5 years

Just because your child is not performing everything at the selected times does not mean there is something wrong. Some children take a little bit longer to be able to do things on their own. Your child requires stimulation and opportunity to learn and develop. For guidance on age appropriate activities please look at play and ideas.

5 years

• I can stand on one leg.
• I walk up and down the stairs
• I can throw, catch and kick a ball.
• I ride my bike with stabilisers
• I go on everything at the play park.
• I can listen and understand what people are saying to me.
• I like to tell you about my day.
• I talk in sentences.
• I play with my friends.
• I understand the needs for rules and fair play.
• I am starting to use my knife and fork at meals.
• I can dress and undress and do buttons and zips.
• If my friend is hurt I will try to help.
• I am learning to write my name
• I can copy shapes like a square, circle and triangle using my pencil
• I can draw a person with a head, body, arms and legs.

If you are concerned about how your child is doing any of the above activities please ask your health visitor for advice and guidance.

Areas for concern at 5 years of age

The guide below indicates when you should seek further advice if your child is not making progress towards their age specific targets. Please seek further advice from your health visitor or GP.

• Sentence structure is immature
• Is not able to sustain attention for activities
• Engages in their own rigid choice of activity and/or topic of conversation
• He/she stumbles, repeats words or the beginning of words, or gets stuck on words (stammer)
• He/she has a hoarse voice
• Cannot stand on one foot to kick a ball with either foot
• Cannot walk along a line approximately 10 cm wide
• Cannot throw and catch a ball
• He/she is not able to communicate appropriately with teachers/peers, e.g. in relating relevant information, taking turns to speak, keeping to the topic of conversation, initiating interaction