Key Takeaways

• Knowing the alphabet involves several skills. Singing the ABC song is different from recognising letters, knowing their sounds or writing them.
• Babies and toddlers prepare for literacy by talking, listening, singing, looking at books and playing with sounds.
• Some children notice letters at two or three, often starting with the first letter of their name. Others show little interest until later.
• There is no set number of letters a two- or three-year-old should know, and children don’t need to master the alphabet before school.
• In Foundation, the Australian Curriculum includes recognising and naming uppercase and lowercase letters and learning their most common sounds.
• Letter names and sounds make more sense when they’re used in real words, stories, rhymes, drawing and early attempts at writing.
• Alphabet charts, flashcards and songs are handy tools, but the real learning happens in the back-and-forth with an adult.

One child sings the alphabet song before their second birthday. Your niece didn’t pay much attention to letters until she started kinder. Your child spots every S on a shop sign at Coles but still muddles the ABC song.

When the differences are that obvious, it’s hard not to wonder: Should my child know more by now?

There isn’t one age when children suddenly “know the alphabet”. First they notice that print means something. Then they begin to recognise shapes, remember names and connect letters with sounds. Handwriting has its own timetable.

Here is what you might see from babyhood through the first year of school, what Australian children are actually expected to learn and a few low-pressure ways to help at home.

Quick Answer: When Do Kids Learn the Alphabet?

Children often start noticing letters between two and three, and their recognition and sound knowledge build through the preschool years. They don’t need to know the whole alphabet before school. In Australia, recognising and naming uppercase and lowercase letters and learning their most common sounds are part of the Foundation curriculum.

A child who can sing the ABC song has learnt the order of the letter names. That does not necessarily mean they can recognise each printed letter, connect it with a sound or write it. These abilities develop through different experiences and at different times.

Photo by Shichida Australia, here an instructor is showing some basic phonic cards to young children.

What Does It Mean to “Know the Alphabet”?

Parents and educators can mean several things when they say a child knows their ABCs.

Alphabet skill	What it looks like
Alphabet sequence	Singing or reciting A to Z in order
Letter recognition	Seeing M and knowing it is different from N or W
Letter naming	Looking at B and saying “bee”
Uppercase and lowercase matching	Knowing A and a are forms of the same letter
Letter–sound knowledge	Knowing b commonly represents /b/ as in ball
Phonological awareness	Hearing that ball and baby begin with the same spoken sound
Letter formation	Producing a recognisable letter by hand
Applying alphabet knowledge	Using letters and sounds while attempting to read or spell words

A child can be ahead in one area and still developing another. For example, they might name many capital letters but recognise few lowercase letters. They might hear that sun and sock begin alike but not yet know which printed letter represents /s/.

So the ABC song tells you only one small part of the story.

Letter Names, Letter Sounds and Phonics

Letter names and sounds are connected, but they are not the same.

• The letter B is called “bee”.
• Its most common sound is /b/, as in ball.
• Phonics teaches how written letters and letter groups represent the sounds used in spoken words.

English has 26 letters but around 44 speech sounds in Australian English, as outlined in the Australian Government-funded Literacy Hub’s phonemic-awareness resource. The same letter or letter group can also represent different sounds. The Literacy Hub’s phonics guide for families explains that phonics teaching begins with individual letters before moving to combinations such as ch, ee and ck.

An alphabet song or poster can introduce the 26 letters, but neither is a complete phonics program.

Alphabet Learning by Age

Use the ages below as a guide, not a checklist. A child’s language, development, interests and previous experience all shape what comes next.

Birth to 2 Years: Building Language Before Letter Knowledge

Babies and young toddlers are building the listening, attention and language skills that later literacy relies on.

At this age, the good stuff is very ordinary:

• hearing adults talk and respond to them
• listening to songs and nursery rhymes
• sharing sturdy picture books
• pointing to and naming familiar objects
• making and copying sounds
• scribbling once they become interested in mark-making

There is nothing wrong with pointing out a letter or singing the alphabet song. Just don’t feel you need to teach A to Z or quiz a baby. A shared book and a proper back-and-forth conversation will do far more at this age.

The Australian Government-supported Raising Children Network recommends talking, singing, sound games, reading, drawing and writing as everyday ways to build early literacy from infancy onwards.

Ages 2 to 3: First Interest in Familiar Letters

Some toddlers begin noticing that letters are meaningful symbols. Often, the first one they recognise is the capital letter at the beginning of their name.

You might notice your child:

• recognising their written name without being able to read it letter by letter
• pointing to a familiar letter on a sign or package
• singing parts of the ABC song
• matching two identical letters
• asking what a letter says or means
• pretending to write through lines, circles and scribbles

Plenty of typically developing two-year-olds show no interest in letters at all. There isn’t an evidence-based target for how many letters a child must know at two.

If your child is curious, follow their lead. “That’s M. Mum begins with M” is enough. This gives them the information without turning the moment into a test or overwhelming them.

Ages 3 to 4: Recognition Begins to Grow

During the preschool years, many children become more aware of the print around them. They may recognise several letters, especially those in their own name and other familiar words.

They might begin:

• identifying some uppercase and lowercase letters
• matching an uppercase letter with its lowercase partner
• connecting a few letters with their common sounds
• noticing words that begin with the same sound
• finding a chosen letter in a book
• making letter-like shapes or attempting to copy familiar letters

Knowing all 26 letters by the fourth birthday is really cool, but it doesn’t need to be the goal. Letters take time – and plenty of repetition – to become familiar. Some children can read at four, while others learn much later. There is a wide range of normal development. Keep showing your child that books, writing and learning can be fun. That is a far better foundation than rushing them through an alphabet checklist.

Ages 4 to 5: Connecting Letters, Sounds and Early Writing

Between four and five, many children take a more active interest in letters and words. They may begin using their alphabet knowledge when drawing, writing their name, looking at books or playing with magnetic letters.

You might see your child:

• naming a growing range of upper- and lowercase letters
• supplying common sounds for some letters
• identifying the first sound in familiar words
• finding letters within words and names
• attempting to write their name or short messages
• asking how to spell a word

The order varies. One child may know lots of letter names but only a few sounds. Another can hear the first sound in the word sun straight away, yet can’t remember what S looks like.

Children do not need complete alphabet mastery before school. Talking, sharing books and listening for sounds are all valuable preparation. However, a child who is already comfortable with written language and understands that letters represent sounds may find early literacy lessons more familiar and feel more confident joining in.

Foundation: Formal Alphabet and Phonics Teaching

Once children begin Foundation – called Prep in Victoria and Kindergarten in NSW – alphabet knowledge becomes part of formal English teaching.

The Australian Curriculum Version 9 Foundation content description AC9EFLY11 includes recognising and naming all uppercase and lowercase letters and knowing the most common sound each represents.

Should Children Learn the Alphabet in A-to-Z Order?

Children can learn to sing the alphabet in order, but phonics instruction does not usually teach letter–sound relationships from A through Z.

As the Literacy Hub explains, schools may teach letters that can quickly be combined into words, introduce short vowel sounds early and separate letters that look or sound similar.

Before school, your child’s name is an obvious place to begin.

Parent tip: Make a few large, clear labels together using your child’s name. Place them on their bedroom door, cupboard or chair, and point the name out naturally. Recognising their own name can be useful when they start Foundation, where names are often used to label cubbies, bag hooks, tables, trays and artwork.

What Does Research Say About Teaching Alphabet Knowledge?

The Australian Education Research Organisation’s early-literacy guide recommends activities that combine alphabet knowledge – letter names and sounds – with phonological awareness.

A meta-analysis of 37 alphabet-learning studies found that instruction improves the alphabet knowledge being directly taught. Letter-sound teaching had a stronger effect on letter-sound knowledge than teaching letter names alone, and alphabet instruction was more useful when connected with sound awareness.

What does that look like at home?

• show the written letter
• say its name and common sound clearly
• listen for that sound in spoken words
• find the letter again in meaningful print
• revisit it rather than expecting instant recall

Keep the letters among conversation, new words, books, songs, rhymes and drawing. A poster gives you something to point to; it can’t have the conversation for you.

This is where flashcards can really shine. In Shichida early learning classes, flashcards are paired with spoken language, songs and games to introduce letters and words in short, pressure-free bursts. Children see and hear these ideas again through other activities, giving recognition time to build naturally. Parents also see how the activities work and can use the same playful approach at home.

Photo by Shichida Australia, taken during a preschooler early learning class.

Seven Letter Activities That Don’t Feel Like a Lesson

1. Begin With Their Name

Find the first letter of your child’s name on a card, sign or alphabet chart. Add the rest of the name when they’re ready.

2. Show, Then Ask

Give the answer before you ask for it. Try, “This is S. It makes /s/ in sun.” Later, see whether your child can find S again.

3. Go on a Letter Hunt

Choose one familiar letter and look for it in books, food packaging, numberplates and shop signs.

4. Listen for First Sounds

Choose two objects with noticeably different first sounds. Say their names slowly and help your child listen for the first sound before connecting it with a letter.

5. Match Uppercase and Lowercase Letters

Start with a few pairs, such as M m, S s and T t. Avoid presenting all 52 shapes at once.

6. Use Movable Letters or Picture Cards

Cards and magnetic letters can be sorted, matched and placed beside familiar objects. Shichida Australia’s free ABC flashcards can be used for short matching and first-sound games.

7. Read and Talk Every Day

Alphabet knowledge is not a substitute for language. Share books, describe pictures, explain unfamiliar words and let your child tell you what they think is happening.

Where an Alphabet Chart Fits

An alphabet chart helps children see all 26 letters together and gives them somewhere to look when they are trying to find or compare a letter.

Look for:

• uppercase and lowercase pairs
• a clear, familiar font
• large letters with good spacing
• simple picture cues
• strong contrast without a distracting background

Check picture cues carefully. B for ball makes the common /b/ sound easy to hear. Traditional examples such as xylophone are less straightforward because the word begins with /z/, not the /ks/ sound commonly represented by x in box.

Shichida Australia’s Animal Alphabet Poster is a paid A2 laminated, waterproof poster with uppercase and lowercase letters and animal illustrations. It is made as a durable home reference for children from around six months to four years.

Use it for pointing, naming and letter hunts. Like any chart, it works best when someone uses it with the child instead of leaving it to become part of the wallpaper.

What About Learning to Write Letters?

Recognising a letter and forming it by hand are different skills. A child might know that M is the first letter of their name before they have the hand control to write it clearly.

When your child wants to write, start big:

• Trace the letter with a finger.
• Make it in the air.
• Form it with playdough or in sand.
• Copy a large version with a crayon.
• Move to smaller letters and pencils when the large shapes feel comfortable.

For more detailed writing guidance, see Learning to Write Alphabet Letters Using Activities, Worksheets and an Age Guide and pencil grip development.

Shichida Australia’s Alphabet Workbook is a more structured paid resource for children who are ready to work on letter formation.

When Should Parents Ask for Advice?

A toddler who doesn’t know letters isn’t automatically showing a developmental problem. Letters are only one piece of what you’re seeing.

It may be worth speaking with your child’s preschool educator, classroom teacher or GP if you also have concerns about:

• hearing or vision
• understanding or using spoken language
• speech sounds
• remembering skills that have been explicitly taught and practised
• ongoing difficulty following classroom literacy instruction
• frustration that is making reading or writing consistently distressing

For a school-aged child, start with the teacher. They know what has been taught, can see how your child manages in class and can tell you whether extra support may help.

How Letters and Language Appear in Shichida Classes

Alphabet work takes up only a small part of a Shichida lesson. Letters and phonics appear alongside songs, vocabulary, stories, memory activities, early numeracy, problem-solving and fine-motor tasks. With more than 20 short activities in a lesson, children are rarely doing one thing for long.

Photo by Shichida Australia, here a toddler is playing a category matching game alongside a parent. They briefly discuss each object before placing it in the category it belongs to.

Teachers show the material clearly and bring skills back again in later lessons. A child isn’t expected to answer correctly every time. Parents attend with children under five, so they can see which activities hold their child’s attention and borrow ideas for home.

Shichida doesn’t replace the phonics sequence taught at school, and it isn’t specialist literacy support. It gives young children a wider early learning class in which letters and sound awareness are included, without making them the whole lesson.

What About Numbers?

Written numbers take time too. The symbol 3 means more when a child can match it with three objects and count them.

Shichida Australia has math flash cards and other activities in its Free Resources collection.

Photo by Shichida Australia: A preschooler completes a maze, building problem-solving skills, pencil control and hand endurance – this makes later writing easier and less tiring for young children.

See How Your Child Responds to Shichida

There is no prize for rushing a young child through the alphabet. Let them hear plenty of language, show them letters clearly and bring familiar ideas back without making every encounter a quiz.

Shichida Australia runs fun weekly 50-minute parent-and-child classes from six months of age. Each lesson moves through 20–25 brief activities involving language, memory, concentration, early numeracy and problem-solving.

New enrolments are accepted up to age five, with centres across Sydney and Melbourne.

The best way to judge whether the pace and style suit your child is to see a class for yourself.

Book a Shichida trial class or learn more about Shichida Australia.

Key Takeaways

• W-sitting is a common floor position in which a child sits with their bottom between their feet and their legs forming a W.
• It can feel comfortable because young children naturally have more inward rotation through their thigh bones and hips.
• A 2024 systematic review found no evidence that W-sitting causes developmental hip dysplasia and no scientific basis for routinely prohibiting it.
• A 2020 study of 104 children found no meaningful difference in hip dysplasia between children who had W-sat and those who had not.
• Current evidence does not show that W-sitting causes in-toeing, flat feet, poor posture or weak core muscles.
• Occasional W-sitting is generally not a concern in a typically developing child who moves comfortably between different positions.
• Seek professional advice if your child has pain, difficulty changing position, loss of movement skills or broader concerns with mobility or development.

“Fix your legs.” “Sit properly.” “Don’t sit like a W.”

Many parents start correcting the W sitting position after hearing that it can damage a child’s hips, weaken their core or affect the way they walk. Search online and you will still find warnings that make an ordinary sitting habit sound dangerous.

However, the available research is far less alarming. A 2024 systematic review found no scientific evidence supporting routine advice against W-sitting and no association between the position and developmental hip dysplasia.

So why is the advice so divided – and what should you actually do when your child settles into that familiar W?

Quick Answer: Is the W-Sitting Position Bad for Children?

For most typically developing children, W-sitting is a normal and comfortable position. Current research does not show that it causes hip dysplasia, in-toeing, contractures or functional problems. You generally do not need to correct your child every time they W-sit.

Pay attention to your child’s overall movement rather than the position alone. Speak with a GP, child health nurse or paediatric physiotherapist if your child experiences pain, cannot move comfortably between positions, loses a skill or has other movement or developmental concerns.

This article provides general information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.

What Should Parents Do?

What you notice	What to do
Your child W-sits comfortably, changes positions and moves normally	There is usually no need to intervene.
Your child W-sits frequently but can comfortably use other positions	Offer varied play and sitting options without making W-sitting forbidden.
Your child has pain, cannot change position, moves asymmetrically or has lost a skill	Speak with a GP, child health nurse or paediatric physiotherapist.

What Is the W-Sitting Position?

In the W-sitting position, a child sits on the floor with:

• their bottom between their feet
• their knees bent in front of them
• their lower legs angled out beside their hips

Viewed from above, the legs form the shape of a W. The position is also sometimes called “television sitting”.

You might see your child W-sit while looking at a book, building with blocks, completing a puzzle or concentrating on another floor activity.

Why Do Children Sit in a W Position?

For many children, the simple answer is comfort.

Young children naturally have more inward rotation in their thigh bones than adults. This is known as femoral anteversion. It is a common developmental variation that generally reduces as children grow.

Children with greater inward hip rotation may find W-sitting more comfortable than sitting cross-legged. The position also gives them a wide base on the floor, allowing them to use their hands without having to make as many balance adjustments.

This does not automatically mean a child has weak muscles, poor balance or a developmental condition. Their anatomy may simply make the position easy to use at that stage.

W-Sitting Myths Versus Current Evidence

Advice about W-sitting has often been based on plausible-sounding mechanical theories rather than demonstrated long-term outcomes.

Common claim	What current evidence says
W-sitting causes hip dysplasia	The 2024 systematic review found no association between W-sitting and developmental hip dysplasia.
W-sitting causes or worsens in-toeing	Femoral anteversion can make both in-toeing and W-sitting more likely, but W-sitting has not been shown to cause bone rotation. Children’s Mercy states that W-sitting does not worsen femoral anteversion.
W-sitting causes flat feet or poor posture	Current research has not established that W-sitting causes either condition. Associations do not prove that the sitting position caused them.
W-sitting weakens the core	There is no good evidence that occasional W-sitting weakens a child’s core. Research in this area is limited, and one included muscle-activation study involved adults rather than children.
Every child should be stopped from W-sitting	The systematic review found no scientific evidence supporting routine prohibition of the position.

What the 2024 Systematic Review Found

The review searched five major research databases and included seven relevant studies. Its authors found that much of the existing evidence was limited or methodologically unable to show that W-sitting caused the problems attributed to it.

The review concluded that:

• W-sitting was not associated with developmental hip dysplasia
• there was no scientific evidence supporting advice to prohibit W-sitting
• the available evidence did not establish other orthopaedic deformities caused by the position
• more high-quality, long-term research is still needed

That final point is important. “No evidence of harm” does not mean every possible question has been studied perfectly. It means the confident warnings commonly given to parents are not supported by the available outcome evidence.

The strongest direct study of hips was published in 2020. Researchers reviewed hip and pelvic X-rays from 104 children and asked families about the children’s sitting habits. Hip dysplasia was found in 9% of children who currently or previously W-sat and 10% of those who had never W-sat – a difference that was not statistically significant. The researchers concluded that W-sitting was not associated with hip dysplasia.

A 2021 paediatric orthopaedic review reached a similar conclusion. It reported no scientific evidence that W-sitting leads to hip dislocation, contractures or functional deficits. In 2025, specialists at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles also advised that W-sitting is not a hip concern in typically developing children.

The International Hip Dysplasia Institute also describes W-sitting as normal for many children and states that it does not harm developing hips or contribute to hip dysplasia.

Why Do Some Professionals Still Advise Against W-Sitting?

Some physiotherapists and other clinicians still suggest limiting prolonged W-sitting. Their concerns often relate to the position’s wide base, reduced need for balance adjustments or theories about muscle use, posture and joint loading. These can be reasonable points to consider when assessing an individual child, especially one who already has pain, limited movement or a diagnosed condition.

However, a biomechanical theory is not the same as evidence that the position causes a lasting problem. The research available to date has not demonstrated the commonly claimed long-term harms in typically developing children. The most accurate advice is therefore not that W-sitting has been proven harmless in every possible circumstance, but that W-sitting alone is not a reason for parents to worry or repeatedly intervene.

The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America’s OrthoKids resource likewise notes that the belief that W-sitting is bad has not been proven. As with any sitting position, the wider picture – comfort, mobility, symmetry and development – is more informative than the shape of the legs at one moment.

Does W-Sitting Make In-Toeing Worse?

In-toeing means that one or both feet turn inward while a child walks. One common cause is femoral anteversion – the same natural thigh-bone rotation that can make W-sitting comfortable.

This shared anatomy can make the two appear together. That does not mean one caused the other.

Children’s Mercy explains that femoral anteversion usually improves naturally and that sitting in the W position does not worsen it. It reports that most cases correct as children grow, generally by around 10–12 years.

When W-Sitting Is Worth a Closer Look

The most useful question is not simply, “Does my child W-sit?” It is, “How does my child move overall?”

A child might W-sit while building a tower, kneel beside a table a few minutes later, sit with their legs forward to look at a book and then stand to run outside. In that pattern, W-sitting is one of many positions.

It is worth seeking professional advice if your child:

• experiences hip, knee, leg or back pain
• appears unable to move comfortably into or out of the position
• consistently uses one side of their body differently from the other
• avoids active play because movement seems difficult or uncomfortable
• loses a movement skill they previously used
• is not meeting expected gross motor milestones
• has other changes in walking, balance, coordination or movement that concern you

W-sitting by itself is not a diagnosis. These signs are reasons to discuss the broader movement pattern with a qualified professional.

Who Should Parents Speak To?

In Australia, a GP or child health nurse can be a useful first contact. They can consider your child’s overall health and development and refer you if a more detailed assessment is needed.

A paediatric physiotherapist can assess how your child sits, stands, walks, balances and moves between positions. An assessment does not mean something is necessarily wrong; it may simply provide reassurance or practical guidance suited to your child.

Photo by Shichida Australia, taken during a baby class.

Should You Stop Your Child From W-Sitting?

For an otherwise healthy child who occasionally W-sits and moves comfortably in other ways, current evidence does not support constantly correcting the position.

Repeated instructions to “fix your legs” can also interrupt a child who is concentrating on play. Rather than treating one position as forbidden, give your child natural opportunities to use a variety of positions and movements.

Alternative Floor Positions to Offer

You can occasionally set up an activity in a way that makes another position convenient:

Position	A simple way to use it
Cross-legged sitting	Place a book or puzzle directly in front of your child
Side sitting	Put toys slightly to one side so your child turns towards them
Long sitting	Sit with legs forward while rolling a ball back and forth
Kneeling or half-kneeling	Use a low table, couch or activity surface
Sitting on a small stool	Try drawing, sorting or fine motor play at a child-height table

These are options, not corrective exercises. If a position causes discomfort or your child physically cannot use it, do not force it. Ask a health professional for individual advice.

Photo by Shichida Australia, taken during a toddler class.

Movement, Coordination and Early Learning

Physical and cognitive development do not occur in completely separate worlds. A simple play activity can involve movement, attention, memory, language, problem-solving and fine motor control at the same time.

Shichida Australia’s guide to gross motor skills, developmental stages and milestones explains the larger movements involved in running, jumping, climbing and balancing. Its gross motor activities for preschoolers and guide to building gross motor skills through play provide additional age-appropriate ideas.

Looking for structured activities suited to your child’s age? Shichida is an early learning program for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Weekly parent-and-child classes use short activities involving music, memory, flashcards, language, thinking and hands-on learning. Book a class today!

How This Connects With Shichida Classes

Shichida classes are early learning classes, not physiotherapy. They do not treat W-sitting, in-toeing or postural concerns.

The connection is variety. In each weekly class, children take part in more than 20 short activities involving music, language, memory, early numeracy, problem-solving and hands-on tasks. The parent joins the class, helping children feel secure while seeing practical ways to support learning.

Toddler Classes are available for children aged one to three, while Kinder Classes are designed for children aged three to five. The program also begins with baby classes from six months old.

You can also find simple home activities in Shichida Australia’s motor skill games for children.

Photo by Shichida Australia, taken during a preschooler class.

Let Your Child Show You How They Learn

Most parents who notice W-sitting do not need to begin a correction routine. Look at the broader picture: Can your child move comfortably, use different positions and take part in active play without pain?

Shichida Australia offers weekly 50-minute parent-and-child classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers from six months old, with seven centres across Sydney and Melbourne. More than 20 brief activities give children different ways to listen, look, move, think and respond.

Sit in on a real class and see how your child approaches the activities. You may be surprised by what they can focus on, understand and remember.

Find your nearest Shichida centre or book a trial class.

Key Takeaways

• In the first five years, children’s brains form connections rapidly as they interact with the people and world around them.
• Young children learn through warm relationships, play, sensory experiences, language and repetition.
• A child may show what they know through recognition, imitation or action before they can explain it in words.
• Rich early experiences are valuable, but children do not need every moment filled with structured learning – it is best to strike a balance between guided play and free play.
• The Shichida Method brings several ways of learning together through short, varied activities shared by parent and child.

Young children learn continuously – through their relationships, senses, observation of adults and children around them, movement, play and repeated experiences. Their earliest years are also a time of particularly rapid brain development.

Understanding how young children learn can help you support your child without turning childhood into a race. It can also explain why early learning often looks very different from school.

Quick Answer: How Do Young Children Learn?

Young children learn through responsive relationships and active experiences. Talking, playing, reading, singing, moving and exploring allow them to connect new information with what they already know. Repetition strengthens these connections, while warm interaction helps children feel secure enough to take an interest, participate and try again.

During the first five years, this learning happens alongside rapid brain development. Children might recognise, imitate or use something they have learned before they can describe their understanding in words.

Why Are the First Five Years Important for Child Development?

Development includes much more than physical growth. It also covers language, thinking, movement, behaviour, emotions and social skills – and these areas influence one another.

The Raising Children Network explains that children’s brains develop connections faster in the first five years than at any other time. HealthyWA similarly describes the first five years as a particularly important period of brain development.

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University reports that more than one million new neural connections can form every second during the first few years. Early experiences help shape which connections become stronger and more efficient. This ability of the brain to change in response to experience is known as brain plasticity.

This does not mean the first five years determine everything or that learning stops at a certain birthday. The brain continues to develop and change throughout life. The early years provide important foundations upon which later skills can be built.

Photo by Shichida Australia, taken during a baby early learning class.

The Main Ways Young Children Learn

Young children do not separate learning into subjects in the way older students do. One simple activity can involve language, movement, memory, problem-solving and social interaction at the same time.

Through Relationships and Interaction

For babies and young children, learning begins within relationships. When your baby looks, babbles or gestures and you respond, they begin learning about communication, emotion and cause and effect.

These back-and-forth exchanges also help children feel safe and connected. Security does not guarantee that a child will participate in every activity, but it creates a strong setting for curiosity, attention and learning.

Through Their Senses and Movement

Young children use their whole bodies to investigate the world. They listen to voices and music, watch faces, handle objects, notice patterns and test what their bodies can do.

Sensory experiences become more useful when they are connected to interaction and meaning. A song with actions, for example, can combine sound, language, rhythm, memory, movement and shared enjoyment.

Through Play

Play gives children opportunities to observe, experiment, make choices and solve problems. Stacking blocks can develop coordination and spatial awareness. Pretend play can build language and flexible thinking. A simple game of taking turns can involve memory, self-control and social understanding.

Children also need room to follow their interests and attempt things independently. Adult guidance is valuable, but so is the chance to test an idea, make a mistake and try another way.

Through Repetition and Variety

Young children often want the same book, song or game again and again. Repetition helps them become familiar with sounds, words, movements and sequences. Each encounter can add another layer of understanding.

Variety is useful too. Seeing the idea of a circle in a picture, a plate, a wheel and a drawing helps a child apply the concept beyond one example. Effective early learning often combines familiar repetition with new ways to use a skill.

By Recognising Before They Can Explain

A toddler might identify an animal, remember a melody or follow a familiar sequence without being able to explain how they know it. This does not mean the learning is incomplete.

Language takes time to develop. Before children can give a verbal explanation, they may show their understanding by looking, pointing, choosing, copying, anticipating or using what they know in a new situation.

That is why observing what a child does can tell you more than repeatedly asking them to produce the correct answer.

Photo by Shichida Australia, showing toddlers during musical play.

7 Signs Your Young Child May Be Learning

Progress can be subtle, particularly for babies and toddlers who cannot yet describe what they understand. The following behaviours can be possible signs that your child is noticing, remembering or applying something they have experienced.

1. They Anticipate What Comes Next

Your baby moves when a familiar action song begins. Your toddler looks towards the page where a favourite animal appears. Your preschooler prepares for the next step in a repeated game.

Anticipation can show that a child remembers a sequence and is beginning to predict what will happen next.

2. They Ask for the Same Activity Again

Adults often crave novelty, but young children commonly return to the same book, song, puzzle or pretend game. Each repetition gives them another opportunity to notice details, practise a response and become more confident.

Wanting to repeat something does not necessarily mean your child needs a harder activity. They may still be building understanding through familiarity.

3. They Copy Something Later

A child might not imitate an action when you first demonstrate it. Hours or days later, you may see the same action appear during play.

This delayed imitation can show that your child observed, remembered and retrieved the experience when it became relevant to them.

4. They Recognise an Idea in a New Setting

Recognising a circle on a worksheet is one step. Noticing circles in a plate, a wheel and a clock shows that the child is beginning to connect the concept across different examples.

This ability to use knowledge beyond the original activity is an important part of learning.

5. They Notice When Something Changes

Your child corrects a familiar lyric, notices that a picture is missing or pauses when the usual order changes. These reactions can show that they have formed a mental expectation and recognised the difference.

6. They Use What They Know During Play

Children often practise new language, ideas and social situations through play. A child serving pretend food, counting toy cars or retelling part of a story is bringing previous experiences into something they control.

This is one reason play can reveal understanding that does not appear when a child is questioned directly.

7. Their Participation Changes Over Time

Progress might look like watching for a little longer, joining one part of a song, attempting a task independently or returning after an unsuccessful try.

The change may be gradual. Looking across several weeks often gives a clearer picture than expecting an immediate result from one activity.

Photo by Shichida Australia, showing preschoolers playing a literacy game.

How Learning May Look at Different Ages

The following examples are a guide, not a developmental checklist. Use them as ideas for observing and interacting with your child rather than testing what they can do.

Age	Learning may look like	Try this for five minutes
6–12 months	Looking, reaching, responding to voices and anticipating familiar actions	Repeat a short action song and pause before a familiar movement
1–2 years	Pointing, copying, matching and using early words or gestures	Name objects as your child places them into a container
2–3 years	Sorting, pretending, following simple sequences and repeating phrases	Sort safe household objects by colour, type or size
3–4 years	Asking questions, recalling events and using ideas during pretend play	Put three pictures or events into a simple sequence
4–5 years	Explaining choices, following more steps and applying familiar rules in new ways	Make a prediction, test it together and discuss what happened

Photo by Shichida Australia, taken during a toddler early learning class.

What Does Shichida Mean by the Golden Period?

The Shichida Method was developed in Japan by Professor Makoto Shichida. Within the Method, the Golden Period refers to the particularly receptive first three years of life. Shichida Australia’s explanation of the Golden Period connects this stage with rapid development and children’s responsiveness to early experiences.

A Note About “Right-Brain Learning”

Shichida has historically used the term right-brain learning for intuitive, image-based and creative activities. This is language from the Shichida philosophy, not a claim that children learn with only one half of their brain. Modern neuroscience understands that both hemispheres work together across most complex activities.

In practice, Shichida’s approach is broader than a right-versus-left division. Shichida lessons combine memory, language, numeracy, creativity, movement, fine motor tasks, social interaction and emotional development. You can also read how Shichida compares with other early childhood education philosophies.

Interested in how this looks in practice? Try a Shichida Early learning Class – you and your child will love it! Perfect for ages 6 months to 5 years old. Book a class here.

How Shichida Classes Apply These Ideas

Shichida classes are planned around the understanding that young children can engage with many kinds of information when it is presented in brief, age-appropriate ways.

In a weekly 50-minute class, children move through a carefully ordered series of activities. Depending on their age and stage, these may include:

• songs, rhythm and movement
• vocabulary and language activities
• early literacy and numeracy
• Flashcards
• memory and matching games
• image and visualisation activities
• fine motor and problem-solving tasks
• relaxation and breathing
• Intuition Training

The pace comes from variety, not pressure. Activities change before they become drawn out, and skills are revisited in increasingly advanced ways as children progress through the program.

For children under five, a parent attends and participates. This gives the child reassurance and allows the parent to see how activities are presented, notice how their child responds and take useful ideas into everyday life.

What Learning Can Look Like in Class

Learning does not always look like sitting still, answering aloud or completing an activity perfectly.

A baby may watch briefly and respond to the same song weeks later. A toddler may look away but still anticipate what comes next. A preschooler may choose the correct answer without being able to explain their reasoning. Another child may need more repetition before their understanding becomes visible.

These responses are not identical, because children develop at different rates and show their learning in different ways. Teachers therefore look for progress over time rather than expecting immediate proof after every activity.

Photo by Shichida Australia, taken during a preschooler early learning class.

Simple Ways to Support Early Learning at Home

You can:

• talk about what you are doing during meals, bath time and travel
• respond when your baby looks, sounds or gestures towards something
• read together and let your child point, turn pages or join familiar words
• sing songs with rhythm, rhyme and actions
• count real objects as you tidy, cook or shop
• offer drawing, puzzles, construction and simple sorting activities
• provide time for active, sensory and imaginative play
• repeat favourite activities while occasionally adding a new challenge
• follow your child’s interest instead of testing them at every opportunity
• keep structured activities short and finish before they become stressful

The goal is to provide a warm, responsive environment with plenty of opportunities to communicate, play, practise and participate.

What If My Child Is Already Older Than Five?

No worries – they have not missed their chance to learn. Children continue developing throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Each stage of child development brings different strengths and opportunities.

Older children generally become better able to use language, plan, reason, reflect and work through more complex steps. Early childhood is an important foundation, not a deadline or a guarantee of later outcomes.

Understanding the first five years should help parents recognise and support early learning – not create anxiety, comparison or pressure.

Photo by Shichida Australia, taken during a Shichida kinder early learning class.

See How Your Child Responds to Shichida

Shichida Australia offers weekly parent-and-child classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers from six months old. Each 50-minute class brings together more than 20 brief activities designed to build skills such as memory, concentration, language, numeracy, problem-solving and confidence.

A trial lets you sit in on a real class with your child, take part in the activities and see how they respond. Find your nearest Shichida centre or book a trial class.

Key Takeaways

• The average IQ score for a child is 100. Tests are adjusted by age, so children are compared with other children of the same age.
• Around two-thirds of children score between 85 and 115. This is commonly described as the average range.
• A percentile is different from a percentage. A score at the 75th percentile does not mean the child answered 75% of the questions correctly.
• One score should not be interpreted in isolation. A child’s index scores, development, learning history and day-to-day functioning provide important context.
• IQ does not capture the whole child. Creativity, motivation, emotional intelligence, confidence, curiosity and social skills are not fully measured by a standard IQ test.

An IQ score can look very precise, but what does the number actually tell you about your child?

IQ score ranges for children show how a child performed on a standardised set of cognitive tasks compared with other children of the same age. They can provide useful information about areas such as reasoning, memory and problem-solving, but they cannot measure every kind of ability or predict a child’s future.

Quick Answer: What Are the IQ Score Ranges for Children?

On many widely used IQ tests, the average score is set at 100. Around 68% of children score between 85 and 115. A score of 130 is approximately at the 98th percentile, while a score of 70 is approximately at the 2nd percentile.

These ranges describe performance on a particular test. They are not grades, pass-or-fail results or complete measures of a child’s potential.

Child IQ Score Chart

The table below shows a commonly used distribution for tests with an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.

These percentages and percentiles are approximate. Tests and organisations may use different names or cut-off points for score ranges. Pearson notes that qualitative labels are suggested ways of communicating results rather than evidence-based descriptions of a child.

How Does the IQ Bell Curve Work?

IQ scores are commonly arranged along a bell-shaped curve. Most scores sit near the centre, with progressively fewer scores at the higher and lower ends.

The centre of the curve is 100. On tests using a standard deviation of 15:

• Around 68% of children score within 15 points of 100: between 85 and 115.
• Around 95% score within 30 points of 100: between 70 and 130.
• Only a small percentage score below 70 or at 130 and above.

This is a comparison with the test’s norm group. It does not mean that children near the centre are all alike or that children outside the centre will have the same strengths, needs or experiences.

IQ Score and Percentile Chart for Children

A percentile tells you where a score sits in relation to same-age children in the test’s comparison group.

For example, an IQ score of 120 is approximately at the 91st percentile. This means the result was equal to or higher than the results of roughly 91% of same-age children in the norm group. It does not mean the child answered 91% of the test correctly.

Why Is the Average IQ 100 at Every Age?

Children do not need to reach a higher IQ number as they get older. IQ tests are age-normed, which means a child’s performance is compared with the performance of children in the same age group.

A five-year-old and a ten-year-old can both receive an IQ score of 100, even though the older child completes more advanced tasks. In each case, 100 indicates performance close to the average for that child’s age.

This is why an age-by-age list showing a different “ideal IQ” for each birthday would be misleading. You can read more in our guide Average IQ for kids by age.

What Does Each Child IQ Score Range Mean?

IQ Below 70

A score below 70 indicates that a child performed significantly below most same-age children on the cognitive skills measured by that test. It may lead a psychologist to look more closely at the child’s learning and support needs.

However, an IQ score alone does not diagnose an intellectual disability. Assessment also considers adaptive functioning – how a child manages communication, social understanding, self-care and everyday tasks – as well as developmental history and other evidence. The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities states that both intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour must be considered.

Parents should discuss a result in this range with the psychologist who completed the assessment rather than drawing conclusions from the number alone.

IQ From 70 to 84

This range is below the statistical average, but it does not automatically mean that a child has a learning disability or intellectual disability.

The child may benefit from extra support in particular areas, or the full assessment may reveal a mixed profile. For example, verbal reasoning may be stronger than working memory or processing speed. Language background, attention, anxiety, fatigue and the suitability of the assessment can also affect performance.

The most useful question is not simply, “Is this score low?” It is, “What does the full assessment tell us about how this child learns and what support would help?”

IQ From 85 to 115

Most children score within this broad average range. A score here means the child’s overall performance was reasonably close to that of most children their age.

An average Full-Scale IQ does not mean that every skill is average. A child may have strong visual reasoning alongside weaker processing speed, or strong verbal skills alongside difficulty holding information in working memory. Looking at the individual index scores can provide more useful information than the overall number.

Children within this range can also have specific learning difficulties, advanced abilities, creative strengths or emotional needs that are not apparent from the total score.

IQ From 116 to 129

A score between 116 and 129 is above the average range. It suggests that the child performed more strongly than most same-age children across the tasks contributing to the score.

This may appear in everyday learning as quick pattern recognition, strong reasoning or an ability to understand new ideas with less repetition. However, children with similar overall scores can still have very different profiles.

An above-average result should not become pressure to perform. Children still need appropriate challenge, room to make mistakes, emotional support and time for play.

IQ of 130 or Above

An IQ score of 130 is approximately at the 98th percentile and is often used as one indicator of giftedness. Requirements for gifted programs vary, and some use different thresholds or consider achievement, creativity, teacher observations and other evidence.

The National Association for Gifted Children recommends using multiple forms of assessment rather than relying on one test score. A high IQ result can help identify learning needs, but it does not describe a child’s personality, emotional development, motivation or abilities in every area.

What Skills Do Children’s IQ Tests Measure?

The exact tasks depend on the assessment and the child’s age. Widely used Wechsler assessments can provide information across areas such as:

• verbal comprehension
• visual-spatial thinking
• fluid reasoning
• working memory
• processing speed

A Full-Scale IQ combines performance across selected tasks into one overall score. Psychologists may also report separate index scores. These can show whether a child’s abilities are relatively even or whether there are meaningful differences between areas.

In Australia and New Zealand, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV A&NZ) is designed for children aged 2 years 6 months to 7 years 7 months. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V A&NZ) covers ages 6 years to 16 years 11 months. Both must be used and interpreted by appropriately qualified professionals.

How Reliable Is an IQ Score for a Young Child?

Age-appropriate cognitive assessments are available for preschool-aged children, but results in the early years need careful interpretation.

Young children are developing rapidly and may respond differently depending on their language, attention, comfort with the examiner, health, tiredness or mood. The National Association for Gifted Children notes that accurate IQ determinations can be difficult before age six and recommends considering observations, parent and teacher information, interviews and other evidence.

A formal report may also include a confidence interval around the score. This reflects the fact that an IQ result is an estimate, not a perfectly exact measurement. The Australian Psychological Society recommends interpreting a student’s pattern of strengths and weaknesses rather than focusing on a single test score.

Can a Child’s IQ Score Change?

A child’s score can differ when they are assessed again, particularly during the early years. This does not necessarily mean that a child has suddenly become more or less intelligent.

Differences may reflect development, the test used, the interval between assessments, changes in learning opportunities or factors affecting the child during either assessment. Practice effects can also influence results if the same test is repeated too soon.

For parents, the more useful focus is whether the assessment leads to suitable support. A score should help adults understand a child’s current learning profile; it should not become a permanent label.

What an IQ Score Does Not Measure

An IQ test measures specific cognitive abilities under standardised conditions. It does not fully measure:

• creativity and imagination
• emotional intelligence
• empathy and social understanding
• motivation and persistence
• confidence
• practical abilities
• artistic or musical ability
• curiosity and love of learning

These qualities can strongly influence how children learn, form relationships, respond to challenges and apply their abilities in daily life.

Shichida Australia offers parent-child early learning classes for families in Australia, using the Shichida Method for fun learning experiences.

Photo by Shichida Australia – children and parents completing educational activities together during a fun early learning class.

When Might a Child Need Cognitive Assessment?

Parents may consider speaking with a qualified psychologist when:

• a child is having persistent learning difficulties
• there is a large difference between apparent ability and school performance
• a teacher or health professional has raised developmental concerns
• advanced learning needs are not being met
• an assessment is required to plan appropriate educational support

The reason for testing should be clear. A comprehensive assessment usually draws on more than one source, including developmental history, interviews, observation, school information and standardised measures.

Online quizzes and informal activities cannot provide a clinically valid IQ score. If you want to understand your child’s learning needs, speak with a registered psychologist experienced in child assessment. Read our IQ Test for Kids: A Comprehensive Guide for more information about the process.

How Can Parents Support Cognitive Development?

Parents do not need to train children for IQ tests. Everyday experiences can support the abilities children use for learning:

• Read together and talk about the story.
• Make room for questions and help your child think through possible answers.
• Use puzzles, blocks, sorting, drawing and memory games.
• Let your child attempt age-appropriate problems before stepping in.
• Talk through sequences such as getting dressed, following a recipe or preparing for an outing.
• Support healthy routines, including sleep, active play and balanced meals.
• Help your child name emotions, recover from mistakes and try again.
• Notice effort, strategies and progress rather than comparing scores.
• Choose a weekly activity to do together – this creates routine and time set aside for each other.

The goal is not to chase a higher IQ score number, but to build a broad base of cognitive, emotional and practical skills that children can use across learning and life.

Photo by Shichida Australia – preschoolers attempting a tangram puzzle challenge.

Support Early Cognitive and Emotional Development

At Shichida Australia, weekly parent-and-child classes use varied, age-appropriate activities to build memory, concentration, language, problem-solving, confidence and emotional skills.

The program takes a whole-child approach, supporting both IQ and EQ as part of the broader developmental picture.

Shichida offers fun early learning classes across Sydney and Melbourne for children aged 6 months to 5 years. Children who enrol before age 5 can continue into the Primary School Program up to age 9.

Key Takeaways

• Most babies take their baby’s first steps between 9 and 18 months, and this wide range is completely normal.
• The journey to baby walking is more important than the age it happens. Pulling up, cruising, standing and balancing all build the skills needed for walking.
• The safest way to support your baby as they learn to walk is to let your baby hold your finger at shoulder height rather than lifting both arms overhead.
• Sit-in baby walkers are not recommended. A sturdy push toy provides a safer way to practise walking.
• Barefoot indoor play gives your baby valuable sensory feedback that supports balance and coordination.
• Walking develops through everyday play, exploration and repetition, not through pressure or formal practice.
• Speak with your Maternal and Child Health nurse or GP if your baby is not walking by 18 months or shows other developmental concerns.

“Should my baby be walking by now?”

It’s a question many parents ask, especially when other children seem to be reaching milestones sooner or your little one is happily cruising along the furniture but not taking independent steps yet.
The truth is that babies learn to walk at different ages. While many take their first steps around their first birthday, it’s completely normal for healthy babies to start walking anytime between 9 and 18 months.
Walking isn’t just about that first step. Before it happens, your baby develops the strength, balance and coordination needed through milestones like sitting, crawling, pulling up and cruising.
Understanding these milestones can help you recognise your baby’s progress, support their development with confidence, avoid common mistakes, and know when it may be worth speaking with a health professional.

Quick Answer

Most babies take their first independent steps between 9 and 18 months, with the average around 12 months. Before walking, babies usually pull themselves up, cruise along furniture and briefly stand without support. You can encourage healthy walking by providing plenty of floor time, creating opportunities for balance-building play, letting your baby hold your finger rather than lifting both hands overhead, and allowing them to practise at their own pace.

When Do Babies Take Their First Steps?

One of the biggest concerns parents have is whether their baby is “on time” for walking. Fortunately, there isn’t a single age that’s considered normal.
Most babies begin baby walking sometime between 9 and 18 months, with many taking their first independent steps around 12 months. This broad range reflects the fact that every child develops differently.
Your baby’s walking timeline isn’t a race or a prediction of future abilities. It’s simply one part of their unique developmental journey.

The Typical Age Range for First Steps

Although many milestone charts mention the first birthday as a common age for walking, it’s important to remember that this is only an average.
Some babies confidently walk at 10 months. Others are perfectly content crawling until 16 or 17 months before suddenly taking off. As long as your baby continues making progress with other gross motor milestones for babies, this variation is usually nothing to worry about.
Even babies who skip crawling altogether can develop normal walking skills. Rather than following one exact sequence, babies often find their own way to becoming mobile.

Why Walking Timing Varies So Much

Several everyday factors influence when babies take their first steps.
Some babies are naturally adventurous and eager to explore. Others are more cautious and prefer to perfect one skill before trying the next.
Other influences include:

• opportunities for floor play
• body proportions and muscle strength
• spending time barefoot indoors
• having older siblings to copy
• home environments that encourage movement and exploration

These differences are completely normal and don’t reflect parenting quality.

First Steps Don’t Predict Future Skill

It’s easy to compare your baby with friends, cousins or children on social media.
However, early walkers are not necessarily more intelligent, more coordinated or more athletic later in life. Likewise, a baby who starts walking at 16 or 17 months isn’t automatically behind.
Walking is simply one milestone among many. Your baby’s language, social development, curiosity and confidence all continue to grow alongside their physical skills.
Instead of comparing timelines, celebrate your child’s own progress. Each new movement is another step towards greater independence.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies playing drums during a Shichida baby class, building coordination, sensory awareness and confidence through music and movement.

Signs Your Baby Is Getting Ready to Walk

Parents often focus on the magical moment of those first independent steps, but there’s actually a whole series of pre-walking milestones that happen beforehand.
These smaller achievements build the strength, coordination and confidence needed for walking. The order isn’t always identical for every baby, but each stage supports the next.

Pulling Up to Stand

Around 8 to 10 months, many babies begin pulling themselves upright using furniture, your legs or the side of the cot.
This is an exciting milestone because it strengthens the hips, legs and core muscles while helping your baby learn how to shift their weight into a standing position.

Cruising Along Furniture

A cruising baby moves sideways while holding onto furniture.
Usually seen between 9 and 12 months, cruising teaches balance, side-to-side weight shifting and foot placement. Although it may look like simple shuffling, it’s actually an important stage that prepares babies for independent walking.
Many babies spend several weeks or even months happily cruising before they feel ready to let go.

Standing Independently for a Few Seconds

Before walking independently, your baby may suddenly let go of the furniture without realising it.
They might stand for two or three seconds, grin proudly, then quickly sit back down.
These brief moments show that your baby is beginning to trust their balance. Expect plenty of wobbling, arm waving and dramatic sitting down. It’s all part of learning.

Walking with Push Toys or Holding a Finger

Between 10 and 14 months, many babies begin walking with light support.
A sturdy push toy allows your baby to control their own movement while practising stepping. Likewise, gently holding your finger gives them just enough confidence without taking over their balance.
The goal isn’t to hold your baby’s weight but to let them gradually learn how to control it themselves.

First Independent Steps

Finally comes the milestone every parent remembers.
Your baby’s first steps are usually:

• wide-legged
• slow and wobbly
• arms held high for balance
• followed by plenty of falls

These early attempts rarely look graceful, and that’s exactly how they’re supposed to look.
Each wobble helps your baby’s brain develop better balance, coordination and body awareness. With practice, those uncertain little steps gradually become confident walking.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies completing knob puzzles in a Shichida baby class, developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving and concentration.

How to Support Your Baby While They Learn to Walk

As your little one becomes more adventurous, it’s natural to want to help. However, one of the most common mistakes parents make is also one of the least talked about.
Many parents instinctively hold both of their baby’s hands above their head and walk them around the room. While well intended, this isn’t the safest or most effective way to be walking while holding your baby’s hand.

Why Overhead Hand-Holding Isn’t Ideal

Your baby’s shoulder joints and ligaments are still developing. Holding both hands high overhead places unnecessary strain on these joints, especially if your child stumbles or suddenly pulls away.
A sharp upward tug can sometimes contribute to nursemaid’s elbow, an injury where the elbow joint partially slips out of place. Although treatable, it’s something parents can often avoid by changing how they provide support.
Walking with both arms raised also changes your baby’s posture. Instead of learning to balance over their own feet, they tend to lean backwards into your support, making it harder to develop natural balance.

The Better Way: Let Your Baby Hold Your Finger

Rather than gripping both of their hands, offer a single finger or thumb at about shoulder height or slightly lower. Your baby naturally holds on while keeping one arm free to help with balance.
This simple adjustment:

• keeps the shoulder in a more natural position
• reduces unnecessary pulling on the joints
• encourages better posture
• allows your baby to practise balancing independently

Remember, your finger is there for reassurance rather than support.

Supporting from the Hips or Torso

Another helpful option is to squat behind your baby and gently steady them around the hips or torso.
Supporting from behind encourages your baby to shift their weight forward, which is exactly what happens during natural walking. It also allows them to decide when to step, pause or sit down.
Avoid lifting under the arms for long periods, as this can prevent your baby from learning how to control their own balance.

When to Step Back Entirely

Once your baby can confidently take two or three independent steps, try to resist offering constant support.
Those tiny wobbles are where learning happens.
Each time your baby catches themselves after losing balance, their brain is strengthening the pathways responsible for coordination, posture and movement planning.
Sometimes the best way to help is simply to stay close, smile and let them keep trying.
Key takeaway: If you’re holding your baby’s hands above their head while walking, try offering one finger at shoulder height instead. It protects developing joints while encouraging healthier balance and movement.

Image by Shichida Australia: Baby’s first steps begin long before walking. Through music, sensory play and parent-child interaction, babies build the balance, coordination and confidence that prepare them for independent movement.

Balance and Coordination Activities to Support Walking

Walking is not simply about building stronger legs. It also depends on balance, body awareness, core strength and confidence.
The good news is that you can help your baby develop these skills naturally through play.
Before your baby begins pulling themselves up and moving around furniture, make sure the area is safe. Cover sharp edges with soft corner protectors and secure any furniture or objects that could tip over or fall onto them.

Cruising Practice Along Low Furniture

Arrange sturdy furniture such as a sofa, coffee table and ottoman to create a safe cruising path.
Place favourite toys a short distance apart so your baby is motivated to move sideways while holding on.

Push-Toy Walking

A sturdy weighted push toy gives your baby the opportunity to practise walking while staying in control.
Unlike sit-in baby walkers, push toys allow children to stop, steer and balance independently.

Barefoot Floor Time

One of the easiest balance and coordination activities is simply allowing your baby to play barefoot indoors.
Bare feet help your baby feel the floor beneath them, giving valuable sensory information that supports balance and foot strength.

Squat and Stand Play

Place toys on the floor and others on a low table or couch.
Moving between squatting and standing strengthens the hips, legs and core while improving balance.

Stepping Over Soft Obstacles

Once your baby begins walking confidently, lay rolled towels or pool noodles on the floor.
Stepping over them encourages coordination, balance and careful foot placement.

Standing While Playing

Encourage your baby to stand at a child-sized activity table or low couch while exploring books, puzzles or blocks.
Standing for play naturally strengthens the postural muscles needed for walking.

Music and Movement

Hold your baby gently around the hips and sway together while listening to music.
These playful movements stimulate the vestibular system inside the inner ear, which plays an important role in balance.

Explore Different Surfaces

As your baby’s confidence grows, let them walk across grass, rugs, wooden floors and playground surfaces.
Experiencing different textures helps develop balance, coordination and body awareness.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies following a puppet during a Shichida baby class, supporting field of vision, visual tracking, attention and sensory development.

What to Avoid: Baby Walkers and Other Common Mistakes

Sometimes knowing what not to do is also valuable.

Why Sit-In Baby Walkers Aren’t Recommended

Despite their popularity, sit-in baby walkers are discouraged by Kidsafe Australia and the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
Research has linked them with falls, especially down stairs, and they can encourage babies to walk on their toes while placing them in positions they’re not developmentally ready to manage.
A sturdy push toy is a much safer alternative.

Avoid Overhead Hand-Holding

Remember that holding both hands above your baby’s head can strain developing shoulder joints and interfere with natural balance.
A single finger at shoulder height is the better option.

Don’t Rush Shoes

Inside the home, barefoot is usually best.
Once your baby is walking outdoors, choose lightweight, flexible shoes that protect their feet without restricting natural movement.

Don’t Compare Babies

One baby may walk at 10 months while another waits until 17 months. Both can be completely healthy. Remember that development is not a competition.

When to Speak to Your Child Health Nurse or GP

Although variation is normal, it’s worth seeking advice if your baby:

• isn’t pulling to stand by around 12 months
• isn’t bearing weight through their legs by 12 months
• isn’t walking independently by 18 months
• shows a noticeable difference between one side of the body and the other
• continues persistent toe walking after walking becomes established
• loses skills they had previously gained

Your Maternal and Child Health nurse or GP can assess your child’s development and recommend further support if needed.

Image from Pexels: Baby’s first steps are easier to master when your child takes the lead. Offering a finger for support, rather than lifting both hands overhead, encourages natural balance and healthy walking development.

First Steps Safety: Childproofing for a New Walker

Walking opens an exciting new world, but it also introduces new safety risks.
Before your baby becomes fully mobile:

• anchor tall furniture and televisions to the wall
• install safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs
• cushion sharp furniture corners
• keep medications, cleaning products and small objects out of reach
• check baby gates regularly to ensure they’re securely latched
• supervise closely around kitchens, bathrooms and water

A few simple adjustments help create a safe environment for confident exploration.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies watching an oversized abacus during a counting song in a Shichida baby class, supporting early number awareness, visual attention and listening skills.

Supporting Your Baby’s Whole Development with Shichida

Your baby’s first steps are part of a much bigger developmental journey. During the first 1,000 days, movement, sensory awareness, communication, memory, emotional connection and curiosity all develop alongside one another.
Shichida Australia’s early learning classes take a whole-child approach, using engaging, age-appropriate activities to support these important areas of development. Whether your baby is beginning to pull themselves up, cruising along furniture or confidently walking, each new stage creates opportunities to learn, connect and build confidence.
Support your baby’s early development through weekly parent-and-child classes at Shichida Australia. Book a trial class at your nearest centre.

Searching for a preschool in Melbourne often starts with one simple question: which option is right for my child?

One provider talks about kindergarten, another calls itself an Early Learning Centre, and then there are long day care services and enrichment programs like Shichida. After comparing a few websites, it’s easy to wonder what each option actually offers and which one is the right fit for your child.

That’s exactly what this guide is here to help with.

You’ll learn how preschool works in Melbourne, what to look for when comparing different programs, and where Shichida fits into your child’s early learning journey.

Before going any further, it is worth clarifying that Shichida Australia offers a different model of early education from preschool, kindergarten and childcare. It provides a structured weekly program supporting cognitive, emotional, social, sensory and physical development. For some families, it is their child’s main structured early learning experience before school. For others, it works alongside kindergarten, childcare or home learning.

Quick Answer

Preschools in Melbourne typically refer to government-funded 3-Year-Old and 4-Year-Old Kindergarten, private Early Learning Centres (ELCs), and kindergarten programs delivered within long day care. Shichida Australia offers a distinct early learning model through structured weekly classes supporting sensory, cognitive, emotional and physical development. Children can begin from six months of age and must start before age five to continue through the Primary School Program up to age nine.

When comparing preschools in Melbourne, parents should consider the teaching approach, class size, schedule, parent involvement and the type of learning environment offered.

Understanding Preschool in Melbourne: Terminology Made Simple

If you’ve been comparing different providers, you’ve probably noticed that the words preschool, kindergarten, ELC, and childcare are often used interchangeably.

That can make choosing the right program surprisingly confusing.

In Victoria, though, these services aren’t exactly the same. Understanding the difference will help you compare your options more confidently and avoid choosing a program based on its name alone.

Most early childhood services also follow the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), which recognises that young children learn best through play, relationships, and everyday experiences.

3-Year-Old Kindergarten (3YO Kinder)

If your child is approaching their third birthday, 3-Year-Old Kindergarten is likely to be one of the first options you’ll consider.

These government-supported programs usually run for between five and fifteen hours each week, depending on the provider. Rather than introducing formal lessons, your child learns through play while building confidence, communication skills, independence, and friendships.

For many children, it’s also their first chance to become part of a group learning environment.

4-Year-Old Kindergarten (4YO Kinder)

The year before your child starts Prep, they’ll usually move into 4-Year-Old Kindergarten.

Although learning is still play-based, there’s a stronger focus on helping your child develop the skills they’ll need for school, including communication, self-regulation and confidence.

Early Learning Centres (ELCs)

If your family needs longer hours, an Early Learning Centre may be a better fit.

Many ELCs care for children from infancy through the preschool years while also offering funded kindergarten programs. That means your child can enjoy both early learning and extended care in one place.

As you visit different centres, ask how children spend their day and what learning looks like in practice. Every provider has its own philosophy, so no two ELCs are exactly alike.

Long Day Care with Kinder Programs

If you’re balancing work and family life, long day care with a kindergarten program can offer extra flexibility.

Your child receives their kindergarten education while also benefiting from longer opening hours before and after the learning session.

When comparing providers, it’s worth checking theirNational Quality Standard (NQS) rating alongside factors such as educator stability, daily routines, and how they support children’s individual development.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschools in Melbourne can vary significantly, from sessional kindergarten and long day care programs to private Early Learning Centres. Here a preschooler and his dad completing a numeracy-based matching game in a Shichida class, building number recognition, problem-solving and confidence through parent–child learning.

Enrichment Programs

You may also come across enrichment programs while researching early learning options for your child.

Unlike childcare or kindergarten, these programs do not provide full-day care. Instead, they offer focused learning experiences designed to support important areas of development through structured, age-appropriate activities.

This is where Shichida fits.

Shichida Australia provides a comprehensive early learning program for children from six months of age, supporting cognitive, emotional, social, sensory and physical development.

Weekly parent-and-child classes include activities such as language, music, memory, numeracy, problem-solving, fine motor development and sensory learning.

For some families, Shichida is their child’s main structured early education experience before school. For others, it works alongside childcare or kindergarten. Either way, the program provides a purposeful learning environment where children build strong foundations and parents gain practical insight into how their child learns.

How Melbourne Parents Should Compare Preschool Options

Once you’ve narrowed your search to a few providers, the next question is usually, “How do I know which one is right for my child?”

Curriculum and Philosophy

Every preschool has its own approach to helping children learn.

You might come across play-based learning, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Steiner, or the Shichida Method. Each philosophy is built on different ideas about how children develop, so there’s no single “best” approach.

Rather than asking which philosophy is the most popular, ask yourself:

• Does this approach suit my child’s personality?
• Will my child enjoy learning in this environment?
• Does it reflect the values that are important to our family?

Some children thrive in highly independent environments, while others benefit from more guided or collaborative experiences. The goal is to find a learning approach that feels like a good fit for your child, not simply the one with the biggest reputation.

Educator Ratios

The people supporting your child’s learning are just as important as the program itself.

It’s worth asking about educator-to-child ratios. While all regulated services must meet the national minimum requirements, some providers choose to keep smaller groups or have additional educators available. More individual attention can make a meaningful difference, particularly for younger children or those who need a little more support settling into a new environment.

NQS Rating (for Regulated Services)

If you’re comparing kindergartens or childcare services, check their National Quality Standard (NQS) rating.

You’ll usually see ratings such as:

• Exceeding National Quality Standard, meaning the service performs above the expected benchmark.
• Meeting National Quality Standard, meaning it meets Australia’s required quality standards.
• Significant Improvement Required, indicating that important improvements are needed.

These ratings provide a useful starting point, but they don’t tell the whole story. Visiting the centre, meeting the educators, and seeing how children interact can give you valuable insight that a rating alone can’t provide.

It’s also important to know that enrichment programs, including Shichida, aren’t assessed under the National Quality Standard because they aren’t childcare or kindergarten services. Instead, they’re best evaluated by looking at their teaching approach, lesson structure, and whether the program aligns with your family’s goals.

Hours, Days, and Schedule Flexibility

A program might sound perfect on paper, but will it fit comfortably into your week?

Government-funded kindergarten programs often run for set hours that may not line up with a typical working day. If both parents work, you may need before and after care or choose a long day care service that includes a kindergarten program.

As you’re comparing providers, consider questions like:

• Do the session times fit around work and family commitments?
• How much travel is involved?
• Will my child usually arrive well rested and ready to participate?

Choosing a schedule that works for your family is just as important as choosing the right educational approach.

Group Size and Mixed-Age Considerations

Every child learns differently, so it’s worth asking about class sizes and how children are grouped.

Smaller groups often allow educators to give children more individual attention and build stronger relationships with each family.

Some services also offer mixed-age groups. These can encourage younger children to learn from older peers while giving older children opportunities to build confidence and leadership skills. On the other hand, age-specific groups may provide activities that are more closely matched to children’s developmental stages.

Neither approach is better in every situation. It comes down to what suits your child.

Parent Involvement

Another important question to ask is how involved you’ll be in your child’s learning.

In most preschools and kindergartens, children attend independently while parents drop them off and collect them later.

Other programs take a different approach.

Shichida, for example, is built around parent-and-child learning. In Shichida’s Baby, Toddler and Preschool/Kinder classes, a parent or trusted caregiver participates alongside the child. Pre-Primary and Primary School Program students attend independently, with parents invited to scheduled observation sessions.

For some families, this shared experience becomes one of the program’s biggest strengths. Others may prefer a program where children learn independently. Neither option is right or wrong. It’s simply a matter of choosing what fits your family!

Cost and Funding

Cost is naturally part of the decision.

Victoria’s Free Kinder initiative has made 3-Year-Old and 4-Year-Old Kindergarten more affordable for many eligible families. Long day care and enrichment programs may involve private fees.

Instead of comparing prices alone, look at what’s included. Consider the length of the program, educator expertise, learning experiences, long-term outcomes and how well the service supports your child’s development.

Choosing the lowest-cost option isn’t always the best value if it doesn’t meet your family’s needs.

What an Enrichment Program Actually Is (and Isn’t)

Image by Shichida Australia: Families researching preschools in Melbourne may also consider structured early learning programs such as Shichida, either as their child’s main learning experience or alongside kindergarten and childcare. Shichida offers a fun and unique structured enrichment experience that supports children alongside a parent each.

How Enrichment Differs from Preschool

Preschool and enrichment programs offer different types of early learning experiences.

Preschool usually provides longer sessions focused on play, social interaction, routines and growing independence in a group environment.

A structured enrichment program provides a more concentrated learning experience. Sessions may be shorter and held weekly, but they can intentionally support a broad range of skills, including memory, language, numeracy, creativity, concentration, problem-solving and emotional development.

Shichida Australia is a comprehensive early learning program rather than simply an optional activity. For some children, it is their main structured learning experience before school. For others, it is used alongside childcare or kindergarten.

The right choice depends on your child, your family’s needs and the type of learning experience you value.

What Enrichment Programs Typically Include

Every enrichment provider has its own approach, but programs often include activities such as:

• sensory play
• cognitive games
• music and rhythm
• language exposure
• memory activities
• fine motor development
• social and emotional learning

Some programs place greater emphasis on creativity, while others focus more on cognitive development or parent-child interaction.

The methods may vary, but the goal is similar: to give children guided opportunities to learn through engaging, age-appropriate experiences.

Why Melbourne Families Choose Enrichment

Every family has different reasons for adding an enrichment program to their week.

Some parents are looking for a consistent, structured learning experience beyond what everyday life provides. Others want to support specific developmental milestones or enjoy having dedicated learning time together.

For many families, it’s also a chance to strengthen the parent-child relationship through shared activities that can continue long after the class has finished.

Structured early learning can work alongside everyday play by giving children focused opportunities to practise a broad range of skills.

Where Shichida Fits in the Melbourne Preschool Landscape

Image by Shichida Australia: Children playing a group phonics game in a Shichida class, matching objects to their starting sounds while building letter recognition, vocabulary and cooperation.

Shichida offers a different model of early education from kindergarten, a general Early Learning Centre or long day care.

Rather than providing full-day care, Shichida delivers a structured once-a-week program designed to support cognitive, emotional, social, sensory and fine motor development through a broad range of age-appropriate activities.

For some families, Shichida is their child’s main structured early learning experience before school. For others, it forms part of a broader routine that may also include kindergarten, childcare or learning at home.

What makes Shichida distinct is its whole-child approach, fast-paced variety and strong parent involvement. Each class gives children focused opportunities to develop memory, language, numeracy, creativity, concentration, problem-solving and confidence while parents learn how to support these skills at home.

What Shichida Is

Shichida Australia is a structured early learning program based on the internationally recognised Shichida Method, which was developed in Japan over 65 years ago.

Each lesson is designed to engage young children through a variety of carefully planned activities that encourage cognitive development, sensory learning, language exposure, memory, music, creativity, and emotional connection. Rather than focusing on one skill, each class introduces multiple short activities to suit the way young children naturally learn.

The Shichida early childhood classes run for 50 minutes once a week. The concentrated format allows children to experience a broad range of carefully planned activities within each lesson.

What Shichida Is Not

Understanding what Shichida isn’t is just as important.

It isn’t a daily preschool. It isn’t a government kindergarten program. It isn’t a childcare service.

Children don’t attend for full days, and parents don’t drop them off before returning later.

In the early childhood program, each lesson is attended by both the child and a parent or trusted caregiver. Primary School Program students attend independently.

Shichida’s Melbourne Presence

If you’re looking for Shichida Melbourne, you’ll find centres across metropolitan Melbourne, making the program accessible to families in different parts of the city.

Children can begin the Shichida program from six months of age and must enrol before turning five. Those who begin earlier may continue through the Primary School Program up to age nine.

Activities are tailored to what children are ready to learn at each age, whether they’re babies just beginning to explore the world or primary school students developing more advanced thinking skills.

As locations and class availability can change, it’s worth checking the Shichida Australia website to find your nearest Melbourne centre.

The Shichida Method in Brief

The Shichida Method was developed by Professor Makoto Shichida after decades of research and practical experience in early childhood education.

Today, the method is taught in multiple countries around the world and is built around the idea that children’s early years provide valuable opportunities for learning through meaningful experiences.

Lessons combine sensory stimulation, memory activities, language exposure, music, visualisation, and parent-child interaction within a structured program that progresses as children grow.

Rather than encouraging children to memorise facts or learn academic content early, the method focuses on nurturing curiosity, confidence, concentration, communication, and a lifelong enjoyment of learning.

This makes Shichida a distinct early education pathway that can form a central part of a child’s learning routine or work alongside kindergarten, childcare or home learning.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers playing a category-matching game with their parents in a Shichida class, building vocabulary, critical thinking, communication and parent–child connection.

How Shichida Compares Across the Criteria That Matter

Curriculum Philosophy

The Shichida Method combines sensory activities, right-brain learning principles, memory exercises, language exposure, music, imagination, and parent-child interaction within a structured lesson. Activities are carefully sequenced according to children’s developmental stages, allowing learning to build over time.

Session Format and Hours

Most kindergarten programs involve children attending for several hours across multiple days each week.

Shichida early childhood classes run once a week for 50 minutes, while Primary School Program classes extend to 90 minutes.

Educator Qualifications

Shichida instructors complete specialised training in the Shichida Method, enabling them to deliver the program consistently across different age groups.

Parent Involvement

This is one of Shichida’s biggest points of difference.

At preschool, your child usually learns independently with educators while you drop them off and collect them later.

At Shichida, you attend every lesson together up to age 5.

That shared experience allows you to observe your child’s progress, understand the activities, and continue many of them at home. For many families, those everyday moments outside the classroom become just as valuable as the lesson itself.

Age Range

Most preschool programs finish once children begin primary school.

Shichida continues from infancy through to 9 years of age, allowing children to keep building on the skills they’ve developed during their early years.

For families looking for continuity beyond preschool, this can be an appealing advantage.

Group Size

Shichida lessons are delivered in small, age-grouped classes of six kids per class, allowing instructors to engage with each child while maintaining an interactive learning environment.

Smaller groups also make it easier for children and parents to participate actively throughout the session.

Cost Model

Unlike government-funded kindergarten programs, Shichida operates as a private, term-based enrichment program.

Rather than paying for daily education or childcare, families invest in a weekly structured learning experience.

Comparison at a Glance

How to Combine Preschool and Shichida in Your Week

One of the most common questions parents ask is, “How would this fit into our week?”

With one structured class each week, Shichida can form a consistent part of your child’s early learning routine without adding another full-day commitment. Many Melbourne families find it’s easy to schedule as part of the weekly family routine.

The key is choosing a time when your child is well rested, alert, and ready to participate.

For Families with a Child in 3YO Kinder

If your child attends 3-Year-Old Kindergarten two or three days a week, Shichida can fit comfortably on a non-kinder day.

For example:

• Monday:Home activities
• Tuesday:3YO Kinder
• Wednesday:Outing to a local park
• Thursday:3YO Kinder
• Friday:Shichida morning class, followed by grocery run
• Saturday:Family time
• Sunday:Family time

This balance gives your child plenty of opportunities to learn while still leaving room for rest and unstructured play.

For Families with a Child in Long Day Care

If your child attends long day care during the week, a Saturday Shichida class may be the most practical option.

Saturday classes are often in high demand, so families are encouraged to join the waitlist early to improve their chances of securing a suitable time.

Some families also choose to have a grandparent, aunt, uncle or another trusted family member attend class with their child. This can become valuable bonding time and, for many extended family members, a much-loved part of the week.

For Families with a Child at Home Full-Time

Shichida can provide a consistent and comprehensive early learning experience within your weekly routine.

Each structured class introduces your child to a wide range of activities supporting language, memory, numeracy, creativity, concentration, problem-solving, sensory development and fine motor skills.

Because parents participate in class, they also have the opportunity to observe how each activity is introduced, how the teacher responds to the child and how learning is guided in a positive, age-appropriate way. This makes it easier to repeat similar techniques, language and activities at home with greater confidence.

Families can build on this learning through everyday conversations, reading, sensory play, visits to the park or library and community activities. This creates a flexible early education approach that combines purposeful weekly instruction with the valuable learning that happens naturally at home.

For Families with Multiple Children

Managing activities for more than one child can be challenging.

Because Shichida offers age-grouped classes, many families enrol siblings on the same day where schedules allow. This can make weekly planning simpler while giving each child access to a program designed for their stage of development.

There is also a sibling discount on enrolment fees when enrolling more than one child at Shichida.

Try this today: If you’re curious about how Shichida could fit into your family’s routine, consider booking a trial class. Seeing a lesson in person is often the easiest way to decide whether the program is right for your child and family.

Image by Shichida Australia: Shichida provides a structured weekly learning program that grows with children from infancy through the primary years.

Shichida Beyond Preschool: The Primary Enrichment Program

Many parents think about enrichment during the preschool years but aren’t sure whether it still has a place once their child starts school.

Shichida is designed to continue beyond preschool, supporting children as they move into primary school and face new learning challenges.

When Children Move from Preschool to Primary School

Starting school is an exciting milestone, but it’s also a big adjustment.

As classroom routines become more structured, children are expected to concentrate for longer, follow instructions, solve problems independently, and build stronger literacy and numeracy skills.

Shichida’s Pre-Primary and Primary School Programs build on the skills developed during the early years while introducing more advanced learning experiences.

What Changes in the Primary School Program?

As children grow, the Shichida program grows with them.

The Primary School Program places greater emphasis on memory and recall, language development, mathematical thinking, creative problem-solving and higher-level cognitive skills. Lessons continue to build curiosity, confidence, independence and a positive attitude towards learning.

Classes extend to 90 minutes and include up to eight students. Children attend independently, while parents are invited to observe during scheduled observation weeks.

The program also introduces more advanced activities, including speed reading, speed listening, debating, research, public speaking, creative writing, science experiments and complex memory challenges.

Activities become more age-appropriate and academically challenging, while still maintaining the creativity, variety and whole-child approach that children experienced in the earlier program.

At the end of the program there is a graduation ceremony, and many Shichida kids have gone on to do amazing things!

Look at some of the Shichida kids success stories here.

Image by Shichida Australia: Nine-year-old graduates celebrating the completion of the Shichida program after years of building memory, confidence, creativity and independent learning skills.

Getting Started with Shichida in Melbourne

If you are considering Shichida Australia, you can begin by finding your nearest centre and booking a trial class.

Find Your Nearest Centre

Visit the Shichida Australia website or find your nearest Melbourne centre.

What to Expect at a Trial Class

During a trial class, you’ll attend alongside your child and experience a typical lesson with already enrolled families. You’ll see how the activities are delivered, learn more about the Shichida Method, and have the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.

Enrolment and Term Structure

Shichida classes operate across four 10-week terms each year, with children placed in age-appropriate groups.

Families can enrol at any point during the term, subject to class availability. This means you do not need to wait until the beginning of a new term to get started.

Ready to experience the Shichida Method? Book a trial class today!

Key Takeaways

• Cooperative learning teaches your child to work towards a shared goal instead of competing.
• Learning games for kids help strengthen communication, empathy, problem-solving and self-regulation.
• Matching games for kids are one of the easiest ways to introduce teamwork from an early age.
• Cooperative board games encourage children to think, talk and solve challenges together.
• Your encouragement and guidance play a big role in helping your child learn to cooperate.

Are the Games Your Child Plays Really Helping Them Learn?

If you’ve ever watched your child building blocks, matching cards or playing pretend, you may have wondered whether they’re just having fun or actually learning.
The answer is both!
Play is one of the most effective ways children learn, but some types of play develop more than creativity. Cooperative learning encourages children to work together, solve problems, share ideas and celebrate success as a team, helping build important social, emotional and thinking skills.
This article explores what cooperative learning is, why it matters, and simple games that encourage teamwork from the toddler years through early primary school.

Quick Answer

Cooperative learning is a play and learning approach where children work together towards a shared goal rather than competing against each other. Cooperative games for preschoolers, including matching games, storytelling activities and team-based board games, support brain development by strengthening communication, empathy, problem-solving and turn-taking. Many children begin simple cooperative play from around two years of age.

What Is Cooperative Learning (and Why It Matters for Young Kids)

Cooperative learning happens when your child works with someone else to achieve a shared goal.
You might see this when your child builds a tower with a sibling, completes a puzzle with a friend or works together to find matching cards. These shared experiences help develop communication, self-control and confidence while making learning enjoyable.
As children move through the preschool years, they naturally become more interested in playing with others. During this stage, language, empathy, problem-solving and self-regulation begin working together, helping prepare them for school and everyday relationships.

Cooperative Play vs Competitive Play vs Parallel Play

Your child will experience different types of play as they grow.
Parallel play is common in toddlers, where children play beside each other without really interacting.
Competitive play introduces winning and losing, helping children learn resilience and sportsmanship.
Cooperative play focuses on working together towards a shared goal. All three types of play are valuable, but cooperative play becomes especially important as your child approaches preschool and school age.

The Brain Science Behind Playing Together

When your child plays with others, their brain works differently than when they play alone.
Listening, taking turns and solving problems together strengthen communication, flexible thinking and self-control. Children also learn by watching others, copying ideas and practising new language during play. These everyday experiences help build executive function, which includes the mental skills needed to focus, plan, remember and manage emotions.

When Cooperative Play Starts to Develop

Every child develops at their own pace, but most children begin showing simple cooperative play between 2 and 3 years.
By 3 to 5 years, many children can share ideas, take turns and enjoy simple team games.
Between 5 and 7 years, children often become more confident working together to solve problems, create stories and complete challenges with less adult support.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers playing a category-matching game with their parents in a Shichida class, building vocabulary, critical thinking, communication and cooperation.

Benefits of Cooperative Learning Games for Kids

If you’re wondering whether cooperative play is worth the effort, the answer is yes. Cooperative games for preschoolers support many of the skills children need for learning and everyday life.
They can help strengthen:

• Social and emotional skills
• Communication and language
• Problem-solving
• Executive function
• Memory and attention
• Empathy
• School readiness

Builds Social-Emotional Skills

Every time your child shares, takes turns or works through a disagreement during play, they’re learning valuable social skills. These experiences help them manage emotions, build friendships and become more confident in group settings.

Strengthens Communication and Language

Cooperative games naturally encourage conversation. Your child learns to ask questions, explain ideas, listen and respond to others, all of which support language development.

Develops Problem-Solving and Executive Function

Working towards a shared goal encourages your child to plan, stay flexible and keep trying when something doesn’t go as expected. These are important executive function skills that support learning at school.

Encourages Empathy and Perspective-Taking

When children play together, they begin to understand that other people have different thoughts, ideas and feelings. This helps your child become more thoughtful, patient and supportive of others.

Boosts Memory, Focus and Cognitive Flexibility

Many brain development games for kids, especially matching and memory games, encourage your child to remember information, stay focused and adapt their thinking while working with someone else.

Image by Shichida Australia: Toddlers playing a number-matching game with their parents during a Shichida class, supporting early numeracy, concentration, communication and cooperative learning.

How Matching Games Help Kids Learn Through Cooperation

If you’re looking for a simple place to start, matching games for kids are an excellent choice. They’re easy to learn, quick to set up and support memory, attention, pattern recognition and visual discrimination.
Even better, they’re easy to turn into cooperative games by changing the goal from “Who can find the most pairs?” to “Can we find all the pairs together?”

Matching Games for Toddlers (2-3 Years)

Start with six to eight large picture cards featuring familiar objects such as animals, colours or family members. Celebrate every successful match together to build confidence and encourage teamwork.

Matching Games for Preschoolers (3-5 Years)

As your child’s memory develops, increase the number of cards and introduce themes such as transport, food or shapes. Encourage your child to talk about why each pair belongs together.

Turning Solo Matching Games into Cooperative Play

Instead of competing, work as a team.
Take turns flipping cards, help each other remember where pictures are hiding and celebrate every pair you find together. You can even create a short story about each matching pair to encourage language and imagination.
Key Insight: Matching games are cooperative gold. They’re simple enough for toddlers, engaging enough for preschoolers, and become even more powerful when you replace “me” with “we.”

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers completing puzzles with their parents during a Shichida class, developing problem-solving, concentration, communication and cooperative learning.

Best Cooperative Learning Games for Kids by Age

The best learning games for kids are the ones your child enjoys and wants to play again. Choosing activities that match their age helps them build confidence while learning to cooperate.

Ages 2 to 3

At this stage, keep games simple and focus on playing together.
Try:

• Matching animal or colour cards.
• Building one block tower as a team.
• A simple treasure hunt around the house.
• Mirror games where you copy each other’s movements.
• Building simple puzzles together.

These toddler learning games encourage turn-taking, listening and shared attention.

Ages 3 to 5

As your child grows, they’re ready for games with simple rules and shared goals.
Try:

• Memory and matching games.
• Cooperative simple board games.
• Storytelling games using picture cards.
• Completing puzzles together.
• Pretend play, such as running a café or supermarket.

These cooperative games for preschoolers help your child communicate, learn turn taking and solve problems through play.

Ages 5 to 7

Older children enjoy more complex teamwork.
Try:

• Cooperative strategy board games.
• Team-based logic puzzles.
• Collaborative drawing games.
• Simple science experiments.
• Shared reading games where you predict what happens next together, or make turns reading.

These group games for kids encourage planning, creativity and flexible thinking.

Image by Shichida Australia: A preschooler completing a maths-based challenge alongside her mum in a Shichida class, building problem-solving, concentration, confidence and cooperative learning.

Cooperative Learning Board Games Worth Knowing About

Image by Shichida Australia: Guided learning games for kids encourage children to ask questions, share ideas and solve challenges together, building the communication and cooperation skills they’ll use at school and beyond.

What Makes a Board Game Cooperative?

Not all learning board games are cooperative. Some focus on individual winners, while cooperative games encourage everyone to work towards the same goal.
Instead of asking, “Who won?”, your child learns to ask, “How can we solve this together?” This helps develop teamwork, communication and resilience.

Categories to Look For

When choosing educational games for kids, look for games that encourage collaboration, such as:

• Memory and matching games
• Storytelling games
• Puzzle-solving games
• Building games
• “Beat the timer” games

These activities encourage children to share ideas and celebrate success together.

Where to Find Cooperative Learning Games in Australia

You don’t need an overflowing toy cupboard to support cooperative learning.
Many Australian libraries and toy libraries lend educational games, making it easy to try different options before buying. Educational toy retailers also stock a wide range of preschool learning games suitable for different ages and interests.
Young Shichida Australia students enjoy a shape puzzle game called Time Shock.

Free Online Children’s Games That Support Cooperative Learning

Digital games can also support your child’s learning when used thoughtfully.

What to Look For in Online Cooperative Games

Choose games that are:

• Age appropriate
• Educational
• Free from advertising
• Easy to play together
• Child safe – strangers can not engage with your child
• Focused on problem-solving rather than fast rewards

The best games encourage conversation rather than simply keeping your child busy.

High-Quality Free Platforms for Australian Families

If you’re looking for trusted resources from across the globe, consider:

• ABC Kids Games
• PBS Kids Games
• National Geographic Kids

These platforms offer a variety of educational games for kids covering literacy, numeracy, science and problem-solving in fun, engaging ways.
If you are looking for something more structured, and not just random games, SHICHIDA at Home offers a free 30-day trial, and is suitable for kids aged 1 to 5 years. This learning platform is 100% child-safe and ad-free. It includes songs, flashcards, educational videos hosted by a Shichida teacher, and printable workbooks.
SHICHIDA at Home can be used at home, offering fun, flexible learning on the go!

Image by Shichida Australia: SHICHIDA at Home learning platform.

Setting Up Cooperative Play at Home

Choose the Right Games

Pick activities that match your child’s age and interests. When a game feels achievable, they’re more likely to stay engaged and enjoy working with others.

Model Teamwork

Your child learns by watching you. Use phrases like “Let’s work together,” “That’s a great idea,” and “We solved it!” to show what cooperation looks like.

Make It Part of Your Routine

You don’t need hours of structured play. Even 15 minutes of cooperative play after dinner or on weekends can help your child build important social and thinking skills.
Need some more ideas and resources? Shichida Australia has plenty!

Common Cooperative Play Challenges (and What to Do)

“My Child Always Wants to Win”

This is completely normal. Choose games where everyone works towards the same goal so your child learns that teamwork can be just as rewarding as winning.

“Siblings Keep Arguing”

Start with short activities that encourage success together. Praise cooperation rather than focusing on the final result.

“My Child Is Shy”

Begin with one-on-one games before introducing siblings or friends. As your child’s confidence grows, they’ll feel more comfortable joining larger groups.

“My Child Only Wants Screen Time”

Instead of banning screens completely, make screen time interactive and gradually reduce passive viewing. Choose educational content, sit alongside your child, ask questions and play together. Follow with a hands-on game – children enjoy time with their caregivers, so create ample opportunities to engage and spend meaningful time together.

Image by Shichida Australia: Group learning games for kids help children strengthen memory, language and listening skills while learning to cooperate, encourage one another and celebrate success as a team.

How Shichida Australia Builds Cooperative Learning into Early Childhood Programs

The games you play at home provide a wonderful foundation, but your child also benefits from learning alongside other children in a structured environment.
At Shichida Australia, cooperative learning is woven into every class through partner activities, memory games, sensory experiences and guided group learning. Children are encouraged to listen, communicate and solve problems while developing confidence.
These shared experiences complement what you’re already doing at home, giving your child regular opportunities to strengthen the social, emotional and cognitive skills they’ll use throughout school and beyond.
If you’re looking for a supportive learning environment where your child can develop these skills through meaningful play, consider booking a trial class at your nearest Shichida Australia centre.

When should children begin learning to write alphabet letters? Is it better to introduce pencils early, or wait until later?

Before children can form recognisable letters, they develop the skills they need through scribbling, drawing, cutting, building and everyday play.

Strong handwriting starts with these early foundations. In this guide, you’ll learn when children are typically ready to begin writing letters, the pre-writing skills that matter most, simple age-appropriate activities, practical letter formation tips, and how to support your child’s progress with confidence.

Quick Answer

Most children begin learning to write the letters of the alphabet between ages 4 and 6, after building foundational skills like mark making, pencil control and hand strength. Start with the letters in their own name, use hands-on, multi-sensory activities before introducing worksheets, and let progress happen gradually rather than according to a fixed timeline.

When Are Children Ready to Start Writing Alphabet Letters?

It’s natural to wonder whether your child is ready to start writing letters, especially before preschool or the first year of school.

Many parents are surprised to learn that age is not the best measure of writing readiness. Some children love letters early, while others focus on climbing, building or imaginative play first. Both are perfectly normal.

Rather than asking whether your child should be writing yet, focus on whether they’ve developed the skills that make writing easier, such as hand strength, coordination, fine motor skills, concentration and confidence.

Signs Your Child Is Ready

You might notice your child is ready to begin learning to write letters of the alphabet if they:

• Can hold a pencilor crayon with reasonable control
• Recognise some letters, especially the ones in their own name
• Enjoy pretending to write through scribbles or attempting to copy letters they see
• Can draw simple shapes like circles, crosses and lines – even if not straight lined
• Stay engaged in a seated activity for around three to five minutes

You don’t need to tick every box before introducing letters. These are simply signs that your child is becoming more confident with the skills writing requires.

Signs to Wait a Little Longer

It may be worth focusing on pre-writing activities first if your child:

• Gets tired quickly when drawing or colouring
• Becomes frustrated every time they hold a crayon or pencil
• Finds it difficult to control their grip or struggles to apply the right pressure for mark making
• Shows little interest in letters just yet

That doesn’t mean they’re behind.

It simply means their hands and muscles are still developing. Giving them more opportunities to play, create, explore and strengthen their hand muscles will go a long way.

Key Insight: Don’t let age become your measuring stick. A child who has spent months scribbling, cutting, squeezing playdough and building hand strength will often learn letter formation much more easily than a child who was pushed into worksheets before they were ready.

The Pre-Writing Skills That Make Alphabet Writing Possible

Every time your child paints, builds, cuts, strings beads or scribbles, they’re developing the skills they’ll eventually use to write confidently.

Think of these as the building blocks of handwriting. The stronger the foundation, the easier letter writing becomes.

Image by Shichida Australia: Fine motor play and line drawing activities like completing mazes helps children build the skills needed for learning to write alphabet letters.

Mark Making

Before children write letters, they make thousands of marks. Scribbles, drawings, circles and zigzags are early writing practice that helps develop pencil control and confidence.

Encourage mark making through simple activities like drawing, painting, finger painting, drawing with chalk, scribbling on large paper, making patterns in sand or shaving foam, or painting with water outdoors. These simple activities help children enjoy expressing themselves on paper and strengthens hand and finger control.

Pencil Control

As your child’s confidence grows, encourage the small movements that form the basis of letter writing before introducing the alphabet.

Simple activities like tracing dotted lines, drawing straight and curved lines, completing mazes, connecting dots, colouring large shapes, and drawing circles, crosses and squares help build pencil control and make writing easier later on.

Scissor Control

Cutting helps strengthen the same muscles used for handwriting while improving coordination. Start with tearing paper, snipping playdough, cutting straight lines, then progress to curves and simple shapes. Keep it fun rather than focused on practice.

Image by Shichida Australia: A child cutting along a curved line with safety scissors alongside his mum, guided by a Shichida instructor, building hand strength, coordination and fine motor control for learning to write alphabet letters.

Hand and Finger Strength

Strong hands and fingers make it easier for children to hold and control a pencil. Simple activities such as squeezing playdough, using tweezers to pick up small objects, threading beads, clipping pegs, peeling and sticking down stickers, squeezing pipettes and tearing paper can all help build the strength needed for writing.

When these muscles are still developing, children may tire quickly once they begin writing. This can make handwriting feel uncomfortable or frustrating and may cause them to avoid writing activities. Building hand strength through play can help writing feel easier and more enjoyable.

Writing Readiness Activities by Age

Every child learns at their own pace, so try not to compare your child with friends, siblings or children you see online. Instead, focus on what they’re ready for right now.

The activities below will help you match your expectations to your child’s stage of development, making learning to write alphabet letters feel achievable rather than overwhelming.

2 to 3 Years: The Mark Making Stage

At this age, writing is all about exploration. Through scribbling, drawing and mark making, your child is developing the skills needed for writing later on.

Encourage activities like drawing with chunky crayons or chalk, finger painting, making patterns in sand or shaving foam, tearing paper for collages, and painting with water outdoors. The focus is on building confidence, coordination and creativity, not writing letters yet.

3 to 4 Years: Building Pencil Control

At this age, children begin making more purposeful shapes and drawings. Focus on pencil control through tracing lines, drawing simple shapes, dot-to-dot activities, cutting with child-safe scissors, threading beads, and playful letter recognition.

4 to 5 Years: From Letter Recognition to Letter Formation

Many children are ready to start writing, beginning with their own name. Try tracing letters in sand, making letters with playdough, drawing them in the air, and short writing activities of five minutes or less. Keep it fun and pressure-free.

5 to 6 Years: Building Confident Writers

As children prepare for or begin school, they’re usually ready to practise writing their name, both capital and lowercase letters, simple words, and handwriting on ruled lines. Progress takes time, so celebrate steady improvement rather than perfect handwriting.

How to Teach Letter Formation

Once your child is ready to start writing letters, it is tempting to work through the alphabet from A to Z. In reality, there is a more natural and motivating way to begin.

Before children can write letters confidently, they first need to become familiar with them. Recognising letters, hearing their sounds and noticing them in meaningful words all help prepare children for letter formation. The more meaningful writing feels, the more likely your child is to stay engaged.

Begin with Letter Recognition

Before expecting your child to write letters, spend time helping them notice and identify them. This might include singing the alphabet song, matching letters, learning letter sounds, spotting letters in books or recognising the letters in their own name.

These early literacy experiences help children become familiar with letter shapes and build confidence before they are asked to form them with a pencil.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers playing a phonics matching game, building letter recognition, sound awareness, vocabulary and early literacy skills.

Start With the Letters in Their Name

If you could only teach your child one set of letters first, make it the ones in their own name.

Children often recognise their names long before they can read. Seeing those familiar letters on lunchboxes, artwork and labels gives them an immediate connection to writing.

Start with the first capital letter in your child’s first name, then introduce the remaining letters one by one before moving on to family names, favourite words or the rest of the alphabet. Children often make faster progress when the letters already have personal meaning.

Capitals First, Then Lowercase

Many parents wonder whether they should teach uppercase or lowercase letters first. Capital letters can be easier for some children to form because many are made with simple straight lines and basic curves.

Once your child feels confident with capitals, you can gradually introduce lowercase letters, especially as they prepare for Prep or Foundation.

Australian Handwriting Styles by State

Australia doesn’t have one national handwriting font, so worksheets from overseas or interstate may teach letter formations that differ from what your child will learn at school.

Handwriting styles vary between Australian states, school systems and individual schools. For example, Victorian schools commonly use Victorian Modern Cursive, while NSW public schools use NSW Foundation Style.

Generally, schools use:

• New South Wales: NSW Foundation Style
• Victoria, Tasmania, ACT and Northern Territory:Victorian Modern Cursive
• Queensland: Queensland Beginner’s Alphabet (Beginner’s Script)
• South Australia and Western Australia: SA/WA Modern Cursive

If you’re unsure, don’t worry.

Simple printed letters are perfectly suitable for home learning until your child’s school recommends a specific handwriting style.

Free Resource: Download Shichida Australia’s Alphabet Writing Worksheet Stage 1 for simple letter tracing practice to help your child build pencil control and writing confidence.

Looking for more early learning resources? Shichida has plenty!

Common Letter Formation Mistakes to Watch For

As your child learns to write, you will probably notice a few letters that do not look quite right. This is completely normal.

Common challenges include:

• forming a letter using several unnecessary strokes
• reversing letters such as b, d, p and q
• making letters different sizes on the same page

Try not to correct every mistake at once. Instead, focus on one letter or one small correction during each attempt.

It can help to sit beside your child and slowly model how to form the letter before inviting them to try. Guided learning is an important part of the Shichida Method. In class, the teacher first demonstrates the letter, then gives the child an opportunity to copy it with gentle guidance and encouragement.

Practice remains fun and pressure-free. The same letter may be revisited across several days using different experiences, such as flashcards, songs, sensory materials and writing activities. This allows the child to see the letter, hear its sound, observe how it is formed and then have a go themselves.

Letter reversals are common while children are learning to write and often become less frequent with practice.

Key insight: Show more than you explain. Watching you slowly form a letter gives your child a clear visual model that is often easier to copy than verbal instructions alone.

ABC Writing Activities Kids Actually Enjoy

If writing practice has started to feel like a battle, take a step back and make it fun again.

The best ABC writing activities don’t always involve sitting at a table with a pencil. In fact, children often learn letter formation more quickly when they can see, touch and move their bodies while learning.

Here are some simple activities you can try at home.

Tactile and Sensory Activities

Young children learn best when they use more than one sense at a time. Sensory activities make letters feel less intimidating and encourage children to experiment without worrying about mistakes.

Some favourites include:

• Sand or salt tray writing
  Pour a thin layer of sand, salt or rice into a tray and invite your child to draw letters with their finger. If they make a mistake, simply shake the tray and start again.
• Shaving cream letters
  Spread shaving cream on a tray or outdoor table and let your child practise forming letters with their finger. It’s messy, memorable and a great way to reduce the pressure of getting everything right.
• Playdough letters
  Roll the playdough into long “snakes” and shape them into letters together. This strengthens little hands while reinforcing letter shapes.
• Sandpaper letter tracing
  Cut large letters from sandpaper and encourage your child to slowly trace each one with their finger. The textured surface helps them remember how each letter feels as well as how it looks.
• Salt dough alphabet
  Make homemade salt dough and shape individual letters together before baking them. Afterwards, your child can paint and use them for letter games.

Outdoor and Big-Body Activities

Large arm movements help children understand the direction and sequence of each letter before they’re expected to write it on paper.

Try activities like:

• Chalk letters on the driveway
  Draw large letters outside and encourage your child to trace over them or copy them. Bigger movements are often easier than tiny pencil strokes.
• Water painting
  Give your child a bucket of water and a paintbrush, then let them “write” letters on fences, pavers or concrete. They’ll love watching the letters disappear as they dry.
• Stick writing
  At the beach or park, use a stick to draw letters in the sand or dirt. It’s a wonderful way to combine outdoor play with early literacy.
• Body letters
  Challenge your child to use their whole body to make different letters. You can join in too, turning it into a fun family game.

Pencil and Paper Activities

Once your child has developed stronger pencil control, you can gradually introduce more structured activities. Keep them short and enjoyable.

Ideas include:

• Trace, then copy
  Begin by tracing a letter before encouraging your child to copy it independently.
• Letter hunts
  Choose one letter and see how many times your child can find it in a book, catalogue or magazine.
• Rainbow writing
  Trace the same letter several times using different coloured pencils or crayons. Repetition feels much more exciting when colours are involved.
• Highlight and trace
  Write a letter with a yellow highlighter, then ask your child to trace over it with a pencil or marker. This provides a clear visual guide without feeling like a formal worksheet.

Movement and Air Writing

Movement helps many children remember how letters are formed. These activities are especially helpful if your child enjoys being active.

• Sky writing
  Ask your child to stretch out their arm and draw giant letters in the air using one finger. You can even turn off the lights and use a torch for extra excitement.
• Letter walking
  Draw large letters on the driveway with chalk and encourage your child to carefully walk along each line. They’re learning letter formation using their whole body.

Image by Shichida Australia: A mum sitting beside her child as she traces letters, providing gentle guidance while building letter formation, pencil control and writing confidence.

Using Alphabet Practice Worksheets Effectively

Worksheets can absolutely play a role in learning to write alphabet letters, but they shouldn’t be the starting point or the only letter writing activity your child does.

Think of worksheets as one tool in a much bigger toolbox.

When to Introduce Worksheets

Most children are ready for learning to write with worksheets around four to five years of age, once they’ve developed reasonable pencil control and are showing genuine interest in writing.

If worksheets are introduced too early, they often become frustrating rather than helpful. Instead of building confidence, they can make writing feel like a chore.

What Good Practice Letter Writing Sheets Include

Not all worksheets are created equally! When choosing practice letter writing sheets, look for ones that include:

• Clear starting dots and directional arrows
• Large letters that are easy for small hands to trace
• A progression from tracing to independent copying

How to Avoid Worksheet Overload

If your child enjoys worksheets, that’s wonderful! Just remember that more isn’t always better.

A few simple habits can keep writing practice positive:

• Keep sessions brief – often five to ten minutes is enough for a preschooler – and stop earlier if your child becomes tired or frustrated.
• Finish while your child is still enjoying the activity.
• Pair worksheets with hands-on experiences like playdough, chalk or sand writing.
• Focus on one letter at a time instead of introducing several new ones at once.
• Celebrate effort, persistence and improvement rather than perfectly formed letters.

Key Insight: Worksheets are a helpful tool, not the whole learning journey. A child who happily practises one letter in shaving cream or playdough often gains more confidence than a child who reluctantly completes several pages of handwriting practice.

Common Writing Challenges (and What to Do)

Almost every child experiences a few bumps along the way when learning to write.

The good news is that most handwriting challenges are a normal part of development and improve with time, practice and encouragement.

My Child Holds the Pencil Awkwardly

You don’t need to panic if your child’s pencil grip doesn’t look perfect.

The mature tripod grip develops gradually. In the meantime, offer shorter pencils or broken crayons, which naturally encourage a more comfortable and controlled grip, and continue building finger strength through everyday play.

My Child Reverses Letters

If your child writes b instead of d, or mixes up p and q, you’re certainly not alone.

Letter reversals are very common and are considered a typical part of development. Rather than pointing out every mistake, gently model the correct formation and keep practising in fun, low-pressure ways.

My Child Refuses to Write

If writing ends in tears every time, it may be a sign that your child isn’t quite ready for formal handwriting.

Take a break from pencils and return to playful activities like painting, chalk drawing, playdough and sensory letter games. Once writing feels enjoyable again, you can gradually reintroduce letters.

My Child Presses Too Hard or Too Lightly

Some children grip the pencil tightly enough to snap the lead, while others barely leave a mark on the page. This usually reflects developing hand control, which controls writing pressure.

Experiment with different tools such as chunky crayons, markers, coloured pencils or whiteboard pens to discover what feels most comfortable for your child.

When Should You Ask for Extra Support?

Every child develops differently, but if your child reaches the end of Prep or Foundation and is still experiencing significant difficulty with pencil grip, severe letter reversals, persistent refusal to write or intense frustration during handwriting activities, it’s worth speaking with their classroom teacher.

Together, you can decide whether additional support, such as an assessment with a paediatric occupational therapist, would be helpful.

Photo by Shichida Australia: A parent and young child completing an activity together in a Shichida class.

Supporting Your Child’s Writing Journey with Shichida

Learning to write alphabet letters begins long before a child picks up a pencil. From infancy, activities involving movement, sensory play, hand–eye coordination, visual attention, language and fine motor control all help build the foundations needed for later handwriting.

Shichida Australia’s early learning classes begin from six months of age and support children through each stage of development. As children grow, activities become more advanced, helping build skills such as concentration, memory, letter recognition, language, pencil control and confidence.

Because parents participate in the early childhood classes, they can observe how activities are introduced and continue using similar ideas at home.

Book a trial class to see how Shichida helps build the developmental foundations that support handwriting, literacy and a lifelong enjoyment of learning.

What Is Object Permanence in Babies?

Object permanence refers to the understanding that something continues to exist even when it is no longer visible. Before developing this skill, a baby may act as though an object has vanished completely when it disappears from sight. As cognitive abilities mature, babies begin to realise that hidden objects still exist and can be found.

Why It Matters for Cognitive Development

Object permanence is far more than a simple game of finding hidden toys. It forms the foundation for several important developmental skills:

• Memory and recall
• Early problem-solving
• Language development
• Emotional regulation
• Understanding relationships and routines

For example, when your child hears the word “ball,” they eventually understand that the ball still exists even when it is stored away in a cupboard. This ability to mentally represent objects is a major step in both baby cognitive development and later toddler cognitive development.

Object Permanence and Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget identified object permanence as one of the key achievements of the Piaget sensorimotor stage, which spans birth to approximately two years.

Piaget observed that young infants often lose interest in an object as soon as it disappears. Older babies, however, actively search for hidden items. This shift signals that they are beginning to build mental representations of the world around them.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies practise early problem-solving as they match coloured objects to cups, building attention, memory, coordination, and the understanding that objects can move, disappear, and be found again.

When Does Object Permanence Develop in Babies?

Every child develops at their own pace, but object permanence generally emerges gradually throughout the first two years of life.

0-4 Months: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

During the earliest months, babies can track moving objects with their eyes for short periods. However, if a toy disappears behind a blanket, they typically stop searching and quickly move on to something else.

At this stage, their understanding of the world is based primarily on what they can directly see and experience.

This is a good time to introduce high contrast flashcards or pictures to your baby.

4-8 Months: The First Signs

Between four and eight months, many babies begin showing the earliest signs of object permanence.

They may:

• Look briefly toward where an object disappeared
• Anticipate something reappearing
• Become fascinated by peek-a-boo

This growing sense of expectation shows that babies are beginning to understand that things continue to exist beyond their immediate view.

8-12 Months: Active Searching

This is often when parents notice significant changes.

Your baby may:

• Lift a cloth to uncover a toy
• Search for a dropped object
• Follow where an object has gone
• Anticipate hidden objects reappearing

Around nine months, many babies can pass Piaget’s classic hidden-object test by uncovering a toy hidden beneath a blanket.

This period is also closely connected to separation anxiety and object permanence. Your baby now understands that you still exist when you leave the room, but they do not yet fully understand that you will return.

12-18 Months: Visible Displacement

Toddlers become better at tracking objects that move from one visible location to another.

For example, if they watch you move a toy from under one cup to another, they can usually follow the movement with their eyes and locate the correct cup.

This demonstrates growing memory and problem-solving abilities.

18-24 Months: Full Mastery and Mental Representation

By around two years of age, most toddlers have developed strong object permanence skills.

They can often find objects even when the hiding process occurs out of sight. This reflects the emergence of mental representation in toddlers, the ability to hold an image, person, or idea in mind without directly seeing it.

This milestone supports imagination, language development, pretend play, and more advanced problem-solving.

Signs Your Baby Is Developing Object Permanence

You may notice several everyday behaviours that signal growing object permanence:

• Watches the spot where a dropped toy fell
• Lifts a blanket to find a partially hidden object
• Enjoys peek-a-boo and anticipates the reveal
• Looks toward the door when you leave
• Searches for a toy hidden under a cup
• Becomes upset when you leave the room
• Starts playing simple hiding games
• Retrieves toys hidden in containers

Key Insight

Separation anxiety isn’t a setback. It’s a sign your baby’s cognitive understanding is growing. They now know you exist even when you’re not there. The next step is learning that you’ll always come back.

Image by Shichida Australia: Knob puzzles help babies practise memory, focus, fine motor control, and early problem-solving as they work out where each piece belongs. As babies lift, move, and replace puzzle pieces, they begin to understand that objects can change position while still existing – an important step in object permanence and early cognitive development.

Understanding the Cognitive Learning Stages in Babies and Toddlers

To understand where object permanence fits, it helps to look at the broader cognitive learning stage your child is moving through.

Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 Years)
Children learn about the world through their senses, movement, and direct interactions with their environment. During this stage, they begin to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 Years)
Language develops rapidly, and children begin using symbols, images, and pretend play to represent ideas. Their thinking becomes more imaginative, although it is still largely centred on their own perspective.

Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 Years)
Children start to think logically about real-life situations and can understand concepts such as cause and effect, conservation, and classification. Problem-solving skills become more organised and systematic.

Formal Operational Stage (11 Years and Older)
Abstract reasoning develops, allowing children and adolescents to think about hypothetical situations, future possibilities, and complex concepts that are not directly tied to concrete experiences.

Object permanence develops during the Sensorimotor stage, making it one of the earliest and most important cognitive achievements in early childhood development.

The Six Substages of the Sensorimotor Period

Piaget divided the sensorimotor period into six substages that show how babies gradually build their understanding of the world:

1. Reflexes (0-1 month): Learning through automatic responses such as sucking and grasping.
2. Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months): Repeating actions centred on their own body, such as sucking their thumb.
3. Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months): Repeating actions that create interesting effects in the environment.
4. Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months): Beginning intentional actions and searching for hidden objects.
5. Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months): Experimenting and exploring different ways to achieve results.
6. Mental Representation (18-24 months): Thinking about objects and events without directly seeing them.

Object permanence develops gradually across these stages and reaches its most advanced form during the final stage.

From Cognitive Understanding to Skilled Action

Once babies understand that objects continue to exist, they spend months practising that knowledge through play. Games of peek-a-boo and finding hidden toys helps strengthen memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.

This is why simple play experiences are so powerful for early learning!

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies practise visual tracking as they follow the puppet with their eyes, helping strengthen focus, attention, and field of vision during early development. Following a moving puppet helps babies practise visual tracking, attention, and anticipation – early skills that support object permanence as babies learn to notice where people and objects move.

Object Permanence Activities for Babies (0-12 Months)

The best object permanence activities are simple, playful, and easy to repeat throughout the day.

Classic Peek-a-Boo

Peek-a-boo is one of the earliest and most effective object permanence games. Start by covering your face with your hands. As your baby grows, hide behind a cloth or around furniture before reappearing.

Play peek-a-boo during nappy changes or tummy time for a quick cognitive boost!

Hiding a Toy Under a Cloth

Place a favourite toy under a lightweight scarf while your baby watches. Around 7-9 months, many babies will begin lifting the cloth to retrieve it.

Pop-Up Toys

Simple pop-up toys help babies experience the exciting pattern of “gone” and “back again”. This strengthens their understanding that objects continue to exist even when temporarily hidden.

Lift-the-Flap Books

Books with flaps provide built-in object permanence practice. Your baby learns that something hidden behind the flap is still there waiting to be discovered.

Rolling a Ball Behind a Cushion

Slowly roll a ball behind a cushion or small obstacle. Encourage your baby to look for where it went. Use a brightly coloured ball and exaggerate your movements to keep your baby engaged.

Object Container Play

Place toys into a container and tip them back out. This simple activity helps babies understand that objects can move between locations while continuing to exist.

Calling From Another Room

Briefly step just out of sight and call your baby’s name before returning with a smile. This gentle game helps build trust alongside cognitive understanding.

Mirror Disappearance Play

Cover and uncover your baby’s reflection with a cloth. Many babies find this fascinating and entertaining.

Image by Shichida Australia: Familiar songs and flashcard routines help babies build memory and anticipation as they learn to expect what comes next.

Object Permanence Activities for 1-Year-Olds

By age one, object permanence is becoming well established. Activities can now focus on memory, problem-solving, and exploration.

Object Permanence Boxes

These simple boxes allow toddlers to drop a ball into a hole and retrieve it from a drawer below. They encourage prediction, memory, and persistence.

Container and Lid Matching

Offer several containers and matching lids. Toddlers enjoy hiding objects, finding them again, and experimenting with different combinations.

Hide and Seek with People

Hide behind a doorway or curtain and encourage your toddler to come looking for you.

Stacking and Knocking Down

Building towers and knocking them down helps toddlers explore cause and effect while strengthening attention and coordination.

Simple Shape Sorters

Shape sorters encourage problem-solving while reinforcing the idea that objects continue to exist when placed inside a container.

Pointing and Naming Games

Ask questions such as “Where’s Daddy’s shoe?” or “Where’s your teddy?” Finding absent objects demonstrates growing mental representation skills.

Brain Development Toys for 1-Year-Olds

Image by Shichida Australia: Posting games help toddlers practise colour matching, fine motor control, memory, and problem-solving as they work out where each piece belongs and where it goes once posted inside the box

When choosing brain development toys for 1 year old children, focus on open-ended play rather than flashing lights or complicated features.

Helpful options include:

• Object permanence boxes
• Lift-the-flap books
• Push-button pop-up toys
• Soft balls and containers
• Wooden shape sorters
• Stacking rings
• Treasure baskets filled with safe household objects

Key Insight

The best brain development toys aren’t expensive or screen-based. They’re simple, open-ended, and allow your child to repeat the same actions many times. Repetition is how learning becomes lasting understanding.

Image by Shichida Australia: Quick hidden-object intuition games help children practise decision-making as they tune into their first response, build confidence in their choices, and strengthen focus through playful learning.

Object Permanence and Memory Activities for 2-Year-Olds

By age two, the focus shifts beyond object permanence toward memory, language, sequencing, and symbolic thinking.

Memory Matching Games

Start with just two to four pairs of picture cards. Matching games strengthen attention and working memory.

Three-Cup Hide Game

Hide a toy under one of three cups while your toddler watches. Encourage them to track and locate the toy.

Imaginative Object Play

Ask questions such as “Where does teddy sleep?” or “Can you put teddy to bed?” Symbolic play shows increasingly sophisticated thinking.

Sequencing Daily Routines

Use picture cards or simple instructions such as “First we wash hands, then we eat lunch.” This helps toddlers understand events across time.

Hide and Seek with Time Delay

Hide an object, briefly leave the room, then return and encourage your child to find it. This strengthens memory retention.

Posting and Sorting Games

Posting boxes, coin banks, and sorting activities encourage toddlers to predict where objects have gone and retrieve them later.

Language Games for Absent Objects

Ask your toddler about a grandparent, favourite toy, or recent outing that is not currently present. Talking about absent people and events demonstrates strong mental representation skills.

Object Permanence, Separation Anxiety, and Emotional Development

Many parents first encounter object permanence through separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety often begins between 8 and 14 months and may peak between 14 and 18 months. While it can be challenging, it is usually a sign of healthy development.

Your baby now understands that you continue to exist when you’re not visible. What they have not yet fully mastered is the understanding that you will reliably return.

Helpful strategies include:

• Keeping goodbyes short and predictable
• Using comfort objects during separations
• Playing hide-and-seek games
• Following consistent daily routines
• Practising brief separations and reunions

Key Insight

Object permanence can contribute to separation anxiety because your baby understands that you still exist when you leave. Over time, consistent routines and repeated reunions help your child feel more secure and learn that you come back.

When to Speak to a Child Health Professional

Developmental milestones vary widely, and every child develops at their own pace.

However, it may be worth speaking with your Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurse or GP if:

• By 12 months, your baby shows no interest in hidden objects
• Your child never searches for toys that disappear
• By 18 months, there are no signs of pretend or symbolic play
• Previously acquired skills are lost
• You have concerns about eye contact, response to name, or social engagement

These are conversation starters, not diagnoses. A health professional can provide reassurance or recommend further assessment if needed.

Supporting Your Baby’s Cognitive Development with Shichida

Object permanence is just one of many important milestones that develop during the first two years of life. During this time, babies are building memory, attention, language, emotional awareness, and problem-solving skills.

The Shichida Method supports early development through structured, multi-sensory learning experiences. Shichida Australia’s infant and toddler programs combine sensory activities, language exposure, music, movement, memory games, and parent-child interaction to complement learning at home.

Ready to continue your child’s learning journey? Book a trial class or find your nearest Shichida centre today!

Key takeaways

• Spatial awareness helps children understand where their bodies and objects are in space.
  It supports everyday tasks like walking through a room, using utensils, solving puzzles, and getting dressed.
• It plays an important role in both learning and independence.
  Strong spatial skills support coordination, problem-solving, maths, visualisation, and confidence in daily life.
• Spatial awareness develops gradually from infancy through the primary years.
  Babies begin through sensory exploration and movement, preschoolers build it through play and spatial language, and school-aged children refine it through structured learning.
• Play is one of the best ways to build spatial awareness.
  Activities like puzzles, building blocks, pattern matching, movement games, and arts and crafts all help children understand space, direction, size, and position.
• Some children may show signs of spatial awareness difficulties.
  Trouble with puzzles, organising objects, navigating spaces, or respecting personal space can all point to challenges worth watching.
• Technology can help, but it should be used intentionally.
  Educational apps can support spatial reasoning, but they work best alongside hands-on, real-world experiences and parent involvement.
• Strong spatial awareness has long-term benefits.
  It supports later success in maths, science, design, engineering, navigation, and everyday practical tasks.

As your child grows, they reach important developmental milestones that support their learning and independence. One key area of growth is spatial awareness – the understanding of where objects (and their own bodies) are in space.

As a parent, you can play a powerful role in nurturing this skill during early childhood.

This article will guide you through the concept of spatial awareness, its benefits, and practical ways to help strengthen your child’s spatial abilities through everyday activities and play.

What is Spatial Awareness?

Spatial awareness is your child’s ability to understand and respond to the space around them. Everyday actions like picking up toys, using a spoon, or walking through a room all involve this skill.

Supporting spatial awareness in early childhood helps children move confidently and safely through their environment, improving their ability to complete daily tasks and interact with the world.

Simple activities that help develop this skill include crafts like drawing and colouring, block play, board games and physical activities or sports.

Spatial Awareness Definition and Basics

Also known as body awareness in early childhood, spatial awareness is the ability to understand your surroundings and your position within them. While children aren’t born with fully developed spatial skills, these abilities begin to form from birth and can be nurtured over time.

With strong spatial awareness, a child can judge distance, understand direction, and grasp concepts like size and shape. These skills come into play during everyday tasks such as solving puzzles, stacking blocks or buttoning clothes.

Why Spatial Awareness Matters for Kids

When it comes to your child’s development, how they interact with their surroundings plays a key role – and spatial awareness is a big part of that. It helps them understand how their body and objects relate to the space around them.

As children grow, strong spatial skills support their ability to visualise concepts in learning, move with greater coordination during play, and navigate social interactions with more confidence.

Developmental Stages of Spatial Awareness

Spatial awareness isn’t something children are born with – it develops gradually over time. Below are the key stages in your child’s early development to help you understand what to expect and how to support their progress.

Ages 0-2 Years: Early Sensory Exploration

From birth, babies begin developing spatial awareness through sensory experiences – starting with visual tracking, grasping nearby objects, and responding to movement. In these early months, they explore space mostly with their eyes and hands.

As they approach toddlerhood, around 12 to 24 months, toddlers begin to move independently – crawling, pulling up and walking. This mobility gives them new ways to interact with their environment, like reaching for distant toys, navigating around furniture and exploring how objects relate to each other in size, shape and orientation.

Ages 3-5 Years: Developing Spatial Skills Through Play

Between the ages of 3 and 5, preschool-aged children begin engaging in more complex activities such as building structures, completing puzzles, and replicating patterns. As they explore the world with curiosity and creativity, they start to navigate familiar spaces with ease, recognise familiar faces, and develop an understanding of left and right.

During this stage, play becomes a powerful teacher. Through games and hands-on experiences, they begin to use spatial language naturally – words like under, behind, near, and far – as they describe and interact with their environment.

Photo by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers solving a fun 3D Tangram puzzle challenge. This activity develops critical thinking, fine motor control, pattern recognition and spatial awareness.

Ages 6-9 Years: Refining Spatial Skills in Early Education

Between the ages of 6 and 9, school-aged children begin to refine spatial skills through structured learning and hands-on activities in school. Tasks like arranging objects in patterns, solving puzzles, using rulers and identifying shapes in geometry help them better understand how things relate to one another in space.

They also start grasping more advanced concepts like symmetry, measurement and basic 3D construction, which play a key role in subjects like maths, art and science. Strengthening these skills at this stage supports cognitive development and lays the foundation for academic success in later years.

Recognising Spatial Awareness Challenges

Although spatial awareness naturally develops as your child grows, some children may experience spatial challenges along the way. Identifying these early signs can help you offer the right support and encouragement to strengthen these skills over time.

Common Signs of Spatial Awareness Difficulties

Here are some signs that may indicate your child is experiencing challenges with spatial awareness:

• Struggles to organise objects like toys or books
• Frequently bumps into furniture or has trouble navigating familiar spaces
• Difficulty completing puzzles or playing with building blocks
• Often bumps into people or invades personal space
• Misses social cues, such as when someone steps back or changes position

When to Seek Professional Support

If your child’s spatial challenges are noticeably affecting their everyday activities – such as walking, playing, socialising, or learning at school – it may be time to seek professional guidance. Early intervention can make a meaningful difference.

Professionals who can assess and support your child include an occupational therapist, physical therapist or child psychologist, depending on the nature of the concerns. These experts can help identify specific needs and provide targeted strategies to support your child’s development.

Practical Activities to Develop Spatial Awareness at Home

Photo from Pexels: A toddler completing a puzzle with his mum

Enhancing your child’s spatial awareness doesn’t require any expensive toys. With just a little creativity, you can turn everyday moments at home into fun and engaging opportunities for spatial learning and exploration.

Building Blocks and Construction Games

Educational toys like building blocks and construction sets are fantastic for developing spatial skills. They help children understand how objects fit together and how to position items for balance, symmetry and stability.

One great activity to try is creating 3D shapes using blocks. Simply provide a set of blocks and a picture or model to replicate. Encourage your child to observe, plan, and build and offer gentle guidance if they get stuck.

Puzzles and Pattern Matching

Puzzles and pattern matching are excellent spatial games you can easily try at home. These activities challenge your child to think about how pieces fit together and help them understand how a complete picture or pattern is formed from smaller parts.

Must-try activities:

• Jigsaw puzzleswith varying shapes and sizes to improve visual-spatial reasoning.
• Pattern recognition games, such as matching colours, shapes or sequences using cards or blocks.

These hands-on activities help strengthen problem-solving skills and visual perception.

Movement and Directional Games

Arts and crafts are a creative and hands-on way to build spatial awareness. By focusing on shapes, sizes, and positioning, children learn how different elements can be moved, rotated, and combined to create something new.

Must-try activities:

• Create abstract collagesby arranging and gluing various shapes onto a canvas or paper.
• Draw shapes and lines, or paint using brushes to explore how different forms fit and relate to each other.

These simple artistic tasks help children develop a deeper understanding of spatial relationships.

Arts and Crafts for Spatial Skills

Through arts and crafts, especially when you emphasise shapes and sizes, children learn how different forms can be moved, rotated, transformed and fitted together. These creative tasks help them visualise spatial relationships in a fun and hands-on way.

Must-try activities:

• Create abstract collagesby arranging various cut-out shapes into a design.
• Draw shapes and lines, and paint with brushesto explore size, placement and patterns.

Role of Technology in Developing Spatial Awareness

Technology can be a valuable tool in supporting child development milestones, including spatial awareness. Many educational apps, puzzles and games include interactive elements that encourage kids to practise real-world skills like matching shapes, recognising patterns, and understanding direction.

However, it’s important to use technology mindfully. Too much screen time can limit social interaction and reduce opportunities for hands-on exploration, both of which are essential for healthy development. Strive for a balanced approach, combining screen time with physical and social activities for the best overall growth.

Photo by SHICHIDA at Home: Technology done right – these screen-based lessons are guided, interactive and grounded in real-world learning. SHICHIDA at Home helps children build spatial awareness, memory and fine motor skills from the comfort of home, with parent involvement at every step.

Recommended Educational Apps and Games

Here are some high-quality, age-appropriate apps that can support your child’s spatial reasoning and early development through play-based learning:

• SHICHIDA at Home (Ages 1–5): A whole-brain learning program designed to support early development, including spatial awareness, memory, and critical thinking, through fun, guided workbook activities, songs and interactive video lessons.
• DragonBox Numbers (Ages 4–9): Uses colourful visuals and interactive tools to help children understand abstract math and spatial concepts in a hands-on way.
• Lightbot (Ages 4–8): A puzzle game that introduces coding basics while building spatial reasoning through logic-based challenges and sequencing.
• Scratch Jr. (Ages 5–7): Encourages kids to create simple animations and storylines, teaching sequencing, cause and effect, and directional thinking.

Balancing Screen Time with Traditional Activities

As a parent, you can make the most of technology while still encouraging your child to enjoy traditional, hands-on activities that support spatial reasoning. Here are some practical tips to find that balance:

• Use technology intentionally – not every spatial game needs to be digital. Encourage physical play with puzzles, block sets and real-world movement.
• Choose digital content that educate, not just entertain. Look for tools that support learning goals like spatial awareness, not just screen time fillers.
• Set screen time limits to ensure a healthy mix of physical, social, and cognitive development.
• Stay involved. Sit with your child during screen time to talk about what they’re seeing and doing. Ask questions, join in, and make it an interactive experience – not just passive screen-watching.

A balanced approach helps your child benefit from both digital learning tools and the real-world experiences that are essential for spatial growth.

Long-Term Benefits of Strong Spatial Awareness

Spatial awareness goes far beyond simple games or childhood activities. It plays a key role in your child’s overall development, influencing everything from early learning to future academic success and career readiness.

The ability to understand space, distance, and relationships helps children with mathematics, problem-solving, and even creative pursuits like design or engineering. Beyond academics, spatial intelligence supports everyday life skills, from packing a school bag to navigating new environments with confidence.

Photo by Shichida Australia: Spatial skills start early – here babies are stacking blocks which builds focus, balance and awareness of how objects fit in space.

Support Your Child’s Development with Shichida Australia

Spatial awareness is a key part of our holistic early learning approach – designed to nurture memory, creativity, critical thinking, and confidence from a young age.

Every class includes 20 to 25 engaging games and activities, offering fun, age-appropriate challenges for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Book a trial class today and see how we make learning a joyful and meaningful journey for your child!