Growth and Development

Health Care Professionals categorize a child’s growth and development into age stages. These stages describe the characteristics associated with the majority of children at periods when distinct developmental tasks are accomplished. A developmental task is a set of skills particular to each developmental stage. Below is a description of these stages.

One to Two Months

• Follows and fixes on bright objects with eyes
• Listens to sounds
• Recognizes familiar face
• Turns from side to back
• Has a social smile

Three to Four Months

• Stares at own hand
• Laughs aloud
• Holds head erect, raises chest
• Coos, babbles, and chuckles
• Carries hand or object to mouth
• Holds head steady when in sitting
• Rolls from back to side
• Reaches out to people

Back to the top

Five to Six Months

• Plays with toes
• Sits with slight support
• Rolls from back to stomach or vice versa
• Is able to lift cup by a handle
• Begins to imitate sounds
• Babbles: “Ma, Mu; da; di”
• Plays peek-a-boo

Seven to Eight Months

• Approaches toy and grasp it with one hand
• Bears weight when held in a standing position
• Feeds self with finger foods
• Sits well alone

Back to the top

Nine to Ten Months

• Creeps and crawls (backward at first)
• Drinks from cup or glass with assistance
• Pulls self to standing positionImitates waving “Bye-bye”
• Uses thumb and index finger in pincer grasp
• Sits by falling down
• Says �-Da” and “Ma-Ma”
• Looks and follows pictures in books
• Pays attention to ones own name
• Pulls self to standing position
• Stands while holding onto solid object

Eleven to Twelve Months

• Attempts to walk without assistance
• Begins to hold spoon
• Holds crayon to mark on paper
• Walks with help
• Has slow vocabulary growth because of increased interest in walking
• Plays pat-a-cake
• Tries to follow when being read to
• Uses spoon in feeding but puts it upside down in mouth

Back to the top

Fifteen Months

• Creeps up stairs
• Walks without help
• Drinks from cup

Eighteen Months

• Walks up stairs with help
• Turns pages of book
• Runs clumsily and falls often
• Uses vocabulary of 4 to 10 words
• Stacks three or four blocks
• Pulls toy
• Feeds self
• Puckers lips and kisses parents

Back to the top

Twenty-Four Months

• May have a vocabulary of at least 20 words
• Shows interest in helping parent dress oneself
• Opens door; climbs on furniture
• Climbs and descents steps alone, one step at a time while holding on

Three Years

• Knows his or her name, age, and gender
• Copies a circle
• Describes actions in picture books
• Puts some articles of clothing on
• Imitates making a bridge with blocks
• Speech mostly intelligible

Back to the top

Four Years

• Alternates feet when descending stairs
• Climbs a ladder
• Rides a tricycle
• Can walk on tiptoes
• Holds a pencil with control
• Can cut and paste
• Asks why, when, how questions
• Can name three primary colors
• Counts 1 to 5
• Washes and dries hands and brushes teeth
• Draws a person with two to three parts
• Enjoys companionship of other children

Five Years

• Skips
• Tells a simple story
• Dresses and undresses without supervision
• Recognizes most letters of the alphabet
• Draws a person with a head, body, arms, and legs
• Begins to understand right and wrong
• Plays make believe and dress up

Back to the top

Six Years

• Throws and catches a ball
• Skates