11 Developmental Milestones

Two Months

Cognitive

• 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

Fine Motor

• Grasps reflexively
• Does not reach for objects
• Holds hands in fist

Gross Motor

• Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
• Makes smoother movements with arms and legs

Language

•  Coos, makes gurgling sounds
• Turns head toward sounds

Social and Emotional

• Begins to smile at people
• Can briefly calm himself  (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand)
• Tries to look at parent

Four Months

Cognitive

• 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 and recognizes familiar people and things at a distance

Fine Motor

• Brings hands to mouth
• Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
• Follows moving things with eyes from side to side
• Can hold a toy with whole hand (palmar grasp) and shake it and swing at dangling toys

Gross Motor

• Holds head steady, unsupported
• Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface
• Maybe able to roll over from tummy to back
• Brings hands to mouth
• When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows

Language

• Begins to babble
• Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears
• Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired

Social and 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

Six Months

Cognitive

• 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
• Looks for partially hidden object
• Looks for fallen toys

Fine Motor

• Reaches with both arms
• Brings things to mouth
• Begins to pass things from one hand to the other

Gross Motor

• 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

Language

• 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”)

Social and 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

Nine Months

Cognitive

• Watches the path of something as it falls
• 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

Fine Motor

• Puts things in her mouth
• Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other
• Picks up things between thumb and index finger (pincer grip)

Gross Motor

• Stands, holding on
• Can get into sitting position
• Sits without support
• Pulls to stand
• Crawls

Language

• Understands “no”
• Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
• Copies sounds and gestures of others
• Uses fingers to point at things

Social and Emotional

• May be afraid of strangers
• May be clingy with familiar adults
• Has favorite toys

One Year

Cognitive

• Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, throwing
• Finds hidden things easily
• Looks at the right picture or thing when it’s named
• Imitates gestures
• Starts to use things correctly; for example, drinks from a cup, brushes hair
• Bangs two things together

Fine Motor

• Reaches with one hand
• Bangs two things together
• Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container
• Lets things go without help
• Pokes with index (pointer) finger

Gross Motor

• Gets to a sitting position without help
• Pulls up to stand, walks holding on to furniture (“cruising”)
• May take a few steps without holding on
• May stand alone

Language

• 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

Social and Emotional

• Is shy or nervous with strangers
• Cries when mom or dad leaves
• Has favorite things and people
• Shows fear in some situations
• Hands you a book when he wants to hear a story
• Repeats sounds or actions to get attention
• Puts out arm or leg to help with dressing
• Plays games such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”

18 Months

Cognitive

• 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
• Scribbles on his own
• Can follow 1-step verbal commands without any gestures

Fine Motor

• Scribbles on his own
• Can help undress herself
• Drinks from a cup
• Eats with a spoon with some accuracy
• Stacks 2-4 objects

Gross Motor

• Walks alone
• Walks up stairs holding for support
• May run
• Carries and pulls toys while walking
• Can help undress herself
• Climbs onto and down from furniture

Language

• Says several words
• Say and shakes head “no”
• Points to show someone what is wanted
• Uses two word sentences
• Repeats words overheard in conversation

Social and Emotional

• Likes to hand things to others as play
• May have temper tantrums
• May be afraid of strangers
• Shows affection to familiar people
• Plays simple pretend, such as feeding a doll
• May cling to caregivers in new situations
• Points to show others something interesting
• Explores alone but with parent close by.

Two Years

Cognitive

• Begins to sort shapes and colors
• Completes sentences and rhymes in familiar books
• Plays simple make-believe games
• 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
• Matches object to picture in book

Fine Motor

• Builds towers of 4 or more blocks
• Might use one hand more than the other
• Makes copies of straight lines and circles
• Enjoys pouring and filling
• Unbuttons large buttons
• Unzips large zippers
• Drinks and feeds self with more accuracy

Gross Motor

• Stands on tiptoe
• Kicks a ball
• Begins to run
• Climbs onto and down from furniture without help
• Walks up and down stairs holding on
• Throws ball overhand

Language

• 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
• Points to things in a book

Social and 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

Three Years

Cognitive

• Can work toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts
• Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people
• Does puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces
• Understands what “two” means

Fine Motor

• Copies a circle with pencil or crayon
• Turns book pages one at a time
• Builds towers or more than 6 blocks
• Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handle

Gross Motor

• Climbs well
• Runs easily
• Pedals a tricycle (3-wheeled bike)
• Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step
• Kicks ball forward
• Throws ball overhand

Language

• Follows instructions with 2 or 3 steps
• Can name most familiar things
• Understands words like “in,” “on,” and “under”
• Says first name, age, and sex
• Names a friend
• Says words like “I,” “me,” “we,” and “you” and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats)
• Talks well enough for strangers to understand most of the time
• Carries on a conversation using 2 to 3 sentences

Social and Emotional

• Copies adults and friends
• Shows affection for friends without prompting
• Takes turns in games
• Shows concern for a crying friend
• Understands the idea of “mine” and “his” or “hers”
• Shows a wide range of emotions
• Separates easily from mom and dad
• May get upset with major changes in routine
• Dresses and undresses self

Four Years

Cognitive

• Names some colors and some numbers
• Understands the idea of counting
• Starts to understand time
• Remembers parts of a story
• Understands the idea of “same” and “different”
• Plays board or card games
• Tells you what he thinks is going to happen next in a book

Fine Motor

• Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes own food
• Uses scissors
• Starts to copy some capital letters

Gross Motor

• Hops and stands on one foot up to 2 seconds
• Catches a bounced ball most of the time

Language

• 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 “ltsy Bitsy Spider” or the “Wheels on the Bus”
• Tells stories
• Can say first and last name
• Recalls parts of a story

Social and Emotional

• Enjoys doing new things
• Plays “Mom” and “Dad”
• Is more and more creative with make-believe play
• 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

Five Years

Cognitive

• Counts 10 or more things
• Knows about things used every day, like money and food
• Correctly names 4 colors
• Better understands concept of time

Fine Motor

• Can draw a person with at least 6 body parts
• Can print some letters or numbers
• Copies a triangle and geometric shapes
• Uses a fork and spoon and sometimes a table knife

Gross Motor

• Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer
• Hops; may be able to skip
• Can do a somersault
• Can use a toilet on her own
• Swings and climbs

Language

• Speaks very clearly
• Tells a simple story using full sentences
• Uses future tense; for example, “Grandma will be here.”
• Says name and address
• Speaks in sentences of more than 5 words

Social and Emotional

• Wants to be like and please other friends
• More likely to agree with rules
• Likes to sing, dance, and act
• Is aware of gender
• Cantell what’s real and what’s make-believe
• Shows more independence
• Is sometimes demanding and sometimes very cooperative

SIX YEARS

Cognitive

• Shows increased attention span
• Understands simple time markers
• Understands simple motion concepts
• Enjoys the challenges of puzzles, mazes, and games
• Names and correctly holds up right and left hand fairly consistently
• Inquisitive about surroundings and everyday events

Fine Motor

• Enjoys painting, modeling with clay, drawing, coloring
• Writes numbers and letters with varying degrees of precision and interest (might reverse or confuse certain letters: b/d, p/q, g/q, t/f)
• Traces around hand and other objects
• Folds and cuts paper into simple shapes
• Ties own shoes (some still struggle)

Gross Motor

• Movements are more precise and deliberate
• Moves constantly
• Enjoys vigorous activity
• Rides bicycle with training wheels
• Swings a bat

Language

• Talks nonstop
• Carries on adult-like conversations; asks many questions
• Uses appropriate verb tenses, word order, and sentencestructure
• Uses language to express displeasure
• Talks self through steps required in simple problem solving
• Imitates slang and profanity; finds “bathroom” talk extremely funny
• Delights in telling jokes and riddles
• Recognizes some words by sight;
• Attempts to sounds out words

Social and Emotional

• Becomes less dependent on parents
• Needs and seeks adult approval
• Anxious to please
• Sees events from almost entirely own perspective
• Easily disappointed and frustrated by self-perceived failure
• Has difficulty composing and soothing self
• Dislikes being corrected or losing at games
• Often fibs, cheats, or takes items belonging to others
• Knows when he or she has been bad based on expectations and rules
• Can be increasingly fearful

Seven Years

Cognitive

• Understands concepts of space and time in ways that are both logical and more practical
• Begins to grasp conservation
• Gains better understanding of cause and effect
• Tells time by clock and understands calendar time
• Plans ahead
• Shows fascination with magic tricks
• Enjoys counting and saving money
• Continues to reverse some letters and substitute sounds on occasion

Fine Motor

• Manipulates computer mouse or paintbrush with greater precision
• Uses knife and fork appropriately, but inconsistently
• Holds pencil in tight grasp near the tip; rests head on forearm, lowers head almost to the table top when doing pencil-and-paper tasks
• Produces numbers and letters in deliberate and confident fashion (more uniform)

Gross Motor

• Balances on either foot
• Runs up and down stairs with alternating feet
• Throws and catches smaller ball
• Practices a new motor skill over and over until mastered, then drops it to work on something else
• Finds floor more comfortable than furniture when reading, playing, or watching TV
• Legs are often in constant motion

Language

• Engages in storytelling
• Uses adult-like sentence structure and language in conversation
• Uses more adjectives and adverbs
• Uses gestures to illustrate conversations
• Verbal exaggeration is common
• Describes personal experiences in great detail
• Understands and carries out multiple-step directions
• Enjoys writing simple notes to friends
• Finds reading easier
• Reading skills are better than spelling skills

Social and Emotional

• Criticizes own performance
• Is cooperative and affectionate towards adults
• Is more outgoing
• Seeks outs friendships
• Can find things to do independently
• Quarrels less often
• Still tattles
• Prefers same-sex playmates; more likely to play in groups
• Blames others or makes up excuses for own behavior
• Worries about not being liked
• Feelings are easily hurt
• Can be trusted to carry out directions and commitments
• Worries about being late or not getting school work done

Eight Years

Cognitive

• Organizes and displays items according to more complex systems
• Bargains and trades collectible items
• Plan and saves money for small purchases
• Begins to take interest in what others think and do
• Understands there are distant countries and differences of opinion and culture
• Understands perspective (shadow, distance, shape)
• Grasps basic principles of conservation
• Uses more sophisticated logic in efforts to understand everyday events
• Adds and subtracts multiple digit numbers
• Learning multiplication and division

Fine Motor

• Copies words and numbers with increasing speed and accuracy
• Has good eye-hand coordination
• Drawings reflect more realistic portrayal of objects

Gross Motor

• Likes to dance, skate, swim, wrestle, ride bikes, play basketball, jump rope, and fly kites
• Seeks out opportunities to play in team activities and games
• Exhibits significant improvement in agility, balance, speed, and strength
• Possess seemingly endless energy

Language

• Reads with ease and understanding
• Writes with descriptions that are imaginative and detailed
• Uses language to criticize and compliment others
• Repeats slang and curse words
• Understands and follows rules of grammar in conversation and written form
• Is intrigued with learning secret word codes or using code language
• Able to think and talk about past and future

Social and Emotional

• Begins to form opinions about moral values and attitudes
• Plays with two or three best friends; most often of same age and gender
• Enjoys spending some time alone
• Participates in team games and activities
• Acceptance by peers is important
• Enjoys talking on the phone with friends and family
• Seems less critical of own performance, but is easily
• Understands others may have more talent in a specific area
• Enjoys performing for adults and challenging them in games

9 & 10 Years

Cognitive

• Develops ability to reason based more on experience and logic more than intuition
• Likes challenges in arithmetic but does not always understand complex mathematical concepts
• Learns best through hands-on learning (researching, experimenting, building models, dramatizing)
• Finds it difficult to sit still for periods longer than 30 minutes;
• Uses reading and writing skills for nonacademic activities
• Shows improved understanding of cause and effect
• Continues to master concepts of time, weight, volume, and distance
• Able to think in reverse, following a series of occurrences back to their beginnings
• Prefers reading books that are longer and descriptive, with complex plots

Fine Motor

• Writes, sketches, and performs fine motor skills with improved coordination
• Likes to use hands for arts and crafts, cooking, woodworking, needlework, painting, building models, and taking apart objects such as a clock or telephone
• Draws pictures in details
• Takes great joy in perfecting handwriting skills

Gross Motor

• Throws a ball with accuracy
• Uses arms, legs, and feet with ease and improved precision
• Runs, climbs, skips ropes, swims, rides bikes, and skates with skill and confidence
• Enjoys team sports, but may still need to develop some of the necessary complex skills

Language

• Talks, often nonstop and for no specific reason; sometimes just for attention
• Expresses feelings in effectively through words
• Understands and uses language as a system for communicating with others
• Uses slang expressions commonly expressed by peers
• Recognizes that some words have double meaning
• Finds humor in using illogical metaphors in jokes and riddles
• Shows advanced understanding of grammatical sequences
• Recognizes when a sentence is not grammatically correct

Social and Emotional

• Becomes less dependent on parents
• Needs and seeks adult approval
• Anxious to please
• Sees events from almost entirely own perspective
• Easily disappointed and frustrated by self-perceived failure
• Has difficulty composing and soothing self
• Dislikes being corrected or losing at games
• Often fibs, cheats, or takes items belonging to others
• Knows when he or she has been bad based on expectations and rules
• Can be increasingly fearful

11 &12 Years

Cognitive

• Begins thinking in more abstract terms
• No longer needs to rely on experiencing an event to understand it
• Accepts the idea that problems can have multiple solutions
• Completes the majority of language develop by the end of this stage
• Often works through problems by talking aloud to self
• Develops solutions or responses based on logic
• Enjoys challenges, problem-solving, researching, and testing possible solutions
• Stays focused on completing tasks
• Develops detailed plans and lists to reach a desired goal
• Performs many routine tasks without having to think
• Learns from errors using cause-and-effect

Fine Motor

• Concentrates efforts on continued refinement of fine motor ability
• Likes to sew and paint

Gross Motor

• Displays movements that are smoother and more coordinated
• Rapid growth can cause temporary clumsiness
• Enjoys participation in activities and organized games in which improved skills can be used and tested
• Requires outlets for release of excess energy that builds during the school day
• Enjoys team sports, riding bikes, playing in the park, taking dance lessons, going for a walk with friends, shooting hoops, playing soccer
• Has an abundance of energy but also fatigues quickly
• Uses improved strength to run faster, throw balls farther, jump higher, kick or bat balls more accurately, and wrestle friends

Language

• Completes the majority of language develop by the end of this stage
• Often works through problems by talking aloud to self
• Talk and argues, often nonstop, with anyone who will listen
• Uses longer and more complex sentence structures
• Masters increasingly complex vocabulary
• Adds 4,000-5,000 new words each year
• Weaves elaborate stories with precise descriptions
• Becomes a thoughtful listener
• Understands that word statements can have implied meanings
• Grasps concepts of irony and sarcasm
• Enjoys telling jokes, riddles, and rhymes to entertain others
• Masters several language styles, shifting back and forth based on the occasion

Social and Emotional

• Organizes group games but may modify rules while the game is in progress
• View self-image as very important
• Defines self in terms of appearance, possessions, and activities
• Becomes increasingly self-conscious and self-focused
• Understands the need to assume responsibility for his or her own behavior
• Daydreams and fantasizes about the future (including career)
• Develops a critical and idealistic view of the world
• Expresses interests in other cultures, foods, languages, and customs
• Adopts dress, hairstyles, and mannerisms of celebrities
• May spend more time now with peers than with family members
• is able to discuss what is emotionally troubling

Attribution

This chapter is copied from Appendix C – Developmental Milestones is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennifer Paris, Kristin Beeve, & Clint Springer.