Developmental milestones for birth to 3 years old

  • Boy weighing vegetable

    Evaluate your child’s development with milestone checklists that were developed by medical experts and published by the Center for Disease Control.

    Learn how to evaluate your child’s development with milestone checklists that were developed by medical experts and published by the Center for Disease Control. If you have additional concerns about your child(s) development please contact DayOnePACT.

    Research shows that 85 percent of brain development occurs by age 5 and that high-quality early care and education experiences lead to:

    • Lower drop-out rates;
    • Lower rates of becoming a teen parent;
    • Lower rates of participation in special education;
    • Lower rates of violent crime;
    • Higher rates of high school graduation;
    • Higher levels of employment and income as adults.

     

    • Two-month milestone checklist - download the complete list
      • begins to smile
      • coos, makes gurgling sounds
      • pays attention to faces
      • can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy

     

    • Four-month milestone checklist - download the complete list
      • smiles spontaneously, especially at people
      • begins to babble
      • responds to affection
      • holds head steady, unsupported

     

    • Six-month milestone checklist - download the complete list
      • respond to own name,
      • respond to other people's emotions and often seem happy
      • copy sounds
      • like to play with others, especially parents 

     

    • Nine-month milestone checklist - download the complete list
      • Tends to be clingy with familiar adults
      • Makes a lot of different sounds
      • Watches the path of something as it falls
      • Sits without support

     

    • One-year milestone checklist - download the complete list
      • use simple gestures, like shaking head "no" or waving "bye-bye"
      • say "mama" or "dada" and exclamations like "uh-oh!"
      • copy gestures
      • respond to simple spoken requests

     

    • 18-month milestone checklist- download the complete list
      • plays simple pretend, such as feeding a doll
      • point to show others something interesting
      • show a full range of emotions, such as happy, sad, angry
      • say several words

     

    • Two-year milestone checklist - download the complete list
      • say sentences with two to four words
      • follow simple instructions
      • get excited when with other children
      • point to things or pictures when they are named

     

    • Three-year milestone checklist - download the complete list
      • show affection for friends without prompting
      • carry on a conversation using two to three sentences
      • copy adults and friends
      • play make-believe with dolls, animals, and people

    Learn more by visiting: www.cdc.gov/actearly

     

    Adapted from: CARING FOR YOUR BABY AND YOUNG CHILD: BIRTH TO AGE 5, Fifth edition, edited by Steven Shelov and Tanya Remer Altmann, copyright 1991, 1993, 1998, 2004, 2009 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and BRIGHT FUTURES: GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH SUPERVISION OF INFANTS, CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, Third edition, edited by Joseph Haga Jr., Judith S. Shaw, and Paul M. Duncan, 2008, Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.