The Developmental Checklist
Monitoring your child's developmental milestones is an important part of ensuring their growth and well-being. A developmental checklist offers a simple way to track progress in areas like speech, motor skills, social-emotional development, and cognitive abilities.
Early identification of any delays is crucial. Research shows that early intervention can positively change a child's developmental path and provide families with the tools they need to better support their child's success in school and life.
Developmental Milestones
The following checklist is based on the CDC’s (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) official developmental milestones. Each age has expected stages such as smiling, crawling, walking, and talking. If your child misses a milestone or seems delayed in one or more areas, it’s important to seek a professional evaluation.
Calm down when spoken to or picked up
Look at your face
Seem happy to see you when you walk up to them
Smile when you talk to or smile at them
Make sounds other than crying
React to loud sounds
Watch you as you move
Look at a toy for several seconds
Hold their head up when on their tummy
Move both arms and both legs
Open their hands briefly
When a Child is 2 months old, they will usually:
Smile on their own to get your attention
Chuckle (not yet a full laugh) when you try to make them laugh
Look at you, move, or make sounds to get or keep your attention
Make sounds like “oooo,” and “aahh” (cooing)
Make sounds back when you talk to them
Look at their hands with interest
Hold their head steady without support when you are holding them
Hold a toy when you put it in their hand
Use their arm to swing at toys
Bring their hands to mouth
Push up onto their elbows/forearms when on their tummy
When a Child is 4 months old, they will usually:
Recognize familiar people
Like to look at themself in a mirror
Laugh
Take turns making sounds with you
Blow “raspberries” (stick tongue out and blow)
Make squealing noises
Put things in their mouth to explore them
Reach to grab a toy they want
Close their lips to show he doesn’t want more food
Roll from tummy to back
Push themself up with straight arms when on their tummy
Lean on their hands to support themself when sitting
When a Child is 6 months old, they will usually:
Be shy, clingy, or fearful around strangers
Show several facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry, and surprised
Look at you when you call their name
React when you leave (look, reach for you, or cry)
Smile or laugh when you play peek-a-boo
Make a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
Lift arms up to be picked up
Look for objects when dropped out of sight (like their spoon or toy)
Bang two things together
Get to a sitting position by themself
Move things from one hand to the other hand
Use fingers to “rake” food towards themself
Sit without support
When a Child is 9 Months old, they will usually:
Play games with you, like pat-a-cake
Wave “bye-bye”
Call a parent “mama” or “dada” or another special name
Understand “no” (pauses briefly or stops when you say it)
Put something in a container, like a block in a cup
Look for things they see you hide, like a toy under a blanket
Pull up to stand
Walk while holding on to furniture
Drink from a cup without a lid, as you hold it
Pick things up between their thumb and pointer finger
When a Child is 1 Year old, they will usually:
Copy other children while playing
Show you an object they like
Clap when excited
Hug their stuffed doll or other toy
Show you affection (hugs, cuddles, or kisses you)
Try to say one or two words besides “mama” or “dada,” like “ba” for ball or “da” for dog
Look at a familiar object when you name it
Follow directions given with both a gesture and words. For example, they give you a toy when you hold out your hand and say, “Give me the toy.”
Point to ask for something or to get help
Try to use things the correct way, like a phone, cup, or book
Stack at least two small objects, like blocks
Take a few steps on their own
Use their fingers to feed themself some food
When a Child is 15 Months old, they will usually:
Move away from you, but check to make sure you are close by
Point to show you something interesting
Put their hands out for you to wash them
Look at a few pages in a book with you
Help you dress them by pushing arm through sleeve or lifting up foot
Try to say three or more words besides “mama” or “dada”
Follow one-step directions without any gestures, like giving you the toy when you say, “Give it to me.”
Copy you doing chores, like sweep with a broom
Play with toys in a simple way, like pushing a toy car
Walk without holding on to anyone or anything
Scribble
Drink from a cup without a lid (thought they may spill sometimes)
Feed themself with their fingers
Try to use a spoon
Climb on and off a couch or chair without help
When a Child is 18 Months old, they will usually:
Notice when others are hurt or upset, like pause or look sad when someone is crying
Look at your face to see how to react in a new situation
Point to things in a book when you ask, like “Where is the bear?”
Say at least two words together, like “More milk.”
Use more gestures than just waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes
Hold something in one hand while using the other hand, e.g. hold a container and take the lid off
Try to use switches, knobs, or buttons on a toy
Play with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a toy plate
Kick a ball
Run
Walk (not climb) up a few stairs with or without help
Eat with a spoon
When a Child is 2 Years old, they will usually:
Play next to other children and sometimes play with them
Show you what they can do by saying, “Look at me!”
Follow simple routines when told, like help to pick up toys when you say, “It’s clean-up time.”
Say about 50 words
Say two or more words, with one action word, like “Doggie run”
Name things in a book when you point and ask, “What is this?”
Say words like “I,” “me,” or “we”
Use things to pretend, like feeding a block to a doll as if it were food
Show simple problem-solving skills, like stand on a small stool to reach something
Follow two-step instructions like “Put the toy down and close the door.”
Show they know at least one color, like pointing to a red crayon when you ask, “Which one is red?”
Use hands to twist things, like turning doorknobs or unscrewing lids
Take some clothes off by themself, like loose pants or an open jacket
Jump off the ground with both feet
Turn book pages, one at a time, when you read to them
When a Child is 30 Months old, they will usually:
Calm down within 10 minutes after you leave them, like at a childcare center
Notice other children and join them to play
Talk with you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges
Ask “who,” “what,” “where,” or “why” questions, like “Where is Mommy/Daddy?”
Say what action is happening in a picture or book when asked, like “running,” “eating,” or “playing”
Say their first name when asked
Talk well enough for others to understand, most of the time
Draw a circle when you show them how
Avoid touching hot objects, like a stove, when you warn them
String items together, like large beads or macaroni
Put on some clothes by themself, like loose pants or a jacket
Use a fork
When a Child is 3 Years old, they will usually:
Pretend to be something else during play (teacher, superhero, dog)
Ask to go play with other children if none are around,
like “Can I play with Alex?”
Comfort others who are hurt or sad, like hugging a crying friend
Avoid danger, like not jumping from tall heights at the playground
Like to be a “helper”
Change behavior based on where they are (library, playground, etc.)
Say sentences with four or more words
Say some words from a song, story, or nursery rhyme
Talk about at least one thing that happened during their day, like “I played soccer.”
Answer simple questions like “What is a coat for?” or “What is a crayon for?”
Name a few colors of items
Tell what comes next in a well-known story
Draw a person with three or more body parts
Catch a large ball most of the time
Serve themself food or pour water, with adult supervision
Hold crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not a fist)
When a Child is 4 Years old, they will usually:
Follow rules or take turns when playing games with other children
Sing, dance, or act for you
Do simple chores at home, like matching socks or clearing the table after eating
Tell a story they heard or made up with at least two events. For example, a cat was stuck in a tree and a firefighter saved it
Answer simple questions about a book or story after you read or tell it to them
Keep a conversation going with more than three back-and-forth exchanges
Use or recognize simple rhymes (bat-cat, ball-tall)
Count to 10
Name some numbers between 1 and 5 when you point to them
Use words about time, like “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” “morning,” or “night”
Pay attention for 5 to 10 minutes during activities. For example, during story time or making arts and crafts (screen time doesn’t count)
Write some letters in their name
Name some letters when you point to them
Hop on one foot