Which motor skill is typical for a 4-year-old?

Which motor skill is typical for a 4-year-old?

• A. Hops on one foot for several steps
• B. Draws a straight line
• C. Reads simple words
• D. Balances on one foot for two seconds

Answer: (A)

Preschoolers show growing balance, leg strength, and coordinated movement, and they start to perform more dynamic tasks. Hopping on one foot for several steps reflects this level of gross-motor control—it's not just balancing, but moving with control and transferring weight from one leg to another, which is typical for a four-year-old. The other options tap into different skills: drawing a straight line is mainly fine-motor/pre-writing skill that can show up earlier; reading simple words is a literacy milestone rather than a motor milestone; balancing on one foot for a couple of seconds is a simpler, less demanding balance task that doesn’t demonstrate the more advanced hopping ability expected at this age.

Preschoolers show growing balance, leg strength, and coordinated movement, and they start to perform more dynamic tasks. Hopping on one foot for several steps reflects this level of gross-motor control—it's not just balancing, but moving with control and transferring weight from one leg to another, which is typical for a four-year-old. The other options tap into different skills: drawing a straight line is mainly fine-motor/pre-writing skill that can show up earlier; reading simple words is a literacy milestone rather than a motor milestone; balancing on one foot for a couple of seconds is a simpler, less demanding balance task that doesn’t demonstrate the more advanced hopping ability expected at this age.