KKH Baby Bear Book: Normal Development Milestones

Note: For children born premature (<37 weeks gestation), the corrected age should be used (up till 2 years old) to assess
development milestone
Age
Birth

Gross Motor
-Marked head lag

Fine Motor - Visual

Speech - Language -

Personal - Social -

Hearing

Behavioural

-Barely fixates/follows

-Alerts to sounds

-Reflex smile

-Grasp reflex

-Cries when hungry or

-Sleeps and feeds

uncomfortable
46

-Prone head up 45, rotates -Fixates and follows past

-Turns eyes to sounds

-Regards face

weeks

head

-Vocalises

-Social smile

-Follows 180

-Turns head to sounds at ear

-Initiates social smile

-Unfists mostly

level

-Smiles and vocalises at

midline

-Makes alternating cycling

movements
3 months -Prone head up 90, props
up on forearms

-Grasp reflex may be lost

-Hand regard

mirror

-Holds object placed in hand. -Vocalises/ laughs/squeals

-Excites at toy or familiar

-Reaches

pleasant situations e.g.,

with pleasure

feeding, bathing
6 months -Prone head up 90, props

7 months

-Fixes on small object

-Imitates speech sounds

up on hands with arms

-Follows falling objects

extended

-Reaches out to grasp (palmar -Polysyllabic babbling

-Play peek-a-boo and imitative

games

grasp)

-Stretches arms out to be

-Rolls over

-Transfers to opposite hand

lifted

-Sits with support

-Mouths

-Bears weight on legs

-Grasps own feet and gets

-Excited by approach of

feet to mouth

familiar people
-Stranger anxiety

10

-Sits alone and plays

-Looks for hidden toy and

months

-Gets to sitting position

uncovers it

-Crawls forward
-Pulls to stand

-Claps hands
-Waves bye-bye

-Jabbers
-Bangs 2 cubes held in hand

-Stands with support

1 year

-Locates sounds well

-Reacts to encouragement
-Says papa, mama

and discouragement

-Cruises

-Pincer grasp

indiscriminately

-Holds own bottle

Stands alone

Casting

Responds well to name

Shows affection

Single finger pointing

Joint attention

Indicates needs (not by

Imitates actions

Walks with support/alone

crying)
Enjoys putting objects in and
Pushes things away he/she

out of boxes, emptying

doesnt want

cupboards

Calls papa, mama

Cooperates with dressing

specifically
2 3 single words with
meaning
Understands simple
words/phrases
Understands no
Gives toy on request

18

Stoops and recovers

Scribbles spontaneously

months
Walks alone, runs

Builds tower of 4 cubes

10 20 single words

Domestic mimicry

Mature jargoning (includes

Meaningful play with toys

intelligible words)

Plays alone but near familiar

people

Walks backward

Turns 2 3 pages at a time

Points to named body parts,

pictures, objects

Carries toy while walking

Emotionally dependent on
familiar adult

Points to indicate needs

Up/down steps with support

Uses spoon
Obeys simple instructions

Climbs onto chair

Drinks from cup

Assists dressing

Aware and disapproves of

wetness
2 years

Up/down steps, two feet per

Holds pencil in fist

2 3 word phrases

Pretend play

Copies lines

Knows 50 words

Not sharing, possessive

Builds tower of 6 cubes

Understands two-part

Constantly demands attention

step
Jumps
Propels tricycle by pushing

instructions

with feet on floor

Clings to mother
Turns pages one at a time

Listens to simple stories

Tantrums

Kicks and throws ball

Enjoys nursery rhymes and

jingles

Dresses with help

Washes hands
Indicates toilet needs

Helps put things away

3 years

Up/down steps, alternate feet Handedness

> 3 word phrases

Broad jump

Knows > 200 words

Awkward tripod grasp of

Names friend
Shares toys, takes turns

pencil
Walk on tip-toe

Holds conversation

Constructive play

Gives name/age/sex

Separates from mother easily,

Copies circle
Pedals tricycle

Builds tower of 9 cubes

waiting developing
Asks questions what, who,
where

Brushes teeth with help

Counts 1 to 10

Dresses/undresses except

Matches two colours

buttons
Recites songs, nursery
rhymes

Know front from back

Toilet trained

4 years

Hops

Dynamic tripod grasp of

Speaks grammatically and

Complicated imaginative play

pencil

clearly

alone and with other children

Balances on either foot for 5

5 years

seconds

Copies cross, square

Gives address

Dresses alone

Climbs ladder

Draws person with 3 parts

Asks questions why, how

Brushes teeth

Relates events/stories

Buttons clothes

Skips

Colours picture

Names colours, shapes

Copies triangle

Speaks fluently

Comforts siblings/friends in
distress

Heel-to-toe walk

Draws person with 7 parts

Long descriptions and

explanations

Protective of younger sibling

Enjoys climbing, swings,

Understands complex

Makes and chooses own

slides

instructions

friends

Catches bounced ball

Enjoys riddles, jokes

Plays games with rules

Play ball games

Knows time of day

Competitive games
Runs errands

Recognises numbers, letters

6 years

Backward heel-to-toe walk

Copies a diamond

Counts

Ties shoe laces

Adds single numbers

Play with particular themes

Spells and reads

Writes name, simple words
Knows right from left

Knows days of week