developmental milestones
Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye-bye" are called developmental milestones. Developmental milestones are things that most children can do by a certain age.
Because children develop at their own pace, milestones are not concrete rules. We can't know exactly when a child might learn a new skill. However, we do know that most children learn skills during a certain time. For instance, most children begin walking between 9 and 15 months.
Milestones are helpful because they let us know what to expect as a child grows. Using the milestones, you can track how your child is learning new skills.
If you are worried that your child is not meeting a milestone or you have concerns about your child's development, don't wait. Talk with your child's doctor or teacher. You can also call Help Me Grow.
Months
Social &
Emotional
- Begins to smile at people
- Can briefly calm himself (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand)
- Tries to look at parent
Language &
Communication
- Coos, makes gurgling sounds
- Turns head toward sounds
Learning &
Thinking
- Pays attention to faces
- Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance
- Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn’t change
Physical &
Movement
- Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
- Makes smoother movements with arms and legs
Months
Social &
Emotional
- Smiles spontaneously, especially at people
- Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops
- Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning
Language &
Communication
- Begins to babble
- Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears
- Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired
Learning &
Thinking
- Lets you know if she is happy or sad
- Responds to affection
- Reaches for toy with one hand
- Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
- Follows moving things with eyes from side to side
- Watches faces closely
- Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance
Physical &
Movement
- Holds head steady, unsupported
- Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface
- May be able to roll over from tummy to back
- Can hold a toy and shake it and swing at dangling toys
- Brings hands to mouth
- When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows
Months
Social &
Emotional
- Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger
- Likes to play with others, especially parents
- Responds to other people’s emotions and often seems happy
- Likes to look at self in a mirror
Language &
Communication
- Responds to sounds by making sounds
- Strings vowels together when babbling ("ah", "eh", "oh") and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds
- Responds to own name
- Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure
- Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with "m", "b")
Learning &
Thinking
- Looks around at things nearby
- Brings things to mouth
- Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach
- Begins to pass things from one hand to the other
Physical &
Movement
- Rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front)
- Begins to sit without support
- When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce
- Rocks back and forth, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward
Months
Social &
Emotional
- May be afraid of strangers
- May be clingy with familiar adults
- Has favorite toys
Language &
Communication
- Understands “no”
- Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
- Copies sounds and gestures of others
- Uses fingers to point at things
Learning &
Thinking
- Looks for things he sees you hide
- Plays peek-a-boo
- Puts things in her mouth
- Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other
- Picks up things like cereal o’s between thumb and index finger
Physical &
Movement
- Stands, holding on
- Can get into sitting position
- Sits without support
- Pulls to stand
- Crawls
Year
Social &
Emotional
- Is shy or nervous with strangers
- Cries when mom or dad leaves
- Has favorite things and people
- Puts out arm or leg to help with dressing
- Plays games such as "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake"
Language &
Communication
- Responds to simple spoken requests
- Uses simple gestures, like shaking head “no”or waving “bye-bye”
- Makes sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech)
- Says "mama" and "dada" and exclamations like “uh-oh!"
- Tries to say words you say
Learning &
Thinking
- Finds hidden things easily
- Looks at the right picture or thing when it’s named
- Copies gestures
- Bangs two things together
- Follows simple directions like “pick up the toy”
Physical &
Movement
- Finds hidden things easily
- Looks at the right picture or thing when it’s named
- Copies gestures
- Bangs two things together
- Follows simple directions like “pick up the toy”
Months
Social &
Emotional
- Likes to hand things to others as play
- Plays simple pretend, such as feeding a doll
- May cling to caregivers in new situations
- Points to show others something interesting
Language &
Communication
- Says several single words
- Says and shakes head “no”
- Points to show someone what he wants
Learning &
Thinking
- Knows what ordinary things are for; for example, telephone, brush, spoon
- Points to get the attention of others
- Shows interest in a doll or stuffed animal by pretending to feed
- Points to one body part
- Can follow 1-step verbal commands without any gestures; for example, sits when you say “sit down”
Physical &
Movement
- Walks alone
- Pulls toys while walking
- Can help undress herself
- Drinks from a cup
- Eats with a spoon
Years
Social &
Emotional
- Copies others, especially adults and older children
- Gets excited when with other children
- Shows more and more independence
- Shows defiant behavior (doing what he has been told not to)
- Plays mainly beside other children, but is beginning to include other children, such as in chase games
Language &
Communication
- Points to things or pictures when they are named
- Knows names of familiar people and body parts
- Says sentences with 2 to 4 words
- Follows simple instructions
- Repeats words overheard in conversation
Learning &
Thinking
- Begins to sort shapes and colors
- Plays simple make-believe games
- Builds towers of 4 or more blocks
- Follows two-step instructions such as “Pick up your shoes and put them in the closet."
- Names items in a picture book such as a cat, bird, or dog
Physical &
Movement
- Kicks a ball
- Begins to run
- Climbs onto and down from furniture without help
- Throws ball overhand
- Makes or copies straight lines and circles
Years
Social &
Emotional
- Takes turns in games
- Understands the idea of "mine" and "his" or "hers"
- Shows a wide range of emotions
- Separates easily from mom and dad
- Dresses and undresses self
Language &
Communication
- Can name most familiar things
- Understands words like “in," “on," and “under”
- Says first name, age, and sex
- Talks well enough for strangers to understand most of the time
- Carries on a conversation using 2 to 3 sentences
Learning &
Thinking
- Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people
- Understands what “two” means
- Copies a circle with pencil or crayon
- Turns book pages one at a time
- Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handle
Physical &
Movement
- Climbs well
- Runs easily
- Pedals a tricycle (3-wheel bike)
- Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step
Years
Social &
Emotional
- Plays “Mom” and “Dad”
- Would rather play with other children than by himself
- Cooperates with other children
- Often can’t tell what’s real and what’s make-believe
- Talks about what she likes and what she is interested in
Language &
Communication
- Knows some basic rules of grammar, such as correctly using “he” and “she”
- Sings a song or says a poem from memory such as the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or the “Wheels on the Bus”
- Tells stories
- Can say first and last name
Learning &
Thinking
- Understands the idea of counting
- Understands the idea of “same” and “different”
- Draws a person with 2 to 4 body parts
- Uses scissors
- Tells you what he thinks is going to happen next in a book
Physical &
Movement
- Hops and stands on one foot up to 2 seconds
- Catches a bounced ball most of the time
- Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes own food
Years
Social &
Emotional
- Wants to please friends
- Shows concern and sympathy for others
- Is aware of gender
- Can tell what’s real and what’s make-believe
- Is sometimes demanding and sometimes very cooperative
Language &
Communication
- Speaks very clearly
- Tells a simple story using full sentences
- Uses future tense; for example, “Grandma will be here."
- Says name and address
Learning &
Thinking
- Counts 10 or more things
- Can draw a person with at least 6 body parts
- Can print some letters or numbers
- Copies a triangle and other geometric shapes
- Knows about things used every day, like money and food
Physical &
Movement
- Hops; may be able to skip
- Can do a somersault
- Uses a fork and spoon and sometimes a table knife
- Can use the toilet on her own
- Swings and climbs
