The development process begins the day your baby is born. Parents quickly realize that a newborn constantly grows, but the process isn't just about bodily changes. Along with physical changes, the development process includes rapid changes in a child's mind and skills, as well as gains in language, literacy, and communication that are nearly nonstop in these formative years.
In fact, one of the most crucial periods in a child's development and learning is from birth to age 5. During this crucial period, eighty-five to ninety percent of a child's brain develops, a time when children quickly grow and develop new skills that range from thinking and speaking to social and emotional skills.
As a newborn develops, parents look for significant achievements such as the first word spoken or the first step taken – achievements usually referred to as developmental milestones. The most frequently asked question on many parents' minds is, "Is my child developing normally?"
Knowing developmental milestones helps answer this question. Milestones can be considered age-specific tasks—or a checklist—that most children will achieve by a certain age. These milestones are broken down into the following categories:
- Emotional and Social Development: Emotional and social development describes how children feel about themselves, develop relationships with others, and learn to express and manage their emotions.
- Language Development and Communication: Language development and communication involves children's language and early literacy development. Language development begins with children's ability to understand what others are communicating to them. Infants and toddlers often understand much more than they can say.
- Cognitive Development: Cognitive development focuses on children's ability to acquire, organize, and use information in increasingly complex ways. This is when children begin active roles in play, support the development of social connections, and start creative expression.
- Health and Physical Development: A child's health and physical development focuses on physical growth and motor skill development, nutrition, self-care, and health and safety practices.
Developmental Milestones: Birth to 5 years old
By looking at different development milestones in the first five years of life, parents—as well as other family members, doctors, and teachers—can gauge a child's development as well as be alerted of critical age-specific milestones that may not be going according to plan. Although each child develops at their own pace, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has created these general age-based developmental milestones that parents should look for:
One Month Old:
- Brings hands within range of mouth and eyes
- Keeps hands in tight fists
- Strong reflex movements
- Moves head side to side while on stomach
- Eyes wander and occasionally cross, focusing 8-12 inches away
- Recognizes some sounds and may turn toward familiar sounds and voices
- Prefers human faces most, along with black and white or highly contrasting patterns
- Prefers soft rather than course sensations and dislikes abrupt or rough handling
Three Months Old:
- Raises head and chest while lying on stomach
- Open and shuts hands, grasps and brings hands to mouth
- Stretches legs out and kicks while lying on back or stomach
- Watches faces intently and follows moving objects (tracks)
- Babbles and coos
- Has a social smile
- Begins to imitate some facial expressions
Seven Months Old:
- Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)
- Sits up with or without the support of hands
- Reaches out and grabs, transfers object from hand to hand
- Explores with hands and mouth
- Supports weight on legs (bears weight)
- Responds to own name
- Enjoys social play
- Babbles chains of consonants
- Uses voice to express joy or displeasure
- Interested in mirror objects
Twelve Months Old:
- Gets into a sitting position without help
- Crawls forward on belly, pulling with arms and pushing with legs
- Pulls self up to stand and stands momentarily without support
- Walks holding onto furniture and may walk without support
- Uses pincer grasp
- Puts objects in and out of containers
- Responds to simple verbal requests
- Says dada mama and tries to imitate words
- Explores objects in many different ways (banging, touching, dropping, shaking)
- Finds hidden objects
Two Years Old:
- Begins to run
- Pulls and carries toys while walking
- Kicks a ball
- Climbs on/off furniture without assistance
- Scribbles spontaneously
- Builds towers of blocks, four or more high
- Points to an object or picture when it is named
- Says several single words and uses two-to-four-word sentences
- Follows simple instructions
- Repeats words overheard in conversation
- Imitates others, especially adults and older children
- Increasingly aware of his or herself as separate from others
- Begins to express defiant behavior
Three-Four Years Old:
- Hops and stands on one foot for up to five seconds
- Kicks a ball forward and throws a ball overhead
- Moves forward and backward with agility
- Peddles a tricycle
- Draws circles and squares
- Uses scissors
- Speaks clear enough for strangers to understand
- Speaks in five to six-word sentences
- Correctly names some colors
- Counts to 3 (3yrs) and 10 (4yrs)
- Cooperates with other children
- Dresses and undresses self
- Follows 3-part command
- More independent
Four-Five Years Old:
- Stands on one foot for ten seconds or longer
- Hops, somersaults, swings, climbs, and may be able to skip
- Can ride a bicycle (with training wheels)
- Draws circles, squares, and triangles
- Draws a person with a body
- Prints name (5yrs)
- Uses future tense and tells stories
- Speaks in sentences using more than five words
- Knows name, address, and phone number
- Counts to 10 (4yrs) and 20 (5yrs)
- Knows and can identify at least four colors
- Wants to please and be like friends
- Likes to sing, dance, and act
- Able to distinguish fantasy from reality
- Better understands the concept of time
- Usually cares for own toilet needs
What if my child is not reaching developmental milestones?
If a child has not reached an age-specific milestone or you have a concern about your child's development, parents should talk to their pediatrician or healthcare provider. If your child is developmentally delayed, the good news is that it is most likely treatable with early interventions such as speech, language, or physical therapy.
Development screenings can also identify your child's strengths, uncover new milestones to celebrate, and reveal areas where your child may need support. Screenings help parents understand their child's development and know what to look for next.
BabyNet is South Carolina’s interagency early intervention system for infants and toddlers under three years of age with developmental delays, or who have conditions associated with developmental delays.
BabyNet matches the special needs of infants and toddlers, birth to 3 years of age, who have developmental delays with the professional resources available within the community.
Anyone can make a referral by completing an Online Referral Form or by calling the Central Referral Team at 1-866-512-8881.
Additional Resources
- Milestone Checklists prepared by Help Me Grow South Carolina: Help Me Grow South Carolina has infant and early childhood healthy development resources and specialists who can provide assistance to all families at no cost, regardless of insurance coverage or type.
- Family Connections: Family Connection is able to be the point of contact throughout a family’s journey, from birth to school settings to adulthood, making sure every child has the opportunity to achieve their dreams and reach their greatest potential.
- Milestone Tracker app from the Centers for Disease Control: The Centers for Disease Control Milestone Tracker app is free. Parents can track a child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with easy-to-use illustrated checklists; tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing.