The early years of a child’s life can be critical in his or her overall health and development. Family members, caregivers, and early childhood providers are strongly encouraged to take an active approach to developmental monitoring by observing how a child grows and changes over time.  It is also important to identify if a child is meeting typical developmental milestones with regards to play, learning, language, behavior, and movement.  Developmental milestones are things most children (75%) can do by a certain age.  Missed milestones or concerns with development should be discussed during well-child visits or as early as possible with a specialist with a trained eye and expertise in childhood neurodevelopmental disorders for proper screening and evaluation. 

 

The CDC’s developmental milestones checklists are geared to encourage conversations between families and medical professionals. They may help identify areas of concern but should not be used as standards for development.  The below lists contain some common milestones at different ages of development. ​​​​

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Important Milestones: 0 - 2 Months

Social / Emotional

• Calms down when spoken to or picked up

• Looks at your face

• Seems happy to see you when you walk up to him/her

Language / Communication

• Makes sounds other than crying

• Reacts to loud sounds

Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving)

• Watches you as you move

• Looks at a toy for several seconds

Movement / Physical Development

• Holds head up when on tummy

• Moves both arms and both legs

• Opens hands briefly

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Important Milestones: By 6 Months

Social / Emotional

• Knows familiar people

• Likes to look at self

• Laughs

Language / Communication

• Takes turns making sounds with you

• Blows "raspberries" 

• Makes squealing noises

Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving)

• Puts things in mouth to explore

• Reaches to grab a wanted toy

• Closes lips to show he/she doesn't want more food

Movement / Physical Development

• Rolls from tummy to back

• Pushes up with straight arms when on tummy

• Leans on hands to support him/herself when sitting

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Important Milestones: By 1 Year

Social / Emotional

• Plays games with you, like pat-a-cake

Language / Communication

• Waves "bye-bye"

• Calls a parent "mama" or "dada" or other special name

• Understands "no" (pauses briefly or stops)

Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving)

• Puts something in a container, like a block in a cup

• Looks for things he/she sees you hide, like a toy under a blanket

Movement / Physical Development

• Pulls up to stand

• Walks, holding on to furniture

• Drinks from a cup without a lid, as you hold it

• Picks things up between thumb and pointer finger, like small bits of food

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Important Milestones: By 18 Months

Social / Emotional

• Moves away from you, but looks to make sure you are close by

• Points to show you something interesting

• Puts hands out for you to wash them

• Looks at a few pages in a book with you

• Helps you dress him/her by pushing arm through sleeve or lifting up foot

Language / Communication

• Tries to say three or more words besides “mama" or “dada”

• Follows one-step directions without any gestures, like giving you the toy when you say, “Give it to me.”

Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving)

• Copies you doing chores, like sweeping with a broom

• Plays with toys in a simple way, like pushing a toy car

Movement / Physical Development

• Walks without holding on to anyone or anything

• Scribbles

• Drinks from a cup without a lid and may spill sometimes

• Feeds self with fingers

• Tries to use a spoon

• Climbs on and off a couch or chair without help

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Important Milestones: By 2 Years

Social / Emotional

• Notices when others are hurt or upset, like pausing or looking sad when someone is crying

• Looks at your face to see how to react in a new situation

Language / Communication

• Points to things in a book when you ask, like “Where is the bear?”

• Says at least two words together, like “More milk.”

• Points to at least two body parts when you ask 

• Uses more gestures than just waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes

Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving)

• Holds something in one hand while using the other hand; for example, holding a container and taking the lid off

• Tries to use switches, knobs, or buttons on a toy

• Plays with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a toy plate

Movement / Physical Development

• Kicks a ball

• Runs

• Walks (not climbs) up a few stairs with or without help

• Eats with a spoon

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Important Milestones: By 3 Years

Social / Emotional

• Calms down within 10 minutes after you leave, like at a childcare drop off

• Notices other children and joins them to play

Language / Communication

• Talks with you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges

• Asks “who,” “what,” “where,” or “why” questions, like “Where is mommy/daddy?”

• Says what action is happening in a picture or book when asked, like “running,” “eating,” or “playing”

• Says first name, when asked

• Talks well enough for others to understand, most of the time

Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving)

• Draws a circle, when you show how

• Avoids touching hot objects, like a stove, when warned

Movement / Physical Development

• Strings items together, like large beads or macaroni

• Puts on some clothes by him/herself, like loose pants or a jacket

• Uses a fork

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Important Milestones: By 4 Years

Social / Emotional

• Pretends to be something else during play (teacher, superhero, dog)

• Asks to go play with children if none are around, like “Can I play with Alex?”

• Comforts others who are hurt or sad, like hugging a crying friend

• Avoids danger, like not jumping from tall heights at the playground

• Likes to be a “helper”

• Changes behavior based on where he/she is (place of worship, library, playground)

Language / Communication

• Says sentences with four or more words

• Says some words from a song, story, or nursery rhyme

• Talks about at least one thing that happened during the day, like “I played soccer.”

• Answers simple questions like “What is a coat for?” or “What is a crayon for?”

Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving)

• Names a few colors of items

• Tells what comes next in a well-known story

• Draws a person with three or more body parts

Movement / Physical Development

• Catches a large ball most of the time

• Serves him/herself food or pours water, with adult supervision

• Unbuttons some buttons

• Holds crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not a fist)

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Important Milestones: By 5 Years

Social / Emotional

• Follows rules or takes turns when playing games with other children

• Sings, dances, or acts for you

• Does simple chores at home, like matching socks or clearing the table after eating

Language / Communication

• Tells a story he/she heard or made up with at least two events. For example, a cat was stuck in a tree and a firefighter saved it

• Answers simple questions about a book or story after you read or tell it

• Keeps a conversation going with more than three back-and-forth exchanges

• Uses or recognizes simple rhymes (bat-cat, ball-tall)

Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving)

• Counts to 10

• Names some numbers between 1 and 5 when you point to them

• Uses words about time, like “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” “morning,” or “night”

• Pays attention for 5 to 10 minutes during activities. For example, during story time or making arts and crafts (screen time does not count)

• Writes some letters in his/her name

Movement / Physical Development

• Buttons some buttons

• Hops on one foot