Physical, Language, Cognitive, Social and Emotional

0 - 3 Months

• Moves both arms in wide circular movements
• Swipes at toys or your face with arms
• Briefly holds an object placed in hand
• Lies on tummy and raises head
• Lies on back and moves each arm and leg equally
• Pushes up on arms from tummy and supports self on forearms
• Holds head up when held in a sitting position, with only occasional bobs forward
• Turns toward voice
• Usually awakens when sleeping quietly
• Laughs
• Smiles in response to other people smiling
• Says “coo” or “ahh” sounds
• Squeals with delight
• Generalized Tension
• Delight
• Looks at your face
• Watches your face or a toy
• Can be soothed by a familiar voice
• Startles (jumps or blinks) to loud sounds
• Stops playing and appears to listen to sounds or speech
• Watches a speaker’s face
• Distress
• Smiles at Faces

4 - 6 Months

• Starts to bring both hands together
• Feels and explores his/her own hands
• Frequently brings hands to mouth
• Reaches for a toy with both arms
• Grasps toys with whole hand and shakes it to make a sound
• Recognizes the bottle visually and will pat the bottle with both hands while feeding
• Takes food off spoon
• On tummy, lifts head up to 90 degrees
• Holds head steady when upright in your arms
• On tummy, pushes up onto arms, lifting chest up
• Begins to roll tummy to back
• Keeps head in line with body when pulled to sitting holding hands
• Sits with support
• Holds head up
• Sits with straight back
• Briefly sits leaning on arms for support
• Shakes and bangs toy
• Moves eyes independently of head
• Transfers a toy from one hand to the other
• Finger feeds on breadsticks/teething biscuits
• Drinks from a cup held by an adult
• Babbles with consonant-vowel combinations
• Looks directly at you
• Turns towards sound
• Makes raspberries
• Attempts to imitate sounds
• Reacts to loud, angry voices
• Babbles for attention
• Enjoys being cuddled
• Recognizes his mother
• Distinguishes between familiar persons and strangers, no longer smiles indiscriminately
• Expects feeding, dressing, and bathing

7 - 9 Months

• Pushes/pulls toys with wheels
• Bangs tw
• toys together
• Feeds self a cracker
• Stands up when held
• Sits alone
• Works to get an out-of-reach toy
• May begin to pull up on furniture
• Responds to name
• Produces four or more different sounds
• Frequently uses syllables ba, da, ka
• Understands "no" and "bye-bye"
• Imitates sound
• Specific emotional attachment to mother
• Protests separation from mother
• Enjoys "peek-a-boo"

10 – 12 Months

• Picks up objects using a pinch with thumb and index finger
• Uses index finger to point at and manipulate toys
• Finger feeds consistently
• Holds a spoon
• Holds a cup with both hands and drinks (though may spill a little)
• Starts to take off socks
• Lifts arm or leg to help with dressing
• Stands holding on to someone or something
• Pulls up to standing
• Gets into standing position
• Turns in a circle when sitting
• Walks holding onto furniture (cruises)
• May stand alone momentarily
• Crawls on hands and knees
• Repeats sounds and gestures for attention
• Searches for an object he/she has seen hidden
• Uses long babbling sentences that are inflected (jargon)
• Understands simple commands
• Gives toys on request
• Points to objects desired
• Says two or three words
• Imitates familiar words
• Shakes head for "no "
• Likes to imitate sounds of familiar animals
• Waves bye-bye
• Still plays peek-a-boo
• Anger
• Affection
• Fear of strangers
• Curiosity, exploration
• Responsive to own name
• Plays pat-a-cake, understands "no-no!"
• Gives and takes objects

13 - 17 Months

• Grasps an object with the thumb on one side and the index and second fingers on the other side
• Builds a tower of two blocks
• Opens/closes containers
• Will place a circle shape into a puzzle board
• Drops objects into containers/empties objects out of containers
• Brings spoon to mouth, however often it turns it over and spills food
• Takes off socks
• Scribbles with a crayon, holding it with a fisted grasp
• Builds a three to four block tower
• Will hold the handle of a cup and drink with less spillage
• Scoops food and brings spoon to mouth with just a little spillage
• Walks or stands independently
• Walks upstairs with help
• Throws a toy from standing without falling
• Throws ball towards you
• Attempts to kick a large ball
• Rolls ball to you
• Can say about 20 words
• Recognizes pictures of people and things he/she knows well
• Points to three body parts (for example, nose, eyes, mouth)
• Begins to combine two words (for example, "all gone" or "go bye-bye")
• Brings familiar objects to you when asked
• Can point to five objects
• Imitates words and sounds more clearly
• Dependent behavior
• Very upset when separated from mother
• Fear of the bath
• Obeys limited commands
• Interested in his mirror image
• Feeds himself

18 – 24 Months

• Turns one page of a book at a time
• Puts a cheerio into a small bottle
• Separates pop-beads
• Places three shapes (round, square, triangle) into a puzzle board
• Imitates a vertical stroke or circular scribble with a crayon
• Strings large bead on a shoelace
• Turns the door knob
• Holds a small glass with one hand
• Finds armholes in T-shirt and pushes arms through
• Removes shoes when laces are undone
• Unzips/zips large zipper
• Produces a few short phrases
• Talks in two and three word sentences (for example, "Daddy go work")
• Uses pronouns me/mine
• Follows two-step commands (for example, "Pick up your shoe and bring it to me")
• Uses these speech sounds: p,b,m,w,h,n
• Says or uses about 300 words
• Answers simple "wh" (where, what, why) questions by pointing or other actions
• Knows four to eight body parts
• Communicates what he/she wants
• Temper tantrums
• Resentment of new baby
• Does opposite of what he is told

2 Years

• Jumps off a step
• Rides a tricycle
• Uses crayons
• Builds a 9-10 cube tower
• Starts to use short sentences
• Controls and explores world with language
• Stuttering may appear briefly
• Fear of separation
• Negativistic
• Violent emotions
• Anger
• Differentiates facial expressions of anger, sorrow, and joy
• Sense of humor (Plays tricks)
• Talks, uses "I" "me" "you"
• Copies parents' actions
• Dependent, clinging, possessive about toys
• Enjoys playing alongside another child
• Negativism
• Resists parental demands
• Gives orders
• Rigid insistence on sameness of routine
• Inability to make decisions

3 Years

• Stands on one leg
• Jumps up and down
• Draws a circle and a cross
• Self-sufficient in many routines of home life
• Affectionate toward parents
• Pleasure in genital manipulation
• Romantic attachment to parent of opposite sex
• Jealousy of same-sex parent
• Imaginary fears of dark, injury, etc.
• Likes to share, uses "we"
• Cooperative play with other children
• Imitates parents
• Beginning of identification with same-sex parent
• Practices sex-role activities
• Intense curiosity
• Interest in other children's bodies
• Imaginary friend

4 Years

Can usually count from 1 to 10

Can walk on tiptoes, climb a ladder and ride a tricycle

Can dress and undress with supervision but still has trouble with laces and buttons

Holds and uses a pencil with good control

Can to draw a person with a face, arms and legs

Can copy a cross, circle and possibly a square

Speech is almost always understandable

Correctly uses the pronoun "I"

Children this age recognize gender differences and will correctly say "I am a girl" or "I am a boy"

Engages in conversational "give-and-take"

Talks about his or her day's activities and experiences

Can sing a song

Knows his or her own name

May name and match three or four primary colors

Begin to be selective about what they wear

Can identify emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety and fear

Enjoys the companionship of other children; plays cooperatively and shows interest in other children's bodies 5 Years

• Skips
• Can walk on tiptoes and jumps forward
• Throws a ball overhand
• Washes and dries hands and brushes teeth unassisted
• Can cut and paste
• Can dress and undress without supervision
• Can copy a triangle from a picture
• Draws a person with a head, body, arms and legs
• Can name four or five colors
• Can state his or her age
• Has a vocabulary of six to eight word sentences
• Can tell a simple story
• nows his or her own phone number, address and several nursery rhymes
• Understands right and wrong, fair and unfair
• Understands games that have rules
• Engages in make-believe and dress-up play, in which your child may assume a specific role ("mommy or daddy")

6 Years

• Can bounce a ball 4-6 times
• Throws and catches
• Skates
• Begins to learn some specific sports skills like batting a ball or kicking a soccer ball
• Can ride a bicycle
• Can tie shoelaces
• Can print numbers up to 10
• Can print first name
• Can print a few letters
• Can draw a person with six body parts
• Can count up to 100
• Knows right from left

8 – 10 Years

• Has more control over small muscles, and therefore writes and draws with more skill
• Can read for pleasure
• Able to tell time
• Has a sense of humor
• Concerned about rules - good (fair) vs. bad (unfair)
• Cares for herself, her room, and her belongings
• Can take responsibility for home chores
• Likes to belong to informal "clubs" formed by children themselves

12 – 14 Years

• Rapid body changes as puberty is in full swing
• Special athletic, artistic, academic, or musical talents may emerge
• Very moody
• Teens wonder if they are going to be normal
• Very sensitive to their changing body
• Often measure their physical appearance and skills against idealized images
• Begin to show concern for their body as rapid changes occur
• Shyness, blushing, modesty, and the need for privacy
• Curiosity about sexual matters begins
• Would much rather be with their friends than their family, especially their parents
• Realizes parents are not perfect and often points out their faults
• Searches for new adults to confide in instead of parents

15 - 17 Years

• The majority of changes associated with puberty have taken place
• Concerned with their physical appearance
• Believe that others are also concerned
• Greater time is invested in grooming, exercising, and experimenting with new images such as makeup and clothing styles
• Begins to have increased concerns about their own sexual attractiveness
• Tenderness is shown toward the opposite sex with frequently changing relationships
• Sexuality is a major preoccupation for the middle adolescent
• Experiences of middle adolescents are broadened by their relationships with adults outside the family
• Often write down their inner thoughts and feelings in a diary
• Complains that parents interfere with their independence
• Experience the most conflict with their parents
• Achieving independence from their parents is particularly important
• Annoying habits, such as refusal to wash, poor manners, vegetarianism, messy rooms, and untidy dress are normal
• Feel invincible
• Friends mean "everything"