Normal Child Development

Emotional

• Begins to smile at people
• Tries to look at parents

Language

• Coos, makes gurgling sounds
• Turns head toward sounds

Gross Motor

• Lifts head up off the floor for 1-2 seconds OR
• lifts head up 2-3 inches off the floor for 4-5 seconds
• Straightens both legs
• Turns head to breath
• While lying on the side, rolls to back

Fine Motor

• Makes sounds when content
• Cries when hungry or uncomfortable
• Moves head, arms, and legs in response to sounds
• May gaze at a person for up to 1 minute when spoken to

Cognitive

• Pays attention to faces
• Starts to recognize familiar faces

Language

• Begins to babble
• Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears
• Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired

Fine Motor

• Holds head steady, unsupported
• Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface
• May be able to roll over from tummy to back
• Can hold a toy and shake it and swing at dangling toys
• Brings hands to mouth
• When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows

Cognitive

• Lets you know if he is happy or sad
• Responds to affection
• Reaches for toy with one hand
• Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
• Follows moving things with eyes from side to side
• Watches faces closely
• Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance

Gross Motor

• Smiles spontaneously, especially at people
• Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops
• Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning

Emotional

• Smiles spontaneously, especially at people
• Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops
• Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning

Emotional

• Knows familiar faces and begins to recognize strangers
• Plays with others, especially parents
• Responds to other people’s emotions and often seems happy
• Likes to look at self in a mirror

Cognitive

• Looks around at things nearby
• Brings things to mouth
• Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach
• Begins to pass things from one hand to the other

Fine Motor

• Passes objects from one hand to another
• Rolls over to get to the desire object
• Tries to prop him/herself up

Language

• Responds to sounds by making sounds
• Strings vowels together when babbling
• Takes turns with parent while making sounds
• Responds to own name
• Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure
• Begins to say consonant sounds (“m,” “b”)

Gross Motor

• Rolls over in both directions
• Begins to sit without support
• When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce
• Rocks back and forth
• Starts crawling, may go backward before moving forward

Emotional

• May be afraid of strangers
• May be clingy with familiar adults
• Has favorite toys

Fine Motor

• Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other
• Picks up things like cereal o’s between thumb and index finger

Gross Motor

• Stands, holding on
• Can get into sitting position
• Sits without support
• Pulls to stand
• Crawls

Language

• Starts to understand “no”
• Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
• Copies sounds and gestures of others
• Uses fingers to point at things

Cognitive

• Watches the path of something as it falls
• Looks for things he/she sees you hide
• Plays peek-a-boo
• Puts things in his/her mouth

Cognitive

• Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, throwing
• Finds hidden things easily
• Looks at the right picture or thing when it’s named
• Copies gestures
• Starts to use things correctly; (drinks from a cup, brushes hair Bangs two things together)
• Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container
• Lets things go without help
• Pokes with index (pointer) finger
• Follows simple directions like “pick up the toy”

Gross Motor

• Gets to a sitting position without help
• Pulls up to stand, walks holding on to furniture
• May take a few steps without holding on
• May stand alone

Emotional

• Nervous or shy with strangers
• Cries when mom or dad leaves
• Has favorite things and people
• Can show fear in some situations
• Hands you a book when he wants to hear a story
• Repeats sounds or actions to get attention
• Plays games such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”

Fine Motor

• Pinch small objects (e.g. cheerios) with thumb and pointer finger
• Move objects from one hand to the other
• Drop and pick up toys
• Hold a spoon (but not yet feed herself)
• Hold his own bottle
• Hold out an arm or leg to help with dressing
• Wave hello or goodbye

Language

• Responds to simple spoken requests
• Uses simple gestures, like shaking head “no” or waving “bye-bye”
• Makes sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech)
• Says “mama” and “dada” and exclamations like “uh-oh!”
• Tries to say words you say