What are developmental milestones?
Developmental milestones are physical or behavioral signs of development of infants and children. Rolling over, crawling, walking and talking are considered developmental milestones and provide important information regarding your child's early development.
Milestones are different for each age range. These milestones are behaviors that emerge over time, forming the building blocks for growth and continued learning. Some of the categories of behavior include:
- Cognition: Thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, understanding
- Motor coordination: Gross/fine motor skills, jumping, hopping, throwing/catching, drawing, stacking
- Social interaction: Initiating peer contact, group play
- Adaptive: Dressing, eating, washing
You child's CHOP pediatrician or nurse practitioner will address your child’s milestones during well visits; however, if you have any developmental concerns at any point, you should contact your pediatrician immediately.
Children develop at their own pace, so don't be alarmed if your child takes a slightly different course. Some children may skip over milestones, while others take more time. Your CHOP provider will help you distinguish whether your child is experiencing delays and how to address them.
Developmental milestones: 2 months
Your baby at 2 months
At 2 months, your child is wide-eyed and watching, smiling at faces, and engaging with everything around them. Babies at this age are social and love to interact. Their neck muscles are growing stronger and they can hold their heads erect for a period of time. They can identify and understand the tone, emotions and comfort in your voice.
What your baby is learning now
While babies may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your baby may reach in this age group:
- Moves arms and kicks
- Lifts head when on stomach
- Reacts to noises
- Sees best from 8-10 inches away
- Makes sounds
- Begins to smile at people
What your baby is learning next
- Coos and begins to imitate sounds
- Crying become more purposeful and is different for hunger, fatigue and other needs
- Sleeps for longer stretches of time
- Smiles at faces
- Pulls at clothes
- Bats or hits at toys
- Watches objects as they move
What you can do to encourage your baby’s development
- Sing together.
- Talk and smile while looking at your baby’s face.
- Talk to your baby with a soothing, animated voice throughout the day while dressing, bathing, feeding or playing with your baby.
- Let your baby hear different sounds.
- Vary the sound of your voice.
- Slowly move objects for your baby to watch.
- Look into a mirror with your baby.
Games and activities
- Cozy blanket for cuddling while awake
- Music boxes or soft music
- Plastic links or rattles
- Reading books out loud
- Encouraging tummy time while awake
Developmental milestones: 4 months
Your baby at 4 months
Your baby is growing even more social and moving in a purposeful manner. Babies at this age love to babble and coo and mimic sounds they hear. They love to play and copy the movements of others. Also, your baby’s cries will be different, as they communicate hunger, frustration, discomfort or feeling tired.
What your baby is learning now
While babies may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your baby may reach in this age group:
- Squeals and waves arms when excited
- Makes sounds like “ooh” and “aah”
- Briefly holds a small rattle
- Pushes up on arms while on stomach
- Brings both hands to mouth
- Rolls from back to sides
- Sits up with your support
- Pushes on legs when feet are on a hard surface
What your baby is learning next
- Makes sounds like “ga” or “ba”
- Smiles at self in mirror
- Reaches and grasps toys
- Shakes and bangs rattles
- Rolls from stomach to back
- Grabs feet when lying on back
What you can do to encourage your baby’s development
- Give your baby toys to hold and play with.
- Make faces for your baby to copy.
- Sing songs while rocking your baby.
- Copy your baby’s sounds.
- Help your baby sit with support.
- When your baby is awake, put her on her stomach.
- Play peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake.
- Talk about what your baby is looking at or doing.
- Read with your baby.
- Hold toys above your baby so he can reach them.
Games and activities
- Rattles
- Sing and talk together
- Board books with textures
- Soft cloth toys
- Plastic mirrors
Developmental milestones: 6 months
Your baby at 6 months
It’s very exciting for parents to see their children grow into more social beings as babies begin to experiment with and recognize sounds. Your baby will use sounds to express emotion. They may mimic sounds they hear, like “Ma, Da, Ba, Ah, Oh,” and even “No!” At 6 months, your baby will begin to recognize familiar faces, reach and grasp for toys, and will soon be crawling.
What your baby is learning now
While babies may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your baby may reach in this age group:
- Looks at objects as they move across the room
- Recognizes familiar faces
- Likes to look in the mirror
- Sits w/o support and rolls over in both directions
- Reaches and grasps toys
- Begins to pass objects from one hand to another
- Shakes and bangs rattles
- Reaches for a book
- Makes sounds to express emotion
- Turns head toward sounds
- Responds to own name
What your baby is learning next
- Stands by holding on to things
- Crawls
- Waves bye-bye and uses other gestures
- Plays peek-a-book and pat-a-cake
- Enjoys looking at books with an adult
- Enjoys dump and fill toys
- Enjoys push-and-pull toys
- Grasps small objects with thumb and finger
- Continues to shake, bang, throw, and drop rattles
- Imitates and enjoys making different sounds
What you can do to encourage your baby’s development
- Share books together.
- Point and name pictures.
- Talk and sing to your child.
- Play with your child on the floor.
- Make music part of each day.
- Create a safe environment.
- Use big smiles and gestures.
- Praise your baby.
Games and activities
- Rattles
- Mirrors
- Activity centers
- Soft or board books
- Squeaky toys
Developmental milestones: 9 months
Your baby at 9 months
By 9 months, your baby is much more mobile and likes to explore. Babies at this age are crawling and can pull up to stand. Safety in the home becomes an important issue as your baby’s curiosity (and mobility) grows. Your baby now responds to his or her name, loves to cuddle with family and may show shyness or fear of strangers. Games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake are popular.
What your baby is learning now
While babies may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your baby may reach in this age group:
- Makes sounds and uses gestures to communicate
- Fills and dumps things
- Uses toys to make noise
- Turns pages in books
- Grasps smaller objects with hands and fingers
- Sits, crawls and pulls up to stand
What your baby is learning next
- Begins to recognize and know what words mean
- Points to objects
- Recognizes pictures in books
- Plays with others by handing them things
- Likes games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
- Plays with toys by pushing, pulling, stacking and dumping
- Stands alone and sits with control
What you can do to encourage your baby’s development
- Read books together and name the pictures.
- Name objects you see.
- Call your child by name.
- Encourage your child to imitate your words and sounds.
- Praise your baby for good behavior.
- Use finger foods to promote use of hands to grab food.
Games and activities
- Containers for filling and dumping
- Soft blocks
- Rings on a stick
- Board books
- Activity centers with different textures, shapes and sounds
- Push-and-pull toys
- Balls
Developmental milestones: 1 year
Your baby at 1 year
After a baby’s first birthday, the rate at which they grow begins to slow. By 1, your baby is officially a toddler. Toddlers are more active, curious and expressive. Your toddler may begin to use words, be able to stand on his or her own and take a few steps. Read books to your child, encourage active play, and reward them for good behavior.
What your toddler is learning now
While toddlers may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your toddler may reach in this age group:
- May start to use words
- May be shy around strangers
- Points to objects
- Turns pages in a book
- Likes to push, pull and dump things
- Stacks two blocks
- Hands objects to others
- Plays peek-a-boo
- Crawls well
- Stands alone, sits down
- May take steps alone
What your toddler is learning next
- Uses single words
- Points to pictures in books
- Scribbles with large crayons(with supervision)
- Hides and finds objects
- Notices other children
- Plays with blocks and puzzles
- Walks
- Climbs into a chair
What you can do to encourage your toddler’s development
- Read books together — let your child turn pages and point to pictures.
- Name objects you see.
- Talk with your child about everyday things.
- Play with your child on the floor.
- Set clear rules and be consistent.
- Make time for active play.
- Praise your child for good behavior.
- Demonstrate respectful interactions for your toddler to emulate.
Games and activities
- Shape sorters
- Nesting blocks and cups
- Riding toys (pushing off with feet)
- Small blocks for stacking
- Push-and-pull toys
- Board books
- Pop-up boxes
- Activity boxes
- Balls
- Stacking rings
Developmental milestones: 18 months
Your toddler at 18 months
You toddler is now walking and using basic words. At this age, children love to play and explore. They begin to show some independence. They may play pretend and point at objects they want. They also begin to understand what things in the house are used for, such as a cup or spoon. Your toddler may have temper tantrums around this age, when they grow frustrated trying to communicate how they feel.
What your toddler is learning now
While toddlers may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your toddler may reach in this age group:
- Uses around eight or more words
- Points to pictures in books
- Scribbles
- Hides and finds objects
- Shows interest in other children
- Plays with blocks and puzzles
- Uses a spoon and cup
- Walks quickly
- Climbs into a chair by self
- May have tantrums
- May show interest in using the toilet
What your toddler is learning next
- Walks forward and backward
- Rolls a large ball back-and-forth
- Stoops and squats
- Turns pages of books
- Uses two- to three-word sentences
- Points to some body parts
- Sings and dances
- Imitates parent activities
What you can do to encourage your toddler’s development
- Read books together: Let your child turn pages and point to pictures.
- Talk with your child about everyday things.
- Play with your child on the floor.
- Play dress-up.
- Use routines: Toddlers like to know what to expect.
- Set clear rules and be consistent.
- Praise your toddler for good behavior.
Games and activities
- Blocks
- Farm or garage sets
- Teacup or kitchen sets
- Books
- Toy telephone
- Bubbles
- Balls
- Stack and nest cups
- Dolls or teddy bears
- Cars and trucks
- Riding toys
Developmental milestones: 2 years
Your toddler at 2 years
By the age of 2, your toddler is talking, walking, climbing, jumping, running and bursting with energy. Your child now has a growing vocabulary and acquires new words on a regular basis. They can sort shapes and colors. They may show an interest in potty training. As they grow more independent, toddlers may show signs of defiance as they begin to push boundaries and explore their world.
What your toddler is learning now
While toddlers may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your toddler may reach in this age group:
- Walks forward and backward
- Rolls a large ball back-and-forth
- Stoops and squats
- Turns pages of books
- Uses two- to three-word sentences
- Points to some body parts
- Sings and dances
- May be interested in using the toilet
- Scribbles
What your toddler is learning next
- Signs of toilet readiness
- Undresses self
- Kicks a ball
- Enjoys riding toys
- Listens to brief stories
- Does simple puzzles
- Matches a picture and object
What you can do to encourage your toddler’s development
- Read a little everyday.
- Have conversations with your child.
- Teach new words.
- Let your child help with chores.
- Praise your toddler for good behavior.
- Set clear rules and be consistent.
- Help your child learn how to share.
- Exercise together by jumping, running and walking.
Games and activities
- Farm or garage sets
- Teacup or kitchen sets
- Books
- Toy telephone
- Bubbles
- Balls
- Riding toys
- Nesting cups
- Water and sand toys
- Dress-up clothes
- Dolls or teddy bears
- Blocks and building toys
Developmental milestones: 3 years
Your child at 3 years
At 3, your child is beginning to grow out of the toddler years. Full of fun and ideas, 3-year-olds are active and communicative. They understand past tense in speech. They may begin asking “why” all the time. They enjoy playing with other children and are learning how to share. They are able to feed themselves by this age and have all 20 primary baby teeth!
What your child is learning now
While children may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your child may reach in this age group:
- Plays well with other children
- Can copy a circle and lines
- Rides a tricycle
- Uses their word sentences
- Uses pronouns
- Knows colors
- Can count to three
- Uses the toilet
- Puts on T-shirt by self
- Sings and dances
- Plays make-believe
- May have fears of certain things, like the dark or a monster under the bed
What your child is learning next
- Uses full sentences
- Can have a conversation
- Uses the words “in” “on” and “under” correctly
- Likes pretend play
- Draws a person
- Dresses by self
- Knows five or more colors
- Listens to whole stories
- Says full name and age
- Can match a picture with an object
What you can do to encourage your child’s development
- Read everyday.
- Have conversations.
- Talk about colors and shapes.
- Count.
- Sing songs together.
- Play is more important than passively watching TV or a screen.
- Let your child help with chores.
- Praise your child for good behavior.
- Set clear rules and be consistent.
- Exercise together.
Games and activities
- Playdough
- Books and storytelling
- Matching games
- Small pegs and peg board
- Scribbling
- Tricycles or big wheels
- Wagons
- Puzzles
- Markers, crayons, glue, stickers, watercolor parts
- Balls
- Songs
- Costumes, action figures
Developmental milestones: 4 years
Your child at 4 years
Your 4-year-old preschooler is energetic and imaginative. Children at this age like to tell stories, and often can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality. They may have imaginary playmates. They like to ask questions — a lot. And they can also begin to understand time, as they inch closer to starting kindergarten.
What your child is learning now
While children may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your child may reach in this age group:
- Uses full sentences
- Can have a conversation
- Uses direction words (in, on, and under)
- Elaborate pretend play
- Draws a person
- Dresses by self
- Knows five or more colors
- Pedals a tricycle
- Listens to whole stories
- Says full name and age
- Can match pictures to words
What your child is learning next
- Knows letters
- Sings alphabet song
- Counts six objects
- Catches a ball
- Climbs stairs without holding on
- Repeats a story
- Draws a person with at least four body parts
- Plays games with rules
- Can wait for turn
- Shares with others
- Cooperative play
What you can do to encourage your child’s development
- Read a little every day.
- Point to signs and words in the neighborhood.
- Sort and count.
- Teach your child how to use a phone.
- Set clear rules and be consistent.
- Help our child learn to share.
- Exercise together by jumping, running and walking.
- Praise your preschooler for good behavior.
Games and activities
- Board games
- Dolls with clothes
- Puzzles
- Arts and crafts
- Books
- Playdough
- Dinosaur toys
- Toys for active play, such as balls sports sets, roller skates, tricycles
Developmental milestones: 5 years
Your child at 5 years
At 5, your child is getting ready for kindergarten. She may know her letters, and can sing the alphabet song. She can count to 10, climb stairs on her own and dress without help in the morning. Children at this age show more curiosity about the world and are able to tell the difference between what is real and what is make believe.
What your child is learning now
While children may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your child may reach in this age group:
- Knows letters
- Sings alphabet song
- Learns left from right hand
- Counts 10 objects
- Catches a ball
- Climbs stairs without holding on
- Retells a story
- Draws a person with at least four body parts
- Plays games with rules
- Waits to take turn
- Shares with others
- Engages in cooperative play
- Wants to be like friends
- Jumps rope
- Can name coins and money
- Is curious about real facts about the world
- Dresses up without any help
What you can do to encourage your child’s development
- Color, cut, paste and glue at home with supervision.
- Tell stories and make up new stories.
- Ask and answer “why” questions.
- Point to signs and words in the neighborhood.
- Teach your child how to use the phone.
- Set clear rules and be consistent.
- Help your child share.
- Exercise together.
- Turn off screens and read a book together.
- Praise your preschooler for good behavior.
Games and activities
- Board games
- Card games
- Dominoes and blocks
- Puppets
- Dollhouses and dolls
- Puzzles
- Arts and crafts
- Books
- Toys for active play
Reviewed by Naline Lai, MD, FAAP
FAQs
What is an example of a developmental milestone? ›
Developmental milestones are behaviors or skills that illustrate a child's growth in a number of areas. The milestones have been established based on what most children can do at a certain age. Examples are the age at which a child smiles for the first time, takes his first steps, or says his first words.
What are the five milestones of development? ›Milestones usually are categorized into five major areas: physical growth, cognitive development, emotional and social development, language development, and sensory and motor development.
What are the 4 developmental milestones? ›What Are Milestones? Children develop in certain predictable ways, referred to as developmental milestones. Milestones cover four areas of a child's development -- cognitive, communication and language, social and emotional, and motor. Milestones help you understand how your child learns and grows.
What happens if developmental milestones are not met? ›If your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or if you think there could be a problem with the way your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves talk to your child's doctor and share your concerns. Don't wait. Acting early can make a real difference!
How do you explain developmental milestones? ›Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye-bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. You see children reach milestones every day.
What is the most important milestone in development? ›Missing Milestones
Baby's early years are some of the most important years for their development, which is why early detection and early intervention are so critical.
While you don't want to obsess over them, milestones are important because sometimes kids have delays in development. Most of the time, the earlier they get help, the more progress they can make. Milestones give you a clear set of skills to keep an eye on so you know where your child stands.
What are the key milestones in child development? ›Rolling over, crawling, walking, and talking are all considered milestones. The milestones are different for each age range. There is a normal range in which a child may reach each milestone. For example, walking may begin as early as 8 months in some children.
What are the developmental milestones for toddlers? ›- Walks forward and backward.
- Rolls a large ball back-and-forth.
- Stoops and squats.
- Turns pages of books.
- Uses two- to three-word sentences.
- Points to some body parts.
- Sings and dances.
- Physical milestones. This is where the child develops large motor skills and fine motor skills which they can sit, stand up, crawl, and walk.
- Cognitive milestones. ...
- Social and emotional milestones. ...
- Communication milestones.
What is a developmental milestone checklist? ›
Developmental milestones are behaviors and skills that most children demonstrate at a given age. It's important to note that all children develop differently. Milestone checklists provide examples of typical development progress at that age.
What are three major milestones in growth and development? ›Major achievements—called developmental milestones—include rolling over, sitting up, standing and possibly walking.
How accurate are developmental milestones? ›For each domain/age level (birth to 8 years of age), sensitivity to performance less than or equal to the 16th percentile on diagnostic measures was 83% and specificity was 84%. Reliability was high (test-retest, . 98 to . 99; interrater, .
When should you worry about milestones? ›If you feel your child is slow to meet a milestone, or isn't making the same progress as their peers, it's natural to worry. However, it's important to remember that for every video of a child's first steps you see on Facebook, there are many other children who are still barely pulling themselves up.
Can developmentally delayed child catch up? ›Doctors call those problems developmental delays. Many delays aren't serious, and most kids can catch up, especially when they get early treatment. The key is to get your child the help they need as soon as you think there's a problem.
Why are developmental milestones important for teachers? ›The Importance of Early Childhood Development Milestones
Early childhood development milestones are important because they help teachers and families know that children are developing skills at an appropriate pace.
Child development can be defined as the process by which a child changes over time. It covers the whole period from conception to an individual becoming a fully functioning adult. It's a journey from total dependence to full independence.
How can learning milestones be used? ›Milestones are used to track progress toward a specific goal or event. They mark specific progress points on the development timeline, and they can be invaluable in measuring and monitoring the evolution and risk of a program. In the past, many progress milestones were based on phase-gate activities.
What are milestones in life? ›They may be long-term goals that you reached, changed or re-evaluated. Or they may be events that you looked forward to or dreaded. In essence, your major milestones are the plot twists in your life… the events that turned you down a different path and may have entirely changed the outcome of your life.
Why is it important for early educators to learn and understand the stages of child development? ›When teachers understand how children develop, they'll know to separate the child from the behavior to prevent children from internalizing harmful messages. Looking at how children grow and what they need at different stages of development will also help teachers see a bigger picture of education. Dr.
What influences the achievement of developmental milestones of a child? ›
- Heredity. Heredity is the transmission of physical characteristics from parents to children through their genes. ...
- Environment. ...
- Sex. ...
- Exercise and Health. ...
- Hormones. ...
- Nutrition. ...
- Familial Influence. ...
- Geographical Influences.
Milestones are important points in development, and demonstrate progression. Learners who are not able to achieve any of the benchmarks within Early Level still require tracking and monitoring of their progression.
What are the biggest milestones in life? ›- Leaving home. ...
- Earning a paycheck. ...
- Falling in love (and experiencing heartbreak) ...
- Making a major purchase. ...
- Dealing with a loved one's death. ...
- Getting married. ...
- Finding your own path in life. ...
- Having children.
An important milestone in a child's social development is awareness of his or herself.