Developmental Milestones
Fine Motor Milestones
2-6 months
- grasps a rattle, holds bottle with both hands
- pulls at clothes
- reaches, pulls objects to mouth
6-9 months
- bangs objects on table
- transfers cube hand to hand
- feeds self finger food
9-15 months
- marks paper with crayon
- puts 3 or more objects into a container
- builds tower using two cubes
- drinks from a cup
- feeds self with a spoon
15-18 months
- finger-thumb pincer grasp
- scribblings, draws line
- builds tower of four cubes, puts four rings on stick
- removes socks
- turns knobs
2-3 years
- undresses self and assists with dressing
- copies a circle and a cross
- strings four large beads
- turns single page
- snips with scissors on a line
- buttons/unbuttons large buttons
4-5 years
- copies a square
- prints own name- tripod pencil grasp
- ties shoelaces
- cuts on line continuously
- prints some capital letters
6 years
- copies a triangle
- cuts out simple shapes
- copies first name
- prints numerals 1-5
- color within lines
- pastes and glues appropriately
Gross Motor Milestones
2-6 months
- holds head up
- rolls from front to back
- sits with little support
6-9 months
- makes stepping movements when supported
- pulls to stand on furniture
- crawls forward/backward
9-15 months
- stands alone well
- walks without support
- stoops to pick up toys or look between legs when standing
15-18 months
- climbs steps with support
- rolls a ball in imitation of adult
- throws a ball forward
- stands on one foot with help
- carries large toy while walking
2-3 years
- runs around obstacles, kicks ball
- walks up/down steps using alternate feet
- walks backwards
- seats self in child size chair
- rides tricycle
- balances on one foot for 5 seconds
- moves to music
4-5 years
- hops on 1 foot
- skips and gallops
- catches a small ball
- walks backwards, toe-heel
- jumps forward 10 times without falling
- turns somersault
6 years
- runs lightly on toes
- walks on balance beam
- rides bicycle
- rhythmic skipping
- jumps rope
- skates
Receptive Language Milestones
7 months-1 year
- turns and looks in the direction of sounds
- listens when spoken to
- recognizes words for common items like "cup", "shoe", "juice"
- responds to name
- begins to respond to simple requests ("come here", "sit down")
- smiles when smiled at and can follow eye gaze
1-2 years
- points to a few body parts
- follows 1-2 step directions and understands simple questions ("roll the ball", "kiss the baby", "go get your shoes")
- listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
- identifies an object in a picture book
- points to pictures in a book when named
- points to a few body parts when asked
2-3 years
- hears when you call from another room
- answers simple "who?", "what?", "where?", "why?" questions
- follows 2-3 step directions
- understands concepts "inside", "under", "on top"
- points to 5-6 parts of a doll when asked
3-4 years
- understands differences in meaning ("go-stop", "in-on", "big-little", "up-down")
- follows 2 requests ("Get your shoes and put them on")
- understands action words ("jump, run, wash") and descriptive words ("big, wet, little")
- matches objects to pictures
4-5 years
- pays attention to short stories and answers simple questions
- hears and understands spatial concepts (under, in back of, in front of)
- makes inferences from pictures and stories
- understands and able to produce rhyming words
- can clap out multi-syllable words
Expressive Language Milestones
7 months- 1 year
- babbling with both long and short groups of sounds "dada upup"
- uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention
- imitates different speech sounds
- has 1 or 2 words (bye-bye, mama)
- enjoys games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
- joint attention
- reacts to emotions
1-2 years
- says mroe words every month
- uses some 1-2 word questions (where kitty? go bye-bye?)
- puts 2 words together (more cookie, no juice, mommy book)
- uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words
- points to objects to get others engaged (joint attention)
- plays near other children, begin to imitate
- greets others, takes turns
- brings objects to adult, requests action with words/gestures
2-3 years
- has a word for almost everything (50-200 words)
- uses 2-3 words to talk about and ask for things
- speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time
- often asks for or directs attention to objects by naming them
- acts out simple themes from own experience
- talks to self during play
3-4 years
- talks about activities completed earlier from school or home
- people outside the family understand the child's speech
- uses a lot of sentences that have 4 or more words
- usually talks easily without repeating syllables or words
- cooperative play begins
- begins to share and show empathy and emotions
- able to maintain a topic
4-5 years
- says most sounds correctly except l, s, r, v, z, j, ch, sh, th
- uses the same grammar as the rest of family
- uses sentences that give lots of details (I like to read my books)
- tells stories that stick to topic
- communicates easily with other children and adults
- understand that other people have thoughts