Developmental Milestones Guide

This chart outlines typical developmental milestones. The "Red Flags" indicate signs where you might consider consulting a pediatrician.

Age	Gross Motor	Fine Motor	Speech & Language	Social & Cognitive	Vision & Hearing
At Birth					Able to fixate and follow objects up to 45° Responds to sound by blinking and startling
1 Month					Fixates on mother when she talks to baby, and follows objects up to 90°
6 Weeks				Social smile	Binocular vision begins
3 Months	Neck holding		Coos	Recognises and smiles at mother	Fixates objects up to 180° Turns head towards sound sideways
4 Months		Bidexterous reach for objects	Laughs		Binocular vision established
5 Months		Palmar grasp			Turns head towards sound upward and downward (below level of ear)
6 Months	Rolls on stomach Sits with support Not holding head up Not rolling over	Transfers objects between hands Not reaching for toys	Babbles (monosyllables) Not starting to babble	Stranger anxiety Doesn't smile at people	Adjusts his position to follow the object of interest Turns head towards sound upward and downward (both above and below level of ear)
7-8 Months	Sits without support		Understands "no"	Understands "bye-bye"
8-9 Months			Babbles (bi-syllables)	Waves bye-bye Plays peek-a-boo
9 Months	Stands with support Crawls Doesn't bear weight on legs	Immature pincer grasp		Responds to own name
10 Months			Identifies "mama", "papa"		Turns head diagonally towards sound
11 Months	Cruising
12 Months	Walks with support No independent mobility Not pulling to stand	Stacks 2 blocks Mature pincer grasp	1 or 2 words with meaning No babbled phrases	Comes when called and plays a simple ball game	No response to familiar words
15 Months	Walking Not attempting to walk	Scribbles	Jargon speech
16 Months	Hurried walking		Uses angry and friendly tones
18 Months	Backward walking Able to run Not able to walk independently	Stacks 4 blocks	Knows 10 words Not using clear words	Removes clothes Parallel play	Not able to understand short requests
2 Years	Throws ball Jumps with both feet Tiptoes Climbs stairs (2 ft/step) Can't walk up/down stairs holding on	Draws vertical line Stacks 6 blocks Does not scribble	2-word phrases Knows ~50 words Understands verbs Uses pronouns like "I", "me", "you" Not putting words together	Asks for food and toys Pulls people to show toys
2.5 Years	Kicks ball	Draws horizontal line Stacks 8 blocks	Knows ~200 words Understands prepositions
3 Years	Stands on one foot (3 sec) Rides a tricycle Climbs stairs (1 ft/step) Not able to run or jump	Makes single cuts with scissors Threads large beads Draws a circle Tower of 9 blocks Difficulty with small objects	3-word phrases Asks WHAT/WHO questions Uses negatives Knows full name and gender Speech hard to understand	Dresses self (no buttons/laces) Counts to 10 Shares toys Doesn't attempt self-care
3.5 Years		Cuts paper into pieces	Comparative adjectives
4 Years	Walks up/down stairs (1 ft/step) Hops Stands on one foot (5 sec) Can't walk, run, or climb confidently Can't catch or kick a ball	Cuts paper in half Threads small beads Draws a cross Bridge with blocks	Asks WHY/WHEN/HOW Tells songs, poems, and stories Can't follow 2-step directions	Independent toileting & brushing Fully dresses/undresses Identifies most colors Group play Not toilet trained by day
4.5 Years		Draws a square		Bladder control
5 Years	Jumps sideways Stands on one foot (10 sec) Skipping Not able to hop 5 times on one leg	Draws a triangle Can handle a knife Gate with blocks Not able to draw simple pictures	Uses detailed sentences Asks meaning of words Difficulty telling a parent what is wrong	Sorts by color and size Undresses and dresses by self Can't complete everyday activities
5-6 Years	Balances on one foot (20 sec) Rides bike with stabilizers
7-8 Years	Rides bike without stabilizers Catches ball with one hand	Draws a diamond
12 Years		Draws a cube