MILESTONES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Age
NEWBO
RN

Gross Motor

4
MONTH
S

7
MONTH
S

10
MONTH
S

14
MONTH
S

18
MONTH
S

Flexor tone
predominate
s
In prone,
turns head
to side
Automatic
Reflex
walking
Rounded
spine when
held sitting
Head midline
Head held
when pulled
to sit
In prone, lifts
head to 90
deg and lifts
chest slightly
Turns to
supine

Fine Motor
Adaptive

Hands
fisted

Grasp reflex

State
dependent,
ability to fix
and follow
bright
object

Maintains
sitting
May lean on
arms
Rolls to
prone
Bears all
weight
Cervical
lordosis

Creeps on all
fours
Pivots in
sitting
Stands
momentarily
Slight bow
leg
Increased
lumbar
lordosis
Walks alone,
arms in
highguard or
midguard
Wide base
Foot contact
on entire
side
Slight valgus
of knees and
feet
Pelvic tilt and
rotation
Arms at low
guard
Mature

Hands
mostly
open
Mid-line
hand play
Crude
palmar
grasp
Fascinated
by own face
in the
mirror
Intermediat
e grasp
Transfers
cube from
hand to
hand
Bangs
object

Personal/Social
Habituation and
some control of
state

Recognizes bottle

Speech and
Language

Cry

State
dependent,
quieting &
head
turning to
rattle or
voice

Pincer
grasp,
mature
thumb to
index
Bangs 2
cubes held
in hands

Piles 2
cubes
Scribbles
Hold crayon
full length
of palm
Casts
objects

Emerging
hand
dominance

Differentiate
s between
familiar
person and
stranger
Holds bottle
Looks for
dropped
object
Talks to
mirror image
Plays peek-aboo
Finger feeds
Chews with
rotary
movement

Sensorimotor
(0-24
months)
Reflex Stage

Circular
reaction

Uses singleword and

doubleconsonant
vowel
combination
s

Emotional
Basic trust vs.
basic mistrust
Normal symbiotic
phase

Lap Baby

Turns to
voice and
bell
consistently
Laughs,
squeals
Responsive
vocalization
Blows
bubbles

Cognitive

Uses spoon
with
overpronatio
n and spilling
Removes
garment

Imitates
housework
Carries, hug

At 5 months,
begins to
differentiate
mother and
selfindividualizatio
n
Sense of
belonging to a
central person

Shouts for
attention
Imitates
speech
sounds
Waves byebye
Uses mama
and dada

Can retrieve
an object
hidden from
view

Practicing
phase of
separation

Uses single
words
Understands
simple
commands

Differentiate
s available
behavior
patterns for
new ends

Rapprochemen
t phase

Points to
named body
part

Capable of
insight;
problem

MILESTONES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

2 YEARS

supporting
base and
heel strike
Seats self on
chair
Walks
backward
Begins
running
Walks up and
down the
stairs
Jumps on
both feet in
place

3 YEARS

Runs well
Pedals
tricycle
Walks up
stairs
alternating
feet

Crude
release
Holds
crayon but
end in palm

Hand
dominance
is usual
Places
pencil shaft
between
thumbs and
fingers
Draws with
arm and
wrist action

Imitates 3
cube bridge
Copied
circle
Uses
overhead
throw

doll
Drinks from
cup neatly

Pulls on
garment
Uses spoon
well
Opens door
turning knob
Toilet
training

Most children
toilet trained
day and
night
Pours from
pitcher
Unbutton

4 YEARS

5 YEARS

Walks down
the stairs of
alternating
feet
Hops on 1
foot
Plantar
arches
developing
Sits up from
supine
position
without
rotating
Skips, tiptoes
Balances 10
seconds on
each foot

6 YEARS

Rides bicycle
Roller Skates

Handles a
pencil by
finger and
wrist action
like adults
Copies a
cross
Cuts with
scissors

Hand
dominance
expected
Draws man
with head,
body and
extremities
Catches
with hand

Prints
alphabets;
Mature
catch and
throw ball

Cooperates
play-sharing
and
interacting
Does simple
errands at
home
Imaginative
make-play
believe

Creative play
Competitive
team play
Uses fork for
stabbing
food
Brushes
teeth
Selfsufficient
toileting
Teacher is
important
authority
Uses fork
appropriately
Uses knife
for spreading
Plays table
games

Identifies 1
picture
Says No
Jargons

Two-words
phrases are
common
Uses verbs
Refers to
self by
name
Uses me,
mine
Follows
simple
directions
Three-word
sentences
are usual
Uses future
tense
Asks who,
what, where
Gives full
name
Recognizes
3 colors
Gives
connected
account of
experience
Ask why,
when, how
Repeats 4
digits
Uses pasttense,
adjectives
and adverbs

solving

Preoperational
period 2-7
years
Comprehen
d symbols
Object
performance
established

Preoperational
period
continues

Fluent
speech
Gives name,
age, address
Define
concrete
nouns

Shows
mastery of
grammar
Uses proper
articulation

Stage of
initiative vs.
guilt 3-5 years
Deals with
issues of
genital
sexuality

Stage of
industry vs.
inferiority 5
years
adolescence
Adjust to the
inorganic laws
of the tool
wolrd

Stage of
industry vs.
inferiority

MILESTONES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

7 YEARS

Continue
refinement of
skills

Eats with
fork and
knife
Combs hair
Responsible
for grooming

Period of
concrete
operational
thought 7
years
adolescence
Capable of
logical
thinking