Childhood is a time of tremendous growth and learning. How very exciting to be a baby...or a two-year-old... or get on a school bus for the first time. There's so much to know, and we all come into the world like small waiting sponges, ready to absorb what's around us.
We're all different, too, another of life's little marvels. We're a spectrum of colors with differing talents, interests, and physical make-ups. So it comes as no surprise that we also develop at different rates. Some children speed along, practically running before they walk. Others take their time--or need more time. And still others may ultimately need four wheels to get around.
Parents, siblings, grandparents, daycare providers, teachers, and friends watch eagerly for each new step and progression in a child's skills. If a skill is not learned "on time," they may worry. Juana's not sitting up yet, but the baby next door is. Hannah should be talking in full sentences by now! Frank and Ahmed aren't learning to read as easily as the rest of the class. But what's "on time?" What's "normal?" Surely "normal" has a range?
Not only do new moms and dads anxiously (and exhaustedly) await the time when baby sleeps all through the night, but the earliest years are filled with a wonderland of firsts—the first smile, first laugh, first steps, and first word. When do all these miraculous firsts usually occur?
Excerpted below are just a few of many milestones a typically developing child reaches in the first year of life.
By 3 months of age
Motor Skills
- lift head when held at your shoulder
- lift head and chest when lying on his stomach
- turn head from side to side when lying on his stomach
- follow a moving object or person with his eyes
- grasp rattle when given to her
- wiggle and kick with arms and legs
Sensory and Thinking Skills
- turn head toward bright colors and lights
- turn toward the sound of a human voice
- recognize bottle or breast
- respond to your shaking a rattle or bell
Language and Social Skills
- make cooing, gurgling sounds
- smile when smiled at
- communicate hunger, fear, discomfort (through crying or facial expression)
- usually quiet down at the sound of a soothing voice or when held
By 6 months of age
Motor Skills
- hold head steady when sitting with your help
- reach for and grasp objects
- play with his toes
- help hold the bottle during feeding
- explore by mouthing and banging objects
- move toys from one hand to another
- pull up to a sitting position on her own if you grasp her hands
- sit with only a little support
- roll over
- bounce when held in a standing position
Sensory and Thinking Skills
- open his mouth for the spoon
- imitate familiar actions you perform
Language and Social Skills
- babble, making almost sing-song sounds
- know familiar faces
- laugh and squeal with delight
- scream if annoyed
- smile at herself in a mirror
By 12 months of age
Motor Skills
- drink from a cup with help
- feed herself finger food like raisins
- grasp small objects by using her thumb and index or forefinger
- use his first finger to poke or point
- put small blocks in and take them out of a container
- knock two blocks together
- sit well without support
- crawl on hands and knees
- pull himself to stand or take steps holding onto furniture
- stand alone momentarily
- walk with one hand held
Sensory and Thinking Skills
- copy sounds and actions you make
- respond to music with body motion
- try to accomplish simple goals (seeing and then crawling to a toy)
- look for an object she watched fall out of sight (such as a spoon that falls under the table)
Language and Social Skills
- babble, but it sometimes "sounds like" talking
- say his first word
- recognize family members' names
- try to "talk" with you
- respond to another's distress by showing distress or crying
- show affection to familiar adults
- show apprehension about strangers
- raise her arms when she wants to be picked up
- understand simple commands
For children older than 12 months
If you'd like to know more about what experts consider the developmental milestones for children older than 1 year, we refer you to the resource links identified below.
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Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Powell, J. and Smith, C.A. (1994). The 1st year. In Developmental milestones: A guide for parents. Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service.
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Resources You Can Use
The American Association of Pediatrics has a wealth of parent information and practice guidelines related to well-visit checkups, developmental screening, as well as articles on health conditions, and childhood diseases and treatments, all available on their web site or through their bookstore.
www.aap.org/
Posted on the AAP site is an illustrated brochure from Pathways Awareness Foundation entitled, Assure the Best for Your Baby's Physical Development, that describes typical speech, play, and physical development up to the age of 15 months.
www.aap.org/family/2004PAFBrochure.pdf
Plus, you can find 30 fact sheets that described the background, training, and areas of expertise for many of the pediatric subspecialists parents may encounter when they have a child with a special health condition. The latest offering, What is a Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician?
www.aap.org/family/pedspecfactsheets.htm
And last but not least, the AAP's partnership initiative specific to developmental screening and children with special needs can be found at:
Developmental Surveillance and Screening - National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs
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The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has a vast network of collaborative organizations, one of which is The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). From their web site you can find information related to preventing birth defects, developmental disabilities, and links to fact sheets on developmental screening, developmental milestones, and an interactive developmental checklist.
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html
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And More Resources
Developmental Milestones for Babies (0-2 yrs.) from the March of Dimes
www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/298_10203.asp
Growth Milestones from KidsGrowth.com
www.kidsgrowth.com/stages/guide/index.cfm
Typical Speech and Language Development from the American Speech Language Hearing Association www.asha.org/public/speech/development/default.htm
A Guide for Parents, The First Year
from the National Network for Child Care, Developmental Milestones
www.nncc.org/Child.Dev/mile1.html
Speech and Language Developmental Milestones from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/speechandlanguage.asp
Is My Baby Developing on Schedule?
from Pathways Awareness Foundation
www.pathwaysawareness.org/?q=monthlymilestones/developing
Hallmark Developmental Milestones
from First Signs
www.firstsigns.org/healthydev/milestones.htm