What should a 4 year old know? Four is the year of stories, jokes, endless "why?" questions and big feelings. It is also the year many Indian children are in LKG (Lower Kindergarten), or in Nursery in schools where Nursery starts at four. This guide brings together the CDC's 2022 milestones for age 4, the goals India's NCF for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) and the Aadharshila curriculum set for ages 4-5 (Balvatika 2), and a typical Nursery class syllabus and LKG syllabus for English, Hindi and maths, so you can see what is expected and what is not.
Every child is different. Milestones cover a wide range, and children who speak two or more languages develop on the same timeline when you count all their languages. This page is a guide, not an exam, and it cannot diagnose anything. If you are worried about your child, talk to your paediatrician.
What should a 4 year old know? Milestones by domain
The CDC milestones describe what most children (75% or more) can do by their fourth birthday. NCF-FS describes what children work towards during the year from four to five. Read the first column as "most children can already do this" and the second as "this is what the year is for".
Language and early literacy
| Skill | By age 4 (CDC) | During age 4-5 (NCF-FS / LKG) | How to help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sentences | Says sentences with 4 or more words | Longer sentences with "because" and "and then" | Ask open questions: "What happened next?" |
| Stories | Says some words from a song, story or rhyme; tells what comes next in a well-known story | Retells a story in order; answers questions about it | Read the same book often and let your child tell it back |
| Everyday talk | Talks about at least one thing from their day; answers "What is a coat for?" | Keeps a conversation going for 3+ turns | Talk at bedtime about the best part of the day |
| Sounds | Enjoys rhymes | Hears rhymes and first sounds; blends 2-3 syllables into a word | Play "I spy something beginning with /m/" |
| Letters | Knows words are made of letters | Starts linking letters to sounds; recognises own name; Hindi व्यंजन with pictures | Write their name on drawings; point to letters on signs |
Maths and thinking
| Skill | By age 4 | During age 4-5 (NCF-FS / LKG) | How to help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counting | Says number names to about 5-10; counts a few objects | Says numbers to 10 and begins to count to 20; counts objects to 5-10 and knows "how many" | Count while climbing stairs or setting plates |
| Numbers | May recognise a few numerals | Reads numerals 1-10; one more, one less | Spot numbers on lifts, clocks and buses |
| Comparing | Big and small, more and less with clear differences | Orders 3 things by size (big, smaller, smallest); compares groups | "Who has more grapes, you or me?" |
| Colours and shapes | Names a few colours | Light and dark shades; matches shapes of different sizes; describes a ball as "rolls, no corners" | Shape hunt in the kitchen |
| Patterns and sorting | Sorts by one feature | Copies and extends AB and ABB patterns; sorts by two features | Bead or bindi patterns; sort red circles from blue ones |
| Money | - | Recognises Indian coins | Play shop with ₹1, ₹2 and ₹5 coins |
Social and emotional
| Skill | By age 4 (CDC) | During age 4-5 | How to help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play | Pretends to be something else (a teacher, a dog); asks to play with other children | Plays co-operatively; follows simple game rules | Board games and outdoor group play |
| Kindness | Comforts others who are hurt or sad; likes to help | Shares, takes turns, helps tidy the class | Give small jobs: watering plants, setting spoons |
| Feelings | Avoids danger (does not jump from tall heights) | Links feelings to words and faces; names worried, proud, frustrated | Name feelings calmly; breathe together |
| Behaviour | Changes behaviour by place (temple, library, playground) | Follows class routines | Explain the "rules" before you go somewhere new |
Movement and self-care
| Skill | By age 4 (CDC) | During age 4-5 | How to help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hands | Holds a crayon between fingers and thumb (not a fist); draws a person with 3+ body parts | Copies a cross and a square; cuts on a line; builds a tower of 8-10 blocks | Playdough, drawing, cutting old newspaper |
| Body | Catches a large ball most of the time | Hops on one foot; starts to skip | Hopscotch, ball games, dancing |
| Self-care | Serves food or pours water with help; unbuttons some buttons | Washes hands alone; toilets alone; dresses with little help | Leave extra time for "I can do it!" |
Want an academic checklist? There is no PDF file, but you can print this page from your browser and use the tables as a simple checklist. Tick what you notice over a few weeks, not in one sitting.
Nursery class syllabus in India (all subjects)
There is no single national Nursery syllabus. Schools write their own, guided by NCF-FS, which asks for play-based learning in the home language where possible. In schools where Nursery is the year before LKG (about age 3-4), a typical Nursery class syllabus for all subjects looks like this. Some schools also run a pre-nursery or play group year from about age 2.5-3, with only rhymes, play and routines.
| Subject | Typical Nursery class syllabus |
|---|---|
| English | Rhymes and stories; talking about pictures; recognising A-Z by sight and sound over the year; pre-writing strokes (standing, sleeping and slanting lines, curves, circles) |
| Hindi | Hindi rhymes; स्वर (अ to अः) spoken and recognised with pictures; listening to stories |
| Maths | Counting 1-10 or 1-20 orally; numbers 1-10 by sight; matching number and quantity to 5; big/small, tall/short; shapes; colours |
| General awareness (EVS) | Myself, my body, my family, fruits, vegetables, animals, birds, vehicles, festivals, good habits |
| Art and movement | Colouring, tearing and pasting, clay, dance, outdoor play |
The English syllabus for Nursery class in an English-medium school often moves faster on letters, while a Hindi-medium school spends more time on स्वर. Both are fine. Nursery class syllabus for half-yearly exams usually means oral checks and simple activity sheets, not written tests; many schools, following NCF-FS, assess by observation.
LKG syllabus for English, Hindi and maths
The LKG syllabus for kids (about age 4-5) builds on Nursery. CBSE and ICSE do not publish one fixed LKG syllabus; each school chooses its books and worksheets, and NCF-FS (Balvatika 2) is the national reference. A typical syllabus of LKG students includes:
| Subject | Typical LKG syllabus | Free game on this site |
|---|---|---|
| English | Letter names and sounds A-Z; capital and small letters; tracing and writing letters; first sounds; rhyming words; simple three-letter words by the end of the year in many schools | Phonics sounds, ABCD |
| Hindi | स्वर revision; व्यंजन (क to ज्ञ) with pictures; tracing letters; some two-letter words without matras | Ka kha ga |
| Maths | Counting 1-50 (some schools 1-100); writing 1-20; before, after and between; more/less; shapes; patterns; simple comparison | Counting 1 to 100, patterns |
| EVS / general awareness | Animals and their homes, plants, seasons, community helpers, transport, good habits, safety | Animals and their homes, good habits |
| Art, music and PE | Colouring inside lines, craft, rhymes with action, running and balance games | Colouring pages |
An LKG syllabus that asks four-year-olds to write long words or do sums on paper is running ahead of what NCF-FS expects. If your child is struggling with written work, it is usually the syllabus, not your child. Talk to the teacher and focus on oral work and play at home.
What should a 4 year old know for school or pre-K?
For a Nursery or LKG admission test, or for pre-K abroad, most schools look at simple things: can your child say their name, talk to a new adult, follow an instruction, hold a crayon, name some colours and play with others? Many schools now only hold an informal chat or play session. You do not need to drill answers. A child who is rested, fed and has chatted with you about "going to see a new school" will do fine.
Before starting school, the most useful things a 4 year old should know how to do are practical: use the toilet and wash hands alone, open their tiffin, put on shoes (Velcro is fine), ask for help, and cope with a goodbye.
How to teach a 4 year old at home
Four-year-olds learn best in short bursts of play with a grown-up. Try these nursery learning activities for 5-10 minutes a day:
- Sound walk. Name things that start with the same sound: क for कप, कमल, केला.
- Count and compare. Two piles of peanuts: which has more? Count to check.
- Pattern play. Make patterns with spoons and forks, then let your child continue.
- Story retell. After a story, ask "What happened first? Then? At the end?"
- Helper jobs. Sorting socks, counting plates and watering plants build maths and responsibility.
For short screen time, our games for 4 year olds cover phonics, ka kha ga, patterns and numbers, in Hindi and English, free and with no ads. IAP guidance for ages 2-5 is at most one hour of screens a day, with a grown-up; less is better.
When to talk to your paediatrician
The CDC advises acting early if your child is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills they once had, or you have other concerns. Talk to your paediatrician if, by around four, your child does not use sentences of four or more words, does not ask to play with other children, cannot catch a large ball most of the time, or loses words or skills at any age. In India, your government health centre or Anganwadi worker can also guide you to screening under RBSK. Asking early is always okay.
Next: what a 5 year old should know, with the UKG syllabus. The year before is covered in what a 3 year old should know.
