Four-year old children are lively and adventurous, and they burst with motor activity. Like two and three year olds, they are egocentric and are perceptual thinkers, unable to think logically or abstractly. Although 40 percent of their play is sensory-motor (free movement of large and small muscles), 30 percent is symbolic and is largely demonstrated through socio-dramatic play that involves taking on roles and verbally interacting with other children. Such play is made possible by the expansion of spoken language in the fourth year: 1500 words in early four year olda and more than 2000 in five year olds. They can speak readily in sentences of ten words or more.

Four year old children exhibit increased cognitive skills by asking more questions and showing more curiosity about their environment. There is great interest in the printed word, especially their names; and their attention span has increased to enable them to listen to a story of approximately ten minutes in length. In addition, four year olds have the ability to predict events and outcomes of stories.

Like three year olds, four year olds are magical thinkers. Their egocentricity causes them to create events and percve their abilities as limitless. For example, a typical four year old might say. “I have X-ray vision. I can see through anything!” Like three year olds. four year old children also continue to think animalistically, that is, they give human characteristics to inanimate objects.

Physically, four year old children can move their bodies more creatively and are in greater control, being able to stop upon a teacher’s command or the termination of music. Their fine motor abilities have improved their artistic skills, allowing them to draw a human figure with major body parts and facial features.

These and many other characteristics are classified under the areas of cognitive, language, self esteem, social studies, math, science, and gross and fine motor movements.