Developmental Milestones - What Is Child Development?

Developmental Milestones

What is child development?

Child development refers to how a child becomes able to do more complex things as they get older. Development is different than growth. Growth only refers to the child getting bigger in size

o Gross motor: using large groups of muscles to sit, stand, walk, run, etc., keeping balance, and changing positions.

o Fine motor: using hands to be able to eat, draw, dress, play, write, and do many other things.

o Language: speaking, using body language and gestures, communicating, and understanding what others say.

o Cognitive: Thinking skills: including learning, understanding, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering.

o Social: Interacting with others, having relationships with family, friends, and teachers, cooperating, and responding to the feelings of others.

What are developmental milestones?

Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range.

Zero to Three offers these milestones for how children develop and the role that parents play at different stages. The emphasis here is more on social and emotional development:

Gross Motor Mean age Normal Range

In prone head up only 1 month 0 to 3 months

Head steady at shoulder 2 months 1 to 4 months

In prone head up to chest 2 months 1 to 4 months

In prone head up to forearms 3 months 2 to 5 months

In prone head up with extended arms 4 months 3 to 6 months

Rolling front to back 4 months 3 to 6 months

Rolling back to front 5 months 4 to 7 months

Sitting with support 5 months 4 to 7 months

Sitting independently 6 months 5 to 9 months

Creeping on tummy 7 months 5 to 10 months

Crawling hands and knees 8 months 6 to 11 months

Pulls to a stand 9 months 6 to 12 months

Cruises 11 months 9 to 14 months

Walking 12 months 9 to 17 months

Running 15 months 13 to 20 months

Jump on two feet 24 months 17 to 34 months

Kicks Ball 24 months 18 to 30 months

Climbs stairs with alternating feet 30 months 28 to 36 months

Peddles tricycle 36 months 30 to 48 months

Fine Motor/Adaptive Mean Normal Range

Unfisted 3 months 0 to 4 months

Bats at objects 3 months 2 to 5 months

Objects to midline 4 months 3 to 6 months

Transfers objects 5 months 4 to 7 months

Raking grasp 7 months 5 to 10 months

Finger feeds 7 months 5 to 10 months

Primitive pincer 8 months 6 to 10 months

Neat pincer 9 months 7 to 10 months

Voluntary release 12 months 10 to 15 months

Helps with dressing 12 months 10 to 16 months

Spoon feeds 15 months 12 to 18 months

Uses cup open/sippy 15 months 10 to 18 months

Imitates housework 18 months 14 to 24 months

Handedness 24 months 18 to 30 months

Helps