First Month:
Movement Milestones:
___Makes jerky, quivering arm thrusts
___Brings hands within range of eyes and mouth
___Moves head from side while lying on stomach
___Head flops backward if unsupported
___Keeps hands in tight fists
___Strong reflex movements
Visual Milestones:
___Focuses 8-12 inches away
___Eyes wander and occasionally cross
___Prefers black and white or high contrast patterns
___Prefers the human face to all other patterns
Hearing Milestones:
___Hearing is fully mature
___Recognizes some sounds
___May turn toward familiar sounds and voices
Smell and Touch Milestones:
___Prefers sweet smells
___Avoids bitter or acidic smells
___Recognizes the scent of his own mother’s breast milk
___Prefers soft to coarse sensations
___Dislikes rough or abrupt handling
1-3 Months
Movement Milestones (by the end of this period)
___ Raises head and chest when lying on stomach
___Supports upper body with arms when lying on stomach
___Stretches legs out and kicks when lying on stomach or back
___Opens and shuts hands
___ Pushes down on his legs when his feet are placed on a firm surface
___Brings hand to mouth
___Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands
___Grasps and shakes hand toys
Visual Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Watches faces intently
___Follows moving objects
___Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
___Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
Hearing and Speech Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Smiles at the sound of your voice
___Begins to babble
___Begins to imitate some sounds
___Turns head toward direction of sound
Social/Emotional Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Begins to develop a social smile
___Enjoys playing with other people, and may cry when playing stops
___Becomes more communicative and expressive with face and body
___Imitates some movements and facial expressions
4-7 Months
Movement Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)
___Sits with, and then without, support of his hands
___Supports his whole weight on his legs
___Reaches with one hand
___Transfers object from hand to hand
___Uses raking grasp (not pincer)
Vision Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Develops full color vision
___Distance vision matures
___Ability to track moving objects matures
Language Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Responds to own name
___Begins to respond to “no”
___Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice
___Responds to sound by making sounds
___Uses voice to express joy and displeasure
___Babbles chains of consonants
Cognitive Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Finds partially hidden object
___Explores with hands and mouth
___Struggles to get objects that are out of reach
Social/Emotional Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Enjoys social play
___Interested in mirror images
___Responds to other people’s expressions of emotion
8-12 Months
Movement Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Gets to sitting position without assistance
___Crawls forward on belly
___Assumes hands-and-knees position
___Creeps on hands and knees
___Gets from sitting to crawling or prone (lying on stomach) position
___Pulls Self up to stand
___Walks holding on to furniture
___Stands momentarily without support
___May walk two or three steps without support
Milestones in hand and finger skills (by the end of this period)
___Uses pincer grasp
___Bangs two cubes together
___Pulls objects into container
___Takes objects out of container
___Lets objects go voluntarily
___Pokes with index finger
___Tries to imitate scribbling
Language Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Pays increasing attention to speech
___Responds to simple verbal requests
___Respond to “no”
___Uses simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no”
___Babbles with inflection
___Says “dada” and “mama”
___Uses exclamations, such as “Oh-oh!”
___Tries to imitate words
Cognitive Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Explores objects in many different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)
___Finds hidden objects easily
___Looks at correct picture when the image is named
___Imitates gestures
___Begins to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair, dialing phone, listening
to receiver)
Social/Emotional Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Shy or anxious with strangers
___Cries when mother or father leaves
___Enjoys imitating people in his play
___Shows specific preferences for certain people and toys
___Tests parental responses to his actions during feedings (What do you do when he refuses
a food?)
___Test parental responses to his behavior (What do you do if he cries after you leave the
room?)
___May be fearful in some situations
___Prefers mother and/or regular care-giver over all others
___Repeats sounds or gestures for attention
___Finger feeds himself
___Extends arm or leg to help when being dressed
The Second year
Movement Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Walks alone
___Pulls toys behind him while walking
___Carries large toy or several toys when walking
___Begins to run
___Stands on tiptoe
___Kicks a ball
___Climbs onto and down from furniture unassisted
___Walks up and down stairs holding on to support
Milestones in Hand and Finger Skills (by the end of this period)
___Scribbles spontaneously
___Turns over container to pour out contents
___Builds tower of four blocks, or more
___Might use one hand more frequently than the other
Language Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Points to objects or picture when it is named for him
___Recognizes names of familiar people, objects, and body parts
___Says several single words (by 15-18 months)
___Uses two to four word sentences
___Follows simple instructions
___Repeats words overheard in conversation
Cognitive Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Finds objects when hidden under two or three covers
___Begins to sort by shapes and colors
___Begins make-believe play
Social Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Imitates behavior of others, especially adults and older children
___Increasingly aware of himself as separate from others
___Increasingly enthusiastic about company of other children
Emotional Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Demonstrates increasing independence
___Begins to show defiant behavior
___Episodes of separation anxiety increase toward midyear, then fade
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Masturbation at this age “As your toddler explores the many parts of his body, he’ll
naturally discover his genitals. Since touching them will produce pleasant sensations, he’ll do
it often when his diaper is off. Although this may look like mature masturbation and may be
accompanied by penile erections in boys, it’s neither a sexual nor emotional experience for
toddlers. It just feels good.”
Gender Identification at this age “Although parents generally treat boys and girls this age
very similarly they often encourage different toys and games for each sex. But aside from
tradition, there’s no basis for pushing girls towards dolls and boys toward trucks. Both sexes
are equally attracted to all toys, and they’ll benefit developmentally if allowed to play with
both “boy” and “girl” toys.”
The aggressive child: “Some children are naturally aggressive in ways that begin t o show
during the second year. They want to take charge and control everything that goes on
around them. When they don’t get what they want they may turn their energy toward violent
behavior like kicking, biting or hitting. Watch him closely, set firm, consistent limits. Give
plenty of positive outlets for his energy through physical play and exercise. But when he’s
with other children, supervise him carefully to prevent serious trouble and be sure to praise
him when he gets trough a play session without a problem.”
The shy child: “Some children are naturally fearful about new people and situations. They
hold back watching and waiting before joining a group activity. If pushed to try something
different they resist and when faced with someone new they cling. The best solution is to
allow your child to move at his own individual pace. Give him the time he needs to adapt to
new situations and let him hold your hand when he needs some extra assurance. Challenging
or ridiculing it will only make a shy child more insecure.”
2-3 years
Movement milestones (by the end of this period)
___Climbs well
___Walks up and down stairs, alternating feet
___Kicks ball
___Runs easily
___Pedals tricycle
___Bends over easily without falling
Milestones in hand and finger skills (by the end of this period)
___Makes vertical, horizontal and circular strokes with pencil or crayon
___Turns book pages one at a time
___Builds a tower of more than six blocks
___Holds a pencil in writing position
___Screws and unscrews jar lids, nuts and bolts
___Turns rotating handles
Language Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Follows a two or three component command
___Recognizes and identifies almost all common objects and pictures
___Understands physical relationships (“on”, “in”, “under”)
___Uses four and five word sentences
___Can say name, age, and sex
___Uses pronouns (I, you, me, they) and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats)
___Strangers can understand most of his words
Cognitive Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Makes mechanical toys work
___Matches an object in his hand or room to a picture in a book
___Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people
___Sorts objects by shape and color
___Completes puzzles with three to four pieces
___Understands concept of “two”
Social Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Imitates adults and playmates
___Spontaneously shows affection for familiar playmates
___Can take turns in games
___Understands concept of “mine” and “his/hers”
Emotional Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Express affection openly
___Expresses a wide range of emotions
___By three, separates easily from parents
___Objects to major changes in routine
*Hyperactivity: “By adult standards, many two year olds seem hyperactive. But it’s perfectly normal
for a child this age to prefer running, jumping, and climbing to walking slowly or sitting still. He may
speak so fast that it’s hard to understand him. This excess energy usually subsides by the time he
reaches school age. If your toddler is a mover, adjust your expectations accordingly. Don’t’ expect him
to stay seated through a long community meeting or restaurant meal. If you take him shopping be
prepared to move at his pace, not yours. In general, avoid putting him in confining situations where
you know you’ll both be frustrated and give him plenty of opportunities to release his excess energy
through games involving running, jumping, climbing, and throwing or kicking a ball.”
*Also important at this age, “holding the line on tantrums, preschool discipline, and behavioral
approaches to parenting.
3-4 years
Movement Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Hops and stands on one foot up to five seconds
___Goes upstairs and downstairs without support
___Kicks ball forward
___Throws ball overhand
___Catches bounced ball most of the time
___Moves forward and backward with agility
Language Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Understands the concepts of “same” and “different”
___Has mastered some basic rules of grammar
___Speaks in sentences of five to six words
___Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand
___Tells stories
Cognitive Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Correctly names some colors
___Understands the concept of counting and may know a few numbers
___Approaches problems from a single point of view
___Begins to have a clearer sense of time
___Follows three part commands
___Recalls parts of a story
___Understands the concept of same/different
___Engages in fantasy play
Social Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Interested in new experiences
___Cooperates with other children
___Plays “mom” or “dad”
___Increasingly inventive in fantasy play
___Dresses and undresses
___Negotiates solutions to conflicts
Emotional Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Imagines that many unfamiliar images may be “monsters”
___Views self as a whole person involving body, mind, and feelings
___Often Cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality
4-5 Years
Movement Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Stands on one foot for ten seconds or longer
___Hops, somersaults
___Swings, climbs
___May be able to skip
Milestones in hand and finger skills (by the end of this period)
___Copies triangle and other geometric patterns
___Draws person without body
___Prints some letters
___Dresses and undresses without assistance
___Uses fork, spoon, and (sometimes) a table knife
___Usually cares for own toile needs
Language Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Recalls part of a story
___Speaks sentences of more than five words
___Uses future tense
___Tells longer stories
___Says name and address
Cognitive Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Can count ten or more objects
___Correctly names at least four colors
___Better understands the concept of time
___Knows about things used every day in the home (money, food, appliances)
Social Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Wants to please friends
___Wants to be like his friends
___More likely to agree to rules
___Likes to sing, dance and act
___Shows more independence and may even visit a next-door neighbor by himself
Emotional Milestones (by the end of this period)
___Aware of sexuality
___Able to distinguish fantasy from reality
___Sometimes demanding, sometimes eagerly cooperative
*Lying”: “at this age is very common. Preschoolers lie for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s because
they are afraid of punishment, or it may be because they’ve gotten carried away with their fantasies, or
are imitating behavior they see among adults. Before you consequence them, make sure you understand
their motives” and address from there.