Introduction

As a parent, you'll probably wonder how your child's development compares to other children. Or you might question what is appropriate for your child's age when shopping for a new toy. While each child is different, use these developmental milestones as a general guideline for each month of your child's first two years.

  • Newborn

    Babies' growth and development during the first year is more dramatic than at any other age. Your child will progress from almost complete helplessness to walking, talking and thinking — all in 12 months. During this year, the foundation for every basic mental process will be laid, including sensory-motor pathways, emotional responses, language and other cognitive abilities. Babies are highly motivated to control their own bodies, emotions and the world around them. Your job is to nourish them with food, comfort, safety and love — allowing your baby to do the rest.

     Here are some typical milestones your baby will master during their first year:

    Language and Cognitive Development

    • Imitates the sounds, actions and facial expressions of others
    • Explores their body parts and environment using all senses
    • Begins babbling and becomes expressive
    • Responds to own name and says "mama" and "dada" appropriately
    • Understands object categories, like "planes" or "animals"
    • Uses first words like "dog" or "bottle"

     Social-Emotional Development
    • Recognizes parent's faces, voices and smell
    • Smiles and giggles in response to other people
    • Pays attention to something a parent is looking at
    • Enjoys "peek-a-boo" and other surprise games
    • Begins to show separation anxiety
    • "Shows off" for other family members

    Motor Development
    • Holds head upright and steady when being held
    • Lifts head and shoulders when lying on stomach, and rolls from
      • wwwwstomach to back
    • Picks up rattles or other easily-grasped objects
    • Sits without support
    • Holds objects between thumb and forefinger
    • Crawls and claps hands
    • Stands alone and eventually walks without help


    Please remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than these general guidelines.

  • 1 Year

    Your child will undergo the remarkable transformation from infant to toddler at the age of one. Everything is new and exciting at this age and toddlers take interest in experimenting with cause-and-effect activities like endlessly opening and shutting doors or drawers. The ability to walk and eventually run gives children endless new ways to explore the world around them.

    Here are some typical milestones you may see in your one-year-old child:

    Language and Cognitive Development

    • Understands simple sentences and instructions
    • Points to their eyes, ears and nose
    • Speaks two-word phrases instead of babbling
    • Shows dramatic vocabulary growth
    • Tries to hum or sing
    • Looks at simple picture books and nursery rhymes
    • Begins pointing to and naming pictures of common objects,
      • wwwwanimals, or characters
    • Completes simple cut-out puzzles, fitting single shapes into
      • wwwwtheir proper spaces
    • Recognizes and enjoys familiar sequences of events, such as breakfast, lunch and then dinner
    • Understands an object still exists even when hidden and will search in several locations for it

    Social-Emotional Development
    • Cries when a parent leaves the room or fusses when an unfamiliar
      • wwwwadult approaches
    • Recognizes him or herself in the mirror
    • May begin saying a€noa€ to many things
    • Hitting, biting, slapping and screaming may emerge as toddlers struggle for contentment but also want independence
    • Imitates adult actions such as talking on the phone, stirring a pot or watering flowers

    Motor Development
    • Walks independently early in the year but with lots of tripping and falling
    • Improves fine motor coordination, such as scribbling with a
      • wwwwcrayon or marker
    • Ascends stairs with help and jumps in place
    • Eats with a spoon
    • Fills and empties containers or stacks nested pots or bowls
    • Flushes toilets, opens drawers, and crawls inside cupboards
    • Plays with toys that can be pushed or pulled while walking, and scoots on small riding toys
    • Responds to music by bouncing or "dancing"


     Please remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than these general guidelines.

  • 2 Years

    Two-year-old children definitely have their moments, but this year is not as terrible as its reputation. Their drive for independence is strong and it is responsible for the toddler's dramatic advances in mental and motor skills during this year. At the age of two, children finally shed the last vestiges of babyhood and truly transition into childhood.

     Here are some typical milestones you may see in your two-year-old child:

    Language and Cognitive Development

    • Names familiar objects with the correct word
    • Points to and identifies most body parts
    • Develops a vocabulary of 150-300 words
    • Completes sentences with up to five words and uses prepositions
    • Begins to use pronouns, but often confuses "I" and "me"
    • Enjoys picture books and chooses a favorite story to be repeated
    • Sings the "ABC" song, but cannot link letter names to what they look
      • wwwwlike in text
    • Completes a jigsaw puzzle with eight pieces or less
    • Sorts shapes and can stack a tower of rings by size
    • Understands adding and subtracting with basic numb
    • Begins to use logic and reasoning

     Social-Emotional:
    • Talks about feelings and begins to control them
    • Enjoys the company of peers and grows aware of own gender
    • Demonstrates mood changes and becomes easily angered
    • Prefers predictable routines
    • Behaves stubbornly and frequently asserts their opinion by saying "no"
    • Engages in creative pretend play where props may substitute for real items (e.g. a towel draped around neck becomes a cape)

     Motor Development
    • Runs and walks smoothly
    • Walks up or down stairs independently
    • Jumps with both feet off the ground and climbs enthusiastically
    • Kicks and catches a small ball, and rolls or throws the ball overhand
    • Progresses to potty training towards the end of the year
    • Pushes riding toys with feet, but cannot yet steer
    • Stacks three to five blocks in a tower
    • Begins to draw pictures or write letters


     Please remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than these general guidelines.

  • 3 Years

    Three is that wonderful age when your childa€although still very little and cutea€has begun to truly express themselves and explore the world more independently. You will be amazed at some of the things your three-year-old can say and remember, so be sure to keep those diaries and video cameras handy!

     Language and Cognitive:

    • Handles three word sentences easily; using pronouns (I, you, me) and some prepositions (in, on, under) correctly
    • Roughly 90 percent of speech is understandable; however, may go through a phase of normal stuttering
    • Identifies chief parts of body (e.g. nose, head, feet, belly button)
    • Loves to hear the same stories over and over again and enjoys learning simple rhymes and songs
    • Names a few primary colors
    • Interested in books and reading and identifies a few letters of the alphabeta€especially those of own name
    • Thrives with a regular schedule and routine and is capable of keeping attention for no more than a few minutes
    • Able to count two to three objects
    • Understands "if-then" statements, like "If you drop an egg,
      • wwwwthen it will break"
    • Understands "yesterday", "today" and "tomorrow," but little sense of
      • wwwwtime beyond this

    Social-Emotional:
    • Knows own age, gender, first and last name
    • Attached to parents and other family members, but stranger anxiety has begun to diminish
    • Shifts mood relatively quickly
    • Throws tantrums on occasion when tired or hungry
    • Imitates parents (e.g., shaving or talking on the phone)
    • Engages in pretend social play ("You be the mommy, I'll be the daddy")
    • Enjoys peers, but play is "parallel"a€rather than truly interactive
    • Begins learning to share and take turns

     Motor Skills:
    • Jumps and hops by themselves
    • Walks upstairs alternating feet, and downstairs leading with one foot
    • Pedals and steers a tricycle
    • Undresses self, but still needs help dressing
    • Stacks up to ten blocks in a tower
    • Is able to draw a circle


     Please remember that each child is a unique individual and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than this general trend. If you have any concerns about your childa€s development, you should address them with your pediatrician or family physician.

  • 4 Years

    Four is the age of "why" -- when children begin thinking about the outside world and wonder how things work. Their mood swings have settled down, and attention spans are growing longer, so your preschooler can play in a calm and focused manner. Here are some of the behaviors you can expect to see:

     Language and Cognitive:

    • Speaks in four to five word sentences, and repeats a word
      • wwwwwith four syllables
    • Knows names of familiar animals and common objects
    • Sorts objects by shape or color
    • Counts up to 10 and recognizes numerals from zero to nine
    • Follows multi-step instructions ("Brush your teeth, pick a book
      • wwwwand come to bed")
    • Distinguishes between the real world and the imaginary world
    • Attempts reading and writing; enjoys stories and can connect them to
      • wwwwtheir own life
    • Notices rhyming sounds in words
    • Knows the days of the week, months and seasons, but cana€t tell time
    • Asks lots of "why" questions

     Social-Emotional:
    • Talks to self while playing alone ("private speech")
    • Plays make-believe or enjoys dress-up and role playing ("mommy," "daddy," "teacher," "astronaut")
    • Begins playing cooperatively with peers and will share when asked
    • Likes to laugh and be silly
    • Likes moderate rough-and-tumble play
    • Understands difference between right and wrong

     Motor Skills:
    • Walks downstairs, alternating feet
    • Runs smoothly; can gallop and skip on one foot
    • Throws ball with transfer of weight on feet; catches using the hands
    • Smoothly rides tricycle or bicycle with training wheels
    • Dresses self (except for tying shoes)
    • Pours from a small pitcher without spilling
    • Tries to cut with blunt scissors
    • Puts together a jigsaw puzzle with four to 12 pieces


     Remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than this general trend.

  • 5 Years

    Five is the age when most children begin mainstream schooling - which is an exciting, and somewhat scary, transition. However, five-year-olds are enthusiastic learners who delight in solving problems and discovering more about the wider world. Friends also take on greater importance as your five-year-old develops a better understanding of othera€s thoughts and feelings.
    Here are some of the milestones you may see:

     Language and Cognitive:

    • Uses five to eight words in a sentence
    • Likes to argue and reason; uses words like "because"
    • Knows their address and phone number
    • Understands that stories have a beginning, middle, and end; knows opposites like big and little
    • Draws pictures that represent animals, people, and familiar objects
    • Knows their uppercase and most lowercase letters and
      • wwwwbeginning phonetics
    • Sorts objects by size, shape or number, counts up to 20 objects; carries out simple addition and subtraction problems
    • Sequences events chronologically and is learning to tell time
    • Can use measuring tools like a ruler, scale, or thermometer
    • Has a good attention span; can concentrate on projects like block
      • wwwwbuilding and drawing
    • Interested in cause and effect

    Social-Emotional:
    • Enjoys sharing jokes and laughter with others
    • Helps with chores, like folding laundry or emptying the dishwasher
    • Plays independently but also enjoys peer company
    • May tattle, name-call, hit and shove at times, but is generally in control of aggressive impulses
    • Takes turns and cooperates in simple group tasks or play
    • May act bossy or exclude other children ("best friends" become important)
    • More sensitive to feelings of others; shows kindness and says "please" and "thank-you"

     Motor Skills:
    • Gallops smoothly and skips using both feet
    • Rides bicycle with training wheels
    • Balances on either foot for 5-10 seconds
    • Jumps rope and catch bounced balls
    • Learning complex coordination skills like swimming, dancing, ice
      • wwwwor roller skating
    • Uses a fork and knife well
    • Manages zippers and buttons and may be able to tie shoelaces
    • Reliably uses right or left hand to eat and draw


     Remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than this general trend.

  • 6 Years

    Six is a big turning point, when children can absorb more formal teaching and begin to comfortably read simple books or passages. While the greater demands of school can be a big change, most six-year-olds are optimistic about learning and enjoy the routine of school days. Here are some of the developmental characteristics you may start to see:

    Language and Cognitive:

    • Pays attention for 15 minutes at a time
    • Expands vocabulary rapidly
    • Speaks clearly, but may still have trouble with sounds like "r" and "th"
    • Reads short books or paragraphs silently or aloud
    • Counts to 200 and backward from 20
    • Understands "odd" versus "even" numbers
    • Understands the difference between addition and subtraction
    • Begins to read music with instruction
    • Memorizes lines for short plays or lyrics for songs
    • Distinguishes left from right, but may still reverse "b" and "d" in printing
    • Comprehends abstract thinking - like understanding that the earth is round, even though it looks flat

    Social-Emotional:
    • Enjoys being with peers, though conflicts may remain frequent
    • Prefers same-gender playmates
    • Views things as right or wrong, with little middle ground
    • Sensitive to criticism and may have difficulty admitting a mistake
    • Understands opposite opinions

     Motor Skills:
    • Bounces a ball four to six times
    • Rides a bicycle without training wheels
    • Ties shoelaces
    • Learns some specific sports skills like batting or hitting a tennis ball
    • Enjoys competitive games
    • Dances in time to a beat or rhythm and remembers simple
      • wwwwmovement routines


    Remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than this general trend.

  • 7 Years

    Seven is a great age, when your child is becoming independent and has moved beyond the mood swings and inconsolability of earlier years. Peers are becoming more important, but still dona€t rule childrena€s frame of mind as they will in a few years. Here are some other abilities typical of a seven-year-old:

    Language and Cognitive:

    • Begins using logic to solve problems
    • Reads aloud fluently and with expression, but still enjoys being read to
    • Writes in complete sentences using capitalization, some punctuation, and the correct spelling of common words
    • Uses a ruler, thermometer, and scale to make accurate measurements
    • Solves word problems using secure knowledge of addition
      • wwwwand subtraction facts
    • Has a solid sense of time (seconds, minutes, days, etc.) and may enjoy planning their day
    • Identifies common two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and understands their symmetry
    • Knows the value of different coins and how they add and subtract

     Social-Emotional:
    • Has overcome some fears from earlier age, but may still be scared
      • wwwwof the unknown
    • Plays with both boys and girls, but probably has a best friend of the
      • wwwwsame gender
    • Enjoys dramatic play (dress-up, make-believe, pretend play)
    • Blames others or "tattles" on their mistakes
    • Uses language to express feelings
    • Has trouble getting along with siblings
    • Aware of and is sensitive to the feelings of others
    • Works cooperatively with a partner at school
    • Follows directions and is usually able to control self in public

     Motor Skills:
    • Refines hand-eye coordination
    • Preoccupied with teeth (and losing them)
    • Remembers and performs brief dance routines or sequences
      • wwwwof hand movements
    • Effectively combines motor skills like running while dribbling a basketball or jumping and spinning


     Remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than this general trend.

  • 8 Years

    Eight is considered the end of "early childhood" and with good reason— by this age, your child is able to concentrate longer, solve problems creatively and knows when to ask an adult for guidance. It is a year of transition from total dependence to measured independence, when children take pride in making their decisions and keeping track of their own schedule and possessions. Here are some other abilities typical of eight-year-olds:

     Language and Cognitive:

    • Speaks clearly and fluently, with few grammatical lapses and all consonant sounds well-established
    • Tells time accurately
    • Combines both visual and phonetic strategies to read fluently with
      • wwwwgood comprehension
    • Uses books and other written sources to find information
    • Writes for a variety of purposes (letters, stories, explanations) with correct spelling, punctuation and paragraph structure
    • Counts to 1,000 and can apply mathematics to three- and
      • wwwwfour-digit numbers
    • Understands size and order
    • Understands concepts of perimeter and area

     Social-Emotional:
    • Defines sense of self-worth, but may be frustrated about
      • wwwwperceived weaknesses
    • Relies on adults for a sense of security, but proud of independence; may resist adult guidance at times
    • Enjoys being with friends in either structured group activities or during
      • wwwwtheir free time
    • Becomes bossy and argumentative
    • May "team up" with friends against the opposite gender
    • Enjoys secrets and begins displaying a sense of loyalty

     Motor Skills:
    • Performs basic movements for most sports including baseball, soccer, basketball, skiing, skating, tennis, golf or gymnastics
    • Identifies themselves as "athletic" or "unathletic"


     Remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than this general trend.

  • 9+ Years

    Nine is a whole new world, when school work is taken more seriously and friends become a big focus. By nine years of age, children are capable of more abstract thinking, such as reasoning and understanding, applied from past experiences they have had. They also become more self-aware and self-conscious, especially around their peers. Here are some traits and abilities you can expect in your nine-year-old:

    Language and Cognitive:

    • Knows directions and can follow a simple map
    • Reads chapter books easily and may be ready for "young adult" novels
    • Expands vocabulary through deliberate study using word roots, synonyms, antonyms, and derivations
    • Writes in various styles (fiction, essay, persuasive) and edits documents for accurate punctuation, capitalization, grammar and logic
    • Uses dictionaries and other reference tools effectively
    • Solves one- and two-step problems involving whole numbers, fractions, decimals, or currency using addition, subtraction, multiplication
      • wwwwand division
    • Organizes and displays data using tables, pie charts, line graphs and
      • wwwwother visual plots
    • Calculates length, perimeter, area and volume using both customary and metric measuring systems
    • Applies algebraic reasoning to find an unknown quantity in a story problem


     Social-Emotional:
    • Becomes more concerned with clothes and appearance
    • Does not want to be "different" around peers
    • Becomes increasingly attached to friends and may start forming
      • wwwwexclusive cliques
    • Takes comfort in knowing others experience similar feelings
    • Begins to see parents and adults as fallible and may begin challenging adult authority


     Motor Skills:
    • Increases strength and reaction time
    • Enjoys active, highly-charged games and sports
    • Improves fine motor dexterity
    • Learns to type quickly and accurately or play a musical instrument
      • wwwwmore easily


    Remember that each child is a unique individual, and may not exhibit every one of these milestones. A wide range of behaviors is considered normal, and some children will demonstrate certain abilities earlier or later than this general trend.