It's never too early to ask questions about your baby's development! All children develop at different rates. Listed below are some guides to see how your child is developing.

Birth to 4 Months

• Vary cries to tell you what she needs
• Coo back and forth in conversation with you
• Roll from side to back
• Hold and swipe at objects
• Smile and laugh when you play
• Know and prefer your voice

4 - 8 Months

• Touch you and her toys to signal for more
• Recognize names of familiar people, daily routines
• Roll over in both directions
• Pick up toys of all sizes
• Move objects from hand to hand
• Explore toys
• Turn and look toward sounds
• Sit without support

8-12 Months

• Combine many different sounds
• Move forward to explore the environment
• Stand with support
• Place toys in containers and take them out again
• Cry and fuss when separating from you

12-18 Months

• Use a few words to tell you what she wants
• Make simple choices
• Walk independently
• Learn how to make simple things work
• Place pegs or forms into boards or shape boxes
• Express many types of emption with more intensity

18-24 Months

• Say two-word phrases
• Climb on the furniture
• Throw a ball
• Pretend with dolls and household items
• Complete simple puzzles and fit toys together
• Play side by side with other children
• Show independence through strong emotion

2 Years

• Combine three to four words in phrases
• Ask questions
• Balance on one foot and learn to jump
• Climb up and down stairs
• Fit together objects of different sizes and shapes
• Learn about quantities
• Act out daily experiences
• Play with other children of the same age

3 Years

• Learn many ideas and use new words in short sentences
• Ask many questions and tell stories
• Become more coordinated for running, climbing and riding a tricycle
• Learn about gender and family differences
• Match colors and shapes
• Learn to play with other children
• Learn to solve problems

4 Years

• Use words to respond to others
• Use longer sentences in conversations
• Improve drawing, building and cutting skills
• Discover about sizes, volumes, shapes and colors
• Learn to count
• Participate in dramatic play
• Play cooperatively with other children
• Recognize some numbers and letters

5 Years

• Run, jump, hop, skip and climb with ease
• Follow three-step directions
• Recognize her printed name
• Ask and answer who, what, when, where questions
• Enjoy games and follow simple rules
• Understand right and wrong
• Draw with details

 

If you have any questions or concerns about your child's development, contact your doctor, your local school district
or call ESU #1 at (402) 287-2061.

 

Back to ESU #1 Home Page