Developmental Milestones

Birth to Five Years

0-1 Months

Gross Motor

  • Momentary head elevation when on tummy
  • Holds rattle placed in hand
  • Turns head side to side
  • Reciprocal and symmetrical kicking

Fine Motor

  • Looks at objects briefly
  • Hands primarily closed especially with touch

Speech / Language / Swallowing

  • Draws attention when upset
  • Cries become different for pain and hunger
  • Coordinates suckling, swallowing, and breathing
  • Opens and closes mouth in response to food

Cognition

  • Reacts to sound, light, and motion
  • Turns head to hear familiar voice
  • Highly attuned to faces
2-3 Months
  • Holds head up to look at toys
  • Holds self on arms when on tummy
  • Hands open often
  • Brings hands to mouth
  • Holds toys purposefully
  • Enjoys social play
  • Makes comfort sounds
  • Begins smiling
  • Coos open mouth vowels (aah) and closed vowels (ee)
  • Squeals and laughs when pleased
  • Awareness of new situations
4-5 Months
  • Head no longer drops when pulled to sit
  • Sits with support
  • Stands holding weight when supported
  • Rolls from tummy to back
  • Rolls from back to side
  • Looks at toys while holding them
  • Reaches for, holds and lifts toys with both arms
  • Hands are in midline
  • Holds and shakes rattle
  • Repeats enjoyable activities
  • Uses tongue to move food in mouth
  • Responds to sound stimulation or speech by making noises
  • Begins babbling (reduplicated)(baba, dada)
  • Reaches for familiar persons
  • Watches bottle prep with excitement
  • Reacts to sight of toy
  • Mouths, bangs, and shakes toys
6-7 Months
  • Rolls from back to tummy
  • Sits without support
  • Bounces when held standing
  • Rocks and pushes up on hands and knees
  • Holds bottle
  • Holds cookie
  • Moves toys from hand to hand
  • Voices attitudes other than crying-joy, anger, etc.
  • Cooperates in games
  • Reacts to music by cooing
  • Looks and vocalizes to own name
  • Babbles to people
  • Drinks from a cup and straw
  • Swallows pureed foods
  • Stares at strangers
  • Looks back and forth between two objects
  • Holds arms out to be picked up
  • Smiles and vocalizes to mirror image
  • Cries if toy removed
8-9 Months
  • Pulls to stand
  • Crawls
  • Moves from sitting to tummy & tummy to sitting
  • Cruises sideways
  • Picks up small toys
  • Bangs toys together
  • Uses both hands during play
  • Lets only parent meet needs
  • Says “dada” and “mama”
  • Shouts for attention and adds excitement to vocalizations
  • Chews food with coordinated movements
  • Babbles a variety of sounds: b,m,p,d,t,n,g,k,w,h,f,v,th,s,z,l,r
  • Uncovers toys
  • New forms of awareness emerge-plays peek-a-boo and other hiding games
  • Begins to understand cause and effect
10-11 Months
  • Sits from standing
  • Stands alone with one hand held
  • Cruises around furniture
  • Can stand alone
  • Holds crayon
  • Pushes car
  • Drops toys on purpose
  • Uses more than one object in play (hits cup with spoon)
  • Babbles using syllables like “badaga” with different sounds
  • Babbles in response to human voice
  • Understands some words by demonstrating appropriate behavior
  • Starts to link meaning to gestures
  • Shakes head “no”
12 Months
  • Crawls rapidly on hands and knees
  • Walks unassisted
  • Up on knees without help
  • Throws ball
  • Scribbles
  • Uses index finger to point
  • Builds 2 block tower
  • Holds cup without handles
  • Babbles to him/herself when left alone
  • Responds well to introduction of new tasks
  • Appetite may decrease
  • Wants to be independent
  • Displays temper tantrums
13-24 Months
  • Beginning to jump
  • Climbs into adult chair
  • Begins to run
  • Walks backwards
  • Squats during play
  • Throws small balls
  • Takes off socks
  • Unzips zippers
  • Uses a spoon by self
  • Sorts a few shapes
  • Begins writing and making marks
  • Says “oh no” or “uh oh”
  • Vocabulary increases (50-250) words
  • Begins to put 2 words together
  • Recognizes name
  • Understands what objects do
  • Knows when book is upside down
  • Starts pretend play
2 Years
  • Bounces ball
  • Kicks big ball
  • Runs well
  • Stands on tip toes
  • Stands on one foot
  • Jumps forward
  • Turns doorknobs
  • Strings beads
  • Unwraps small objects
  • Takes off shoes
  • Holds pencil properly instead of in fist
  • Vocabulary improves quickly (250-500 words)
  • Understands categories
  • Imitates 4 word sentences
  • Sings parts of songs
  • Simple problem solving
  • Puts objects together with several parts
3 Years
  • Rides a tricycle
  • Jumps with feet together
  • Catches a large ball with arms/hands
  • Kicks a large rolled ball
  • Cuts with scissors
  • Colors with crayon
  • Unbuttons large button
  • Builds 9 block tower
  • Imitates drawing a cross and circle
  • Understands similar and different
  • Remembers and tells stories
  • Asks many “why” questions
  • Answers questions
  • Repeats 5 word sentences
  • Sorts toys by size and color
  • Begins to understand safety awareness
  • Gives full name
  • Higher level problem solving
  • Imaginative play
4 Years
  • Stands on one foot for up to 8 seconds
  • Skips
  • Hops on 1 foot
  • Walks on balance beam
  • Throws overhand
  • Buttons large buttons
  • Touches finger to nose with eyes closed
  • Traces and copies
  • Brushes teeth
  • Washes and dries face
  • Cuts out shapes
  • Answers a variety of “wh” questions
  • Understood at least 80% of the time
  • Vocabulary of several thousand words
  • Gives age and birthday
  • Understands most rules
  • Abstract thinking emerges
  • Understands past and present
  • Gives address
5 Years
  • Stands still on toes
  • Hops on 1 foot 10 times
  • Catches small ball bounced by self
  • Jumps forward 18-24”
  • Copies triangles
  • Cuts on a straight line
  • Draws a 6-8 part man
  • Buttons small buttons
  • Tries to color in lines
  • Speaks fluently except for confusions with /s,f,th/
  • Asks meaning of abstract words
  • Can compare objects
  • Counts
  • Knows morning from afternoon
  • Learns left from right