Child Development Milestones

Child development milestones for a baby's first year are detailed in our Cradle Year Calendar where they are separated into the categories of vision, hearing, movement & touch, speech-language & thought. Cognitive development is more thoroughly explored in Born with Brain Power! Children develop various skills on their own schedules, but here are highlights of the basic sequence of child development from birth through adolescence, as adapted from the Vineland Social Maturity Scale and brainconnection.com.

Ages	Developmental Highlights
Birth to 1 year	Grasps objects Moves around by crawling or pulling up to stand Follows simple directions Says a few words
1 to 2 years	Walks Carries objects Marks on paper with crayons Drinks from cup unassisted Eats with spoon Talks in short sentences
2 to 3 years	Eats with a fork Uses safety scissors Can do basic dressing/undressing Begins potty training Talks about experiences
3 to 4 years	Walks downstairs a stair at a time Plays cooperatively with other children Washes hands without assistance Learns to rhyme
4 to 5 years	Is fully potty trained Dresses self except for tying Draws recognizable figures Prints some letters or numbers
5 to 6 years	Begins school Learns to hop, skip and use skates Plays some board games Prints simple words
6 to 7 years	Loses teeth Prefers playing with children of own gender Draws figures with recognizable clothing and all basic body parts Uses complete, complex sentences
7 to 8 years	Concentrates for longer periods Develops some self-control Stops believing in the tooth fairy or literal Santa Learns to tell time
8 to 9 years	Bathes without assistance Combs or brushes hair Does simple household chores Reads chapter books independently
9 to 10 years	Understands fractions and learns about decimals Uses own money for small purchases Begins "reading to learn"
10 to 14 years	Uses reading more efficiently than listening as a learning tool Begins to think about and analyze what is read Understands simple technical information Shows interest in working for money
14 to 18 years	Follows current events Recognizes differing points of view and establishes own Buys own clothing Begins dating
18 years and beyond	Has a job or continues education Is responsible for own health Controls own major expenditures Creates own opportunities Develops community awareness