and vaccines](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/pediatric-history-perinatal-growth-development-and-vaccines/) ## Connections ## Related 7 - [Developmental milestones: domains, corrected age and red flags](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/developmental-milestones-domains-corrected-age-and-red-flags/) - [Milestones of the first year](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/milestones-of-the-first-year/) - [Milestones from 1 to 3 years](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/milestones-from-1-to-3-years/) - [Piaget's stages of cognitive development](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/piaget-s-stages-of-cognitive-development/) - [Erikson's psychosocial stages](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/erikson-s-psychosocial-stages/) - [Moral development (Kohlberg)](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/moral-development/) - [Intelligence testing and IQ](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/intelligence-testing-and-iq/) ## Related conditions 3 - [Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/) - [Nocturnal enuresis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/nocturnal-enuresis/) - [Tourette syndrome and tic disorders](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/tourette-syndrome-and-tic-disorders/) [← All of behavioral science](https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/) Educational content on behavior and the clinical relationship; not a diagnostic or treatment guide and no substitute for assessment by a health professional. If you or someone near you is at risk, seek help now from an emergency service or a mental-health helpline. Sources: [Milestones by 4 Years](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/4-years.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2026); [Milestones by 5 Years](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/5-years.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2026). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/milestones-from-4-years-to-school-age/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/behavioral-science/milestones-from-4-years-to-school-age/