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Developmental Milestones

 

Birth to 1 1/2 Months

 

Language

  • Turns head to sound of parents’ voices

  • Responds to, but does not yet localize sounds

  • Different cries express different needs

  • Makes simple sounds when awake, like “eh”

 

Intellectual

  • Focuses on high contrast objects

  • Observes surroundings briefly

  • Gazes at faces

  • Tracks an object or person moving slowly at close range

 

Social-Emotional

  • Shows when over stimulated (averts face, sleeps, becomes fussy)

  • Prefers faces over all other visual stimulation

  • Can be comforted by caregiver

  • Makes brief eye contact

 

Motor

  • Lifts head briefly when lying on his tummy

  • Sucks effectively

  • Movements largely controlled by reflexes

 

 

1 1/2 to 3 1/2 Months

 

Language

  • Turns head in general direction of sound

  • Looks at parent when they talk

  • Makes sounds with saliva

  • Begins cooing, using vowel sounds like “aah”, “eee”, “ooo”

  • Takes turns making sounds with parent (reciprocal vocalization)

 

Intellectual

  • Looks at own hands

  • Bats overhead objects

  • Visually follows people and things past midline(center of body)

  • Combines two actions (e.g., sucking and looking around)

 

Social-Emotional

  • Smiles purposefully

  • Uses crying to alert parent to needs

  • Imitates some facial movements

  • Shows excitement when seeing or hearing caregiver

  • Comforts self in some way (e.g., suck thumb or pacifier)

 

Motor

  • Uses some voluntary  movements (e.g., squirming, stretching, random movements of arms and legs)

  • Lifts head when lying on stomach and turns it from side to side

  • Brings hands to midline

  • Unclenches hands and uses them independently to bat at objects

 

 

3 1/2 to 5 1/2 Months

 

Language

  • Turns head to locate a sound

  • Listens intently to sounds made with own mouth

  • Practices sounds when alone

  • Gurgles and coos to show pleasure

  • Makes raspberries or similar sounds

 

Intellectual

  • Investigates small objects with hands, fingers, and eyes

  • Brings objects to mouth to explore

  • Accurately bats dangling objects and repeats the activity

  • Looks at person or object for a least one minute

 

Social-Emotional

  • Responds to familiar faces by calming, smiling, vocalizing, and/or vigorously moving arms and legs

  • Responds to attention and affection

  • Laughs

  • Recognizes regular caregivers

  • Stops crying briefly when parents approach

 

Motor

  • Turns on either side

  • Lifts head and chest using forearms for support

  • Sits with support

  • Holds toys with both hands

  • Stretches legs and kicks at objects

  • Reaches and grasps items of interest

  • Holds head steady in supported sitting position

  • Turns from stomach to back or back to stomach

 

 

5 1/2 to 8 Months

 

Language

  • Associates some sounds heard with objects and people seen

  • Looks for named parent

  • Squeals, shrieks, or makes other loud noises

  • Vocalizes single syllables, such as ba,pa,da,ma and na

  • Babbles using repeated syllables such as ma ma ma, ba ba

 

Intellectual

  • Briefly looks at pictures in books

  • Tries to explore everything with mouth

  • Experiments with the effects of throwing, dropping, shaking and banging objects

  • Searches for objects which have been dropped or partly hidden

  • Anticipates the effects of actions

  • Demonstrates intense curiosity through constant exploration

  • Reaches into a container to get objects

 

Social-Emotional

  • Show concern when parent leaves room

  • Enjoys simple games such as peek-a-boo

  • Enjoys affectionate play

  • Seeks attention from caregiver

  • Spends longer periods of time not crying

 

Motor

  • Sits without support or help

  • Rolls, scoots or pulls body with arms

  • Stands, holding on to support

  • Grasps or turns objects with control

  • Transfers objects from one hand to the other

  • Bangs two objects together

 

 

8 to 14 Months

 

Language

  • Responds to simple requests sometimes

  • Responds to “no” sometimes

  • Listens for a few minutes to rhymes and songs

  • Looks at books and points to familiar pictures named

  • Understands 10 frequently used words

  • Points, gestures, or makes sounds to indicate wants and needs

  • Jabbers

  • Tries to say a few words, including dada and mama specifically

 

Intellectual

  • Examines small objects and details

  • Experiments purposefully with objects to discover the effects of his actions (e.g., light switch)

  • Repeats acts which have produced interesting effects

  • Remembers the location of hidden objects (e.g., T.V. remote)

  • Places a round shape into a shape sorter

 

Social-Emotional

  • Knows the difference between familiar people and strangers

  • Tries to be included in activities of the family

  • Gets caregivers’ attention and wants to be near them

  • Shows parents when needs help

  • Plays simple imitative  games such as “pat-a cake” and “so big”

  • Show affection and annoyance

  • Observes and imitates actions of people

  • Shows satisfaction with own accomplishments; smiles

  • Initiates interaction with familiar people

 

Motor

  • Pulls self up to stand

  • Cruises

  • Lowers self to sitting position

  • Stands alone

  • Walks with assistance

  • Climbs stairs and other low objects

  • Turns pages in a stiff book

  • Tosses or throws without control

  • Bangs two objects together

  • Picks up tiny objects with thumb and index finger (pincer grasp)

  • Uses index finger to point

 

 

14 to 24 Months

 

Language

  • Follows one step directions

  • Brings objects from another room on request

  • Uses words with gestures to indicate needs

  • Has 50 word vocabulary

  • Combines two words

  • Imitates adult inflections

  • Jabbers expressively (sounds like scolding, asking, exclaiming)

  • Speaks clearly about half the time

  • Names three pictures

  • Points to six body parts

 

Intellectual

  • Uses trial and error to solve problems

  • Places round, square, and triangular piece into sorter

  • Takes things apart and tries to put them together again

  • Overcomes simple obstacles (e.g., uses chair to reach high object)

  • Knows three animal sounds

  • Explores cabinets and drawers

  • Finds detail in favorite picture book or on object

 

Social-Emotional

  • Says “no” often

  • Imitates adult behaviors and activities (e.g., sweeps floor, takes pictures, fixes things)

  • Tries to comfort others in distress (e.g., pats them, gives toys, etc.)

  • Plays by self for a short period of time

  • Holds and drinks from open cup with some spilling

  • Gives up bottle

  • Feeds self with spoon with some spilling

  • Removes socks, hat, and shoes (laces undone)

 

Motor

  • Walks backward

  • Throws small ball forward

  • Kicks large ball forward

  • Carries large object while walking

  • Walks up stairs holding railing

  • Climbs and runs

  • Straddles and rides toy without pedals

  • Scribbles spontaneously

  • Imitates vertical line

  • Builds tower of six cubes

 

 

24 to 36 Months

 

Language

  • Follows two step directions

  • Names eight pictures

  • Initiates and carries on a short conversation

  • Uses four word sentences

  • Uses intelligible words 75% of the time

  • Has 200+ word vocabulary

  • Uses pronouns (I, you, me)

  • Uses past tense

  • Uses plural words (socks)

  • Asks what, where, and why questions

  • Verbalizes two prepositions

 

Intellectual

  • Enjoys make believe play

  • Matches identical pictures or objects

  • Points to big or little object upon request

  • Sorts toys by one characteristic( e.g., color, shape, etc.)

  • Understands meaning of two

 

Social-Emotional

  • Uses the word “mine” or “me”

  • Follows 3 to 5 simple rules

  • Interacts with other children

  • Initiates own play

 

Motor

  • Catches a large ball

  • Jumps up with both feet off the floor

  • Walks up and down stairs by self, alternating feet

  • Builds tower of six cubes

  • Imitates a vertical line

  • Holds pencil with thumb and fingers (adult-like grasp)

  • Snips on a straight line using scissors

 

Age 3

 

Language

  • Understands most of what is said and 75% of speech is understandable

  • Speaks in complete sentences of three to five words

  • Follows simple directions

 

Intellectual

  • Matches pictures to objects

  • Learns by doing and through the senses

  • Understands concepts of “now”, “soon”, “later”

  • Begins to recognize cause-and-effect relationships

 

Social-Emotional

  • Enjoys helping with household tasks

  • Begins to recognize own limits—asks for help

  • Likes to play alone, but near other children

  • Does not cooperate or share well

  • Able to make choices between two things

 

Motor

  • Walks with an agile, almost-adult style

  • Runs around obstacles

  • Catches large balls and throws overhead

  • Climbs ladders; uses slide independently

  • Rides a tricycle

  • Alternates feet when climbing stairs

  • Assembles simple puzzles

  • Manipulates clay; finger paints

  • Copies simple shapes, such as a cross or circle

  • Stacks blocks up to nine high

 

Tips for Parenting 3 Year-Olds

No longer a toddler, your 3-year-old takes in knowledge about herself and the world around her.

  • Transitions are difficult at this age.

  • Provide warning of changes so your child has time to shift gears.

  • Rituals are important. Household routines and schedules give a sense of security.

  • Point out colors and numbers in the course of everyday conversation.

  • Encourage independent activity to build self-reliance.

  • Provide lots of sensory experiences for learning and developing coordination.

  • Desires routine

  • Brushes teeth with help

  • Washes and dries own hands

  • Undresses and dresses with help

 

 

Age 4

 

Language:

  • Uses a 1,500 word vocabulary; speaks in relatively complex sentences (“Mommy opened the door and the dog ran out.”)

  • Understands words that relate one idea to another—if, why, when

  • Expansive; enjoys using big words, trying out language

  • Bathroom language evident, as well as other “swears”

  • Very talkative; likes to explain…”and you know what?...”

  • Loves being read to

 

Intellectual:

  • Continues to learn through experience and the senses

  • Understands mostly the difference between fantasy and reality

  • Understands number and space concepts—more, less, bigger, in, under, behind

  • Thinks literally; starting to develop logical thinking

  • Begins to grasp that pictures and symbols can represent real objects

  • Starts to recognize patterns among objects—round things, soft things, animals

  • Grasps the concepts of past, present, and future but does not understand the duration of time

 

Social-Emotional:

  • Takes turns, shares, and cooperates

  • Expresses anger verbally rather than physically

  • Can feel jealousy

  • May sometimes lie to protect herself, but understands the concept of lying

  • Enjoys pretending and has a vivid imagination

  • Can make decisions based on interest; not overly dependent on adults, though obviously requiring their guidance

  • Like responsibility of a “big person” job (setting the table, folding the clothes, putting out the snack)

  • Older fours sometimes fearful, worried; nightmares

 

Motor:

  • Vision in the far field, on the horizon

  • Running is more controlled; can start, stop, and turn

  • Turns somersaults; hops on one foot; gallops

  • Can easily catch, throw, and bounce a ball

  • Can brush teeth, comb hair, wash, and dress with little assistance

  • Copies crosses and squares

  • Prints some letters

  • Uses table utensils skillfully

  • Cuts on a line

 

Tips for Parenting Four Year-Olds

Silly, imaginative, and energetic, your child loves to try new words and new activities.

  • Four year-olds crave adult approval. Provide lots of positive encouragement.

  • Display calendars and analog clocks to help your child visualize the concept of time.

  • Play word games to develop growing vocabulary; overlook his fascination with bad words.

  • Offer opportunities for sorting, matching, counting, and comparing.

  • Provide lots of play space and occasions to play with other kids.

 

Age 5

 

Language

  • Speaks fluently; correctly uses plurals, pronouns, tenses

  • Very interested in words and language

  • Uses complex language

 

Intellectual

  • Seeks knowledge

  • Understands and names opposites

  • Still confuses fantasy and reality at times

  • Thinking is still naïve; doesn’t use “adult” logic

 

Social-Emotional

  • Distinguishes right from wrong, honest from dishonest, but does not recognize intent

  • Plays make-believe and dresses up

  • Mimics adult and seeks praise

  • Seeks to play rather than to be alone; friends are important

  • Plays with both boys and girls but prefers the same sex

  • Wants to conform; may criticize those who do not

 

Motor

  • Runs in an adult manner

  • Walks on tiptoe, broad jumps

  • Walks on a balance beam

  • Skates and jumps rope

  • Hand preference is established

  • Laces (but cannot tie) shoes

  • Grasps pencil like an adult

  • Colors within the lines

  • Cuts and pastes simple shapes

 

Tips for Parenting 5 Year-Olds

Your cooperative, easy-going 5-year-old loves to play and that’s how he learns.

  • Join in activities that develop coordination and balance—skipping and hopping, walking on the curb or crack in the sidewalk, climb trees.

  • Encourage fine motor skills by letting your child cut pictures out of magazines, string beads, or play with take-apart, put-together toys.

  • Take advantage of his interest in numbers by counting anything and everything; teach simple addition and subtraction by using objects, not numerals.

  • Let your child know what to expect from an upcoming event or activity so he can prepare. Avoid springing things on him. Help him recognize his emotions by using words to describe them.

 

 

 

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