Here you will find stage levels of development that are in the overall average range of development according to www.Healthy Children.org
At Birth - 3 months your baby should...
Physical Skills
- Raises head & chest when on stomach
- Stretches & kicks on back
- Opens and shuts hands
- Brings hand to mouth
- Grasps and shakes toys
Social Skills
- Begins to develop social smile
- Enjoys playing with people
- More communicative
- More expressive with face & body
- Imitates some movements & expressions
Sensory milestones
- Follows moving objects
- Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
- Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
- Prefers sweet smells
- Prefers soft to coarse sensations
At 4 - 7 months your baby should...
Physical Skills
- Rolls both ways
- Sits with and without support of hands
- Supports whole weight on legs
- Reaches with one hand
- Transfers object from hand to hand
- Uses raking grasp
Social Skills
- Enjoys social play
- Interested in mirror images
- Responds to expressions of emotion
- Appears joyful often
Cognitive thinking
- Finds partially hidden object
- Explores with hands and mouth
- Struggles to get objects that are out of reach
At 8 - 12 months your baby should...
Physical Skills
- Gets to sitting position without help
- Crawls forward on belly
- Assumes hands-and-knees position
- Gets from sitting to crawling position
- Pulls self up to stand
- Walks holding on to furniture
Social Skills
- Shy or anxious with strangers
- Cries when parents leave
- Enjoys imitating people in play
- Prefers certain people and toys
- Tests parental response
- Finger-feeds himself
Cognitive thinking
- Explores objects in different ways
- Finds hidden objects easily
- Looks at correct picture when the image is named
- Imitates gestures
- Begins to use objects correctly
Toddler Growth & Development
Your child is advancing from infancy toward and into the preschool years. During this time, his physical growth and motor development will slow, but you can expect to see some tremendous intellectual, social, and emotional changes. (1-3 yrs.)
Physical Skills
- Walks alone
- Pulls toys behind when walking
- Begins to run
- Stands on tiptoe
- Kicks a ball
Social Skills
- Imitates behavior of others
- Aware of herself as separate from others
- Enthusiastic about company of other children
Cognitive thinking
- Finds objects even when hidden 2 or 3 levels deep
- Sorts by shape and color
- Plays make-believe
Preschool Growth & Development
Physical Skills
- Kicks ball
- climbs well
- Walks up and down stairs, alternating feet
- Runs easily
- Pedals tricycle
- Bends over without falling
Social Skills
- Imitates adults and playmates
- Show affection for familiar playmates
- Can take turns in games
- Understands "mine" and "his / hers"
Cognitive thinking
- Makes mechanical toys work
- Matches an object in hand to picture in book
- Plays make believe
- Sorts objects by shape and color
- Completes 3 - 4 piece puzzles
- Understands concept of "two"