1. Understands questions and directions:
At five years old, children are beginning to understand the difference between questions and directions, allowing them to respond appropriately. They should be able to comprehend simple requests, such as asking them to pick up their toys or turn off the TV. As they progress they will begin to understand more complex commands such as “go get your shoes and put them on”.
2. Can follow a two-step command:
At five years, children should be able to understand and follow a two-step command without having to ask for clarification or be reminded multiple times. This requires the ability to remember information that was given verbally, which begins to develop at this age.
3. Uses words to express needs and wants:
By five years old, children should have acquired enough language skills to clearly explain their needs and desires using age-appropriate language. For example, they should be able to say “I want a snack” instead of just pointing in the direction of the kitchen when hungry.
4. Asks questions about things they don’t understand:
At this age, children are also starting to ask questions when they don’t understand something. This is an important step in their development as it helps them better process the information presented to them and more easily recognize patterns in their environment.
5. Talks in complete sentences using correct grammar, nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc:
Five-year-olds should be able to construct complete sentences using different parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. They should also have a good grasp of basic grammar rules such as sentence structure and verb tense agreement.
6. Uses past tense appropriately when talking about events that happened before now:
At this age, children should be able to accurately use the past tense when talking about events that happened before now. This is a sign of their growing language skills and an understanding of time which will continue to develop as they get older.
7. Says their name and age correctly:
Children at five years old should also have an accurate understanding of their identity, be able to say and spell their first name correctly as well as give their correct age. This is important for developing self-awareness and a sense of autonomy.
8. Is able to tell stories with beginning, middle, and end including details like who was there, etc:
At this stage in development, children are starting to understand plot structure, allowing them to create stories that include a beginning, middle, and end. They should also be able to tell these stories with greater detail, describing who was in the story and where it took place.
9. Has an expanded vocabulary of 5 - 10 thousand words:
By five years old, children should have an expansive vocabulary of at least 5-10 thousand words. This includes nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives as well as slang terms their peers may use.
10. Can express thoughts and opinions clearly:
At this age, they will also be developing their ability to express their own thoughts and opinions clearly using age-appropriate language. This is important for building confidence in communication as well as learning how to effectively convey what they are thinking.