At age 1 month, most children can . . .
- Raise head slightly when lying on stomach
- Briefly watch objects
- Make "noise in throat" sounds
- Pull away from a cloth or blanket on face
At age 4 months, most children can . . .
- Lift head and chest when lying on stomach
- Show vigorous body movement
- Follow a moving person with eyes
- Recognize a bottle or breast
- Smile when someone speaks to them
At age 6 months, most children can . . .
- Sit with minimal support
- Roll from back to stomach
- Turn to locate and identify objects
- Crawl
- Transfer objects from hand to hand and from hand to mouth
- Respond to friendly speech with smile or coo
At age 9 months, most children can . . .
- Sit without aid and change position
- Respond to their names
- Say "mama" and "dada"
- Respond to familiar people
At age 12 months, most children can . . .
- Pull to stand and may step with support
- Pick things up with thumb and one finger
- Nod head to signal "yes"
- Give affection
- Say two to three words
At age 15 months, most children can . . .
- Walk without support
- Do some self-feeding
- Drink from a cup held by someone
- Use four or five words
- Vocalize and make their voices go up and down
At age 18 months, most children can . . .
- Use five to ten words
- Understand simple directions
- Climb up or down one stair
- Walk (maybe run a bit)
- Mark on paper with crayons
At age 2, most children can . . .
- Hand over toys upon request
- Kick a large ball
- Turn pages in a book (2 or 3 at a time)
- Ask for items by name
- Recognize a familiar picture and know if it is upside down
At age 3, most children can . . .
- Walk up stairs while holding the railing
- Stand momentarily on one foot
- Open doors
- Unbutton large buttons
- Verbalize toilet needs
- Stack objects of different sizes
At age 4, most children can . . .
- Hop in place
- Ride a tricycle
- Copy a circle
- Say their last name and age
- Respond verbally to "Hi" and "How are you?"
- Wash their hands by themselves
- Throw balls from above their heads
- Begin to play with other children
- Point to six basic colors when asked to
At age 5, most children can . . .
- Run on their tiptoes
- Recognize their names in print
- Play cooperatively with others
- Put their shoes on the correct feet
- Use sentences with correct grammar, such as "May I go to the store?" and "I want a big cookie"
- Understand "yesterday" and "tomorrow"
For signs to watch for, click
here
.
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