Developmental Milestones

Communication (Speech and Language) 

• Make sounds other than crying
• React to loud sounds  

Cognitive and Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills)  

• Watch you as you move
• Look at a toy for several seconds  

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing) 

• Hold their head up when on their tummy
• Move both arms and both legs
• Open hands briefly

Communication (Speech and Language)  

• Make sounds like “oooo” and “aahh” (cooing)
• Make sounds back when you talk to them
• Turn their head towards the sound of your voice 

Cognitive and Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills) 

• If hungry, open mouth when they see breast or bottle
• Look at their hands with interest 

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing)  

• Hold head steady without support when you are holding them
• Hold a toy when you put it in their hands
• Use their arms to swing at toys
• Bring hands to mouth
• Push up onto elbows/forearms when on tummy

Communication (Speech and Language)  

• Take turns making sounds with you
• Blow raspberries (sticking tongue out and blowing)
• Make squealing noises

Cognitive and Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills) 

• Put things in their mouth to explore them
• Reach to grab a toy they want
• Close lips to show they don’t want more food

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing)  

• Roll from tummy to back
• Push up with straight arms when on tummy
• Lean on hands to support themselves when sitting 

Communication (Speech and Language)  

• Make a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
• Lift arms up to be picked up 

Cognitive and Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills)  

• Look for objects when dropped out of sight (like a spoon or toy)
• Bang two things together  

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing) 

• Get to a sitting position alone
• Move things from one hand to the other hand
• Use fingers to rake food towards themselves
• Sit without support

Communication (Speech and Language)  

• Wave goodbye
• Call a parent “mama” or “dada” or another special name
• Understand when you say “no,” pausing briefly or stopping when you say it 

Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills)  

• Put something in a container, like a block in a cup
• Look for things they see you hide, like a toy under a blanket

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing)  

• Pull up to stand
• Walk, holding on to furniture
• Drink from a cup without a lid, as you hold it
• Pick things up between thumb and pointer finger, like small bits of food  

Communication (Speech and Language) 

• 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.”  

Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills) 

• Copy you doing chores, like sweeping with a broom
• Play with toys in a simple way, like pushing a toy car 

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing)  

• Walk without holding on to anyone or anything
• Scribble
• Drink from a cup without a lid and may spill sometimes
• Feed themselves with their fingers
• Try to use a spoon
• Climb on and off a couch or chair without help

Communication (Speech and Language) 

• 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” 

Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills) 

• Use things to pretend, like feeding a block to a doll as if it were food
• Show simple problem-solving skills, like standing 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?” 

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing)  

• Use hands to twist things, like turning doorknobs or unscrewing lids
• Take some clothes off alone, 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 

Communication (Speech and Language)

• Point to things in a book when you ask questions like “where is the bear?”
• Say at least two words together, like “more milk”
• Point to at least two body parts when you ask them to show you
• Use more gestures than just waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes  

Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills) 

•  Hold something in one hand while using the other hand; for example, holding a container and taking 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  

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing) 

• Kick a ball
• Run
• Walk (not climb) up a few stairs with or without help
• Eat with a spoon 

Communication (Speech and Language) 

• 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” when asked
• Talk well enough for others to understand most of the time

Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills) 

• Draw a circle when you show them how
• Avoid touching hot objects, like a stove, when you warn them

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing)  

• String items together, like large beads or macaroni
• Put on some clothes alone, like loose pants or a jacket
• Use a fork  

Communication (Speech and Language)

• 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?”

Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills) 

• Name a few colors of items
• Tell what comes next in a well-known story
• Draw a person with three or more body parts  

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing)  

• Catch a large ball most of the time
• Serve themselves food or pour water with adult supervision
• Unbutton some buttons
• Hold a crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not a fist)  

Communication (Speech and Language) 

• Tell a story they heard or made up with at least two events
• 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) 

Early Learning (Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Foundational Academic Skills) 

• 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, like story time or making arts and crafts
• Write some letters in their name
• Name some letters when you point to them  

Physical (Movement, Fine Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing)  

• Button some buttons
• Hop on one foot