Only as children experiment through touching, dropping, pushing, and pulling do they begin to build what they know. The preschool years These years are the most significant in a person's life for the development of thinking skills. Toddling, exploring, and pounding are often worrisome to parents but traits which are normal during this stage. Skills are being developed when children touch, feel, look, mix-up, turn over, and throw. Exploration and the need to test independence seem to dominate during this time.
Independence is the primary emotional stage during the early preschool years.
With the importance of toilet training and language development, caregivers should be sensitive to developing independence and not shame and doubt. Use of guilt and severe punishments in reaction to acts of normal development can be harmful during this important period. Learning to be independent paves the way for the child to develop a healthy sense of initiative, drive, or motivation. Children who learn to start their own activities lay the groundwork for positive and productive school experiences. Again, exploration, questioning, and investigation play a major role in development.