Small children live completely in the present. During their first years at primary school, most children begin to develop an understanding of time.

Although your child is beginning to gain a better sense of past, present and future, this will take time to develop.

There's no official timetable
Mentally as well as physically, children of the same age can display differences of 2 or more years in reading and writing ability. It's usually nothing to worry about, but if your child appears to be considerably behind her class, it's worth talking with her teacher.

You may also want to check with her doctor - vision or hearing problems are surprisingly frequent contributors to early learning difficulties. If all tests are normal, try to relax and accept that some children may be initially slower but can later spurt ahead to meet or surpass norms. Even Einstein did badly at school.

• Development 4-7 Yrs: Not A Baby Anymore
• Development 4-7 Yrs: The 'Age Of Reason'
• Development 4-7 Yrs: 'Who Am I?'