Which skill is typically expected to develop by the age of 4 in children?

By the age of 4, children are generally expected to develop the ability to draw simple shapes like circles and squares. This stage of development reflects their growing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, which allows them to manipulate crayons, markers, and other writing tools more effectively. At this age, children are often engaged in activities that promote creativity and expressiveness through art, leading them to experiment with different shapes and forms.

This milestone is significant as it indicates a foundational understanding of spatial relationships, as well as the ability to represent their surroundings symbolically, which is an important aspect of cognitive development. The ability to draw shapes is also a precursor to later writing skills, as it involves similar movements and precision.

In contrast, reading simple sentences and solving basic math problems are skills more typically developed later, often in the kindergarten years or beyond, as they require more advanced cognitive skills and knowledge. Writing their name, while some children may begin to attempt this around age 4, is also usually better mastered in the following years as they gain further control over their writing instruments.