Stages of Development
Birth – Thirty-Six Months

Child Development by Four Months

Physical Development

• Weight: 10-18 lbs.
• Length: 23-27 inches
• May sleep about 6 hours before waking during night
• Average 14-17 hours of sleep daily
• Lifts head and chest when lying on stomach
• Holds both eyes in a fixed position
• Follows a moving object or person with eyes
• Grasps rattle or finger
• Wiggles and kicks with arms and legs
• Rolls over (back to stomach)
• Sits with support

Intellectual Development

• Explores objects with mouth
• Plays with fingers, hands, toes
• Reacts to sound of voice, rattle, bell
• Turns head toward bright colors and lights
• Recognizes bottle or breast

Social and Emotional Development

• Cries (with tears) to communicate pain, fear, discomfort, or loneliness
• Babbles or coos
• Loves to be touched and held close
• Returns a smile
• Responds to peek-a-boo games

Possible Developmental Delays at 4 Months

At around three to four months does the child:

• Follow moving objects with eyes?
• Turn head toward bright colors and lights?
• Move eyes together in same direction?
• Recognize breast or bottle?
• Respond to loud sounds?
• Make fists with both hands?
• Grasp rattles or hair?
• Wiggle and kick with legs and arms?
• Lift head and chest while on stomach?
• Like to be held and touched?
• Smile and make cooing sounds?

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Child Development by Eight Months

Physical Development

• Weight: 14-23 lbs.
• Length: 25-30 inches
• First teeth begin to appear
• Drools, mouths and chews on objects
• Needs at least 3-4 feedings per day
• Reaches for cup or spoon when being fed
• Drinks from a cup with help
• Enjoys some finely-chopped solid foods
• Closes mouth and turns head when no longer hungry or interested
• May sleep 11-13 hours at night
• Needs 2-3 naps during the day
• Develops a rhythm for feeding, eliminating, sleeping, and being awake
• True eye color established
• Rolls from back to stomach and stomach to back
• Sits alone w/o support and holds head erect
• Raises self up on arms and knees into crawling position, rocks or is moving forward
• Uses fingers and thumb to pick up an object
• Transfers objects from one hand to the other
• Hair growth begins to cover head

Intellectual Development

• Cries in different ways to say she/he is hurt, wet, hungry, or lonely
• Makes noises to voice displeasure or satisfaction
• Recognizes and looks for familiar voices and sounds
• Learns by using senses like smell, taste, touch, sight, hearing
• Focuses eyes on small objects and reaches for them
• Looks for ball rolled out of sight
• Object permanence is starting to solidify
• Babbles expressively as if talking
• Enjoys dropping object over edge of chair or crib
• Searches for toys hidden under a blanket, basket, or container
• Explores objects by touching, shaking, banging, and mouthing

Social and Emotional Development

• Responds to own name
• Shows fear of falling off high places such as stairs
• Spends a great deal of time watching and observing
• Responds differently to strangers and family members (stranger anxiety)
• Imitates sounds, actions, and facial expressions made by others
• Shows distress if toy is taken away
• Squeals, laughs, babbles, smiles in response
• Likes to be tickled and touched
• Smiles at own reflection in mirror
• Raises arms as a sign to be held
• Recognizes family members' names
• Responds to distress of others by showing distress or crying
• Shows mild to severe anxiety at separation from parent

Possible Developmental Delays from Six to Eight Months

At around six to eight months does the child:

• Turn towards source of normal sound?
• Reach for objects and pick them up?
• Roll from stomach to back?
• Transfer objects from one hand to other?
• Play with toes?
• Help hold bottle during feeding?
• Recognize familiar faces?
• Babble?
• Sit well while leaning on hands?

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Child Development by 12 Months

Physical Development

• Weight: 17-27 lbs.
• Length: 27-32 inches
• Mostly sleeps 11-13 hours at night
• Fewer nap times, maybe 1 or 2
• May refuse bottle or breast to self-wean
• Needs 3 meals a day with 2 or 3 snacks
• Enjoys drinking from cup
• Continues to explore by mouth
• Enjoys opening and closing cabinet doors and dumping boxes of objects (cause and effect)
• Crawls well
• Pulls self to a standing position
• Stands alone holding onto furniture for support
• Walks holding onto furniture or with adult help

Intellectual Development

• Says first word
• Says da-da and ma-ma or equivalent
•  “dances” or bounces to music
• Interested in picture books
• Pays attention to conversations
• Claps hands, waves bye, if prompted
• Likes to place objects inside one another

Social and Emotional Development

Imitates adult actions such as drinking from a cup, talking on phone

• Responds to name
• Likes to watch self in mirror
• Still expresses fear or anxiety toward strangers
• Wants caregivers and parent to be in constant sight
• Offers toys or objects to others but expects them to be returned
• May become attached to a favorite toy or blanket
• Pushes away something unwanted

Possible Developmental Delays at 12 Months

 At around 12 months does the child:

• Get into sitting position?
• Pull to a standing position?
• Crawl on hands and knees?
• Drink from a cup?
• Enjoy "peek-a-boo" and "patty cake?"
• Wave bye-bye?
• Hold out arms and legs while being dressed?
• Put objects into container?
• Have a 5 to 6 word vocabulary?
• Walk with help?

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Child Development 12-18 Months

Physical Development

• Weight: 17-30 lbs.
• Height: 27-35 inches
• Crawls well
• Stands alone, sits down
• Gestures or points to indicate wants
• Likes to push, pull, and dump things
• Pulls off hat, socks, and mittens
• Turns pages in a book
• Stacks 2 blocks
• Likes to poke, twist, and squeeze
• Enjoys flushing toilets and closing doors
• Enjoys carrying small objects while walking, often one in each hand
• Holds crayon and scribbles, but with little control
• Waves bye-bye and claps hands
• Walks w/o help
• Enjoys holding spoon when eating, but experiences difficulty in getting spoon in mouth
• Rolls a ball to adult on request

Intellectual Development

• Says 8-20 words you can understand
• Looks at person talking to him
• Says “hi” or “bye” if reminded
• Uses expressions like “uh-oh”
• Asks for something by pointing or using one word
• Identifies object in a book
• Plays peek-a-boo
• Looks for objects that are out of sight (object permanence)
• Understands and follows simple 1-step directions
• Likes to take things apart

Social and Emotional Development

• Becomes upset when separated from parent
• Likes to hand object to others
• Plays alone on floor with toys
• Recognizes self in mirror or pictures
• Enjoys being held and read to
• Imitates others, especially by coughing, sneezing, or making animal sounds
• Enjoys an audience and applause

Possible Developmental Delays at 18 Months

• At around 18 months does the child:
• Like to pull, push and dump things? 
• Follow simple directions like "bring the ball"?
• Pull off shoes, socks and mittens?
• Like to look at pictures?
• Feed self?
• Make marks on paper with crayons?
• Use 8 to 10 words that are understood?
• Walk without help?
• Step off low object and keep balance?
• Stack 3 blocks?

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Child Development 18-24 Months

Physical Development

• Weight: 20-32 lbs.
• Height: 30-37 inches
• Walks well
• Can run, can’t always stop/turn
• Drinks from a straw
• Feeds self with spoon
• Helps wash hands
• Stacks 2-4 blocks
• Tosses or rolls a large ball
• Opens cabinets, drawers, and boxes
• Bends over to pick up toy without falling
• Walks up steps with help
• Takes steps backward
• Enjoys sitting on the moving small-wheeled riding toys
• Beginning control of bowels and bladder; may not be achieved until around age 3. (boys 3½)

Intellectual Development

• Has a 700+ word vocabulary
• Uses 2-3 word sentences
• Echoes single words that are spoken by someone else
• Talks to self and “jabbers” expressively
• Shows preferences between toys
• Likes to choose between two objects
• Hums or tries to sing
• Listens to short rhymes or fingerplays
• Points to eyes, ears, or nose when asked
• Uses “please” and “thank you”
• Enjoys singing familiar songs

Social and Emotional Development

• Enjoys looking at picture books
• Tries to do many things by him/herself
• Enjoys adult attention
• Enjoys simple pretend play like wearing hats and talking on phone
• Enjoys exploring, gets into everything
• Often gets physically aggressive when frustrated
• Shows affection by returning a hug or kiss
• May become attached to a toy or blanket
• Likes to imitate actions
• Begins to show signs of independence; says “no”
• Has difficulty sharing
• Finds it difficult to wait and wants things right now!
• Gets angry sometimes and has temper tantrums
• Acts shy around strangers (stranger anxiety)
• Comforts a distressed friend or parent
• Refers to self by name
• Uses the words “me” and “mine”

Possible Developmental Delays at 24 Months

At around 24 months does the child:

• Use 2 to 3 word sentences?
• Say names of toys?
• Recognize familiar pictures?
• Carry an object while walking?
• Feed self with spoon?
• Play alone and independently?
• Turn 2 or 3 pages at a time?
• Like to imitate parents?
• Identify hair, eyes, ears and nose by pointing?
• Build a tower of 5 blocks?
• Show affection?

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Child Development 24-36 Months

Physical Development

Large Muscles

• Walk, run with control, climb well, throw a ball with aim
• Jump in place
• Balance on one foot for a second or two
• May pedal tricycle

Small Muscles

• Put on shoes/no laces
• Put on clothing except for buttoning
• Feed self alone and well
• Can draw or copy a circle
• Can use paintbrush
• Use construction toys imaginatively
• Exercise bowel and bladder control
• Scribble with more control

Intellectual Development

• May count to two or three
• May draw face or very simple figure
• Can work simple puzzles
• Uses more sophisticated problem solving techniques
• Calls self “I” and other people “you”
• Knows he is a boy or she is a girl
• Compares sizes

Social and Emotional Development

May show regard for people or possessions

• Plays with sustained interest
• Plays and interacts with other children
• Willing to use toilet
• Can conform to group for short periods
• Sharing is still difficult

Possible Developmental Delays at 36 Months

At around 36 months does the child:

• Walk up steps alternating feet? 
• Ride a tricycle?
• Put on shoes? 
• Open a door? 
• Turn one page at a time? 
• Play with other children for a few minutes?
• Repeat common rhymes? 
• Use 3 to 5 word sentences? 
• Name at least one color correctly? 
• Use the toilet?

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