Throughout infancy and childhood, a child is constantly developing the many facets of her mind and body. Physical, social, and cognitive changes are taking place every year, sometimes even month-to-month. A number of developmental milestones have been established for these precious years of a child's life in order to help parents and doctors track a child's growth.
Infancy
A number of significant developments take place during the first year of life. During the first three months of life, a baby makes small advancements in physical skills, such as holding up her head while lying on her stomach or grasping a toy, reports the National Network for Child Care, or NNCC. During the following months, she'll transform by crawling, then standing up and finally by taking her first steps. Medline Plus also reports that her cognitive development is expanding during this time as well, giving her the ability to say her first words, exhibit a social smile and play peek-a-boo by the time she turns one.
Toddler
The toddler years are filled with developments, both physical and social. Healthy Children, a website of the American Academy of Pediatrics, reports that by age two a child is able to run, kick a ball, build block towers and scribble. A two-year-old will also use simple phrases, recognize familiar names and words and understand the differences between colors and shapes. By the end of his toddler years, a child can also feed himself, dress himself with only a little help and ride a tricycle. During this time, he learns more about social interactions through sharing and taking turns.
Preschooler
A preschool-age child begins to understand his environment in completely new ways. Medline Plus reports that during this time, a child begins to comprehend concepts of time and size. Her reading skills develop and she may recognize a few written words. Physical skills at this age increase to include coordinated activities like cutting along a line, jumping on one foot and doing somersaults, says PBS.
School Age Child
Children become more aware of their own developments during their school age years. Her body fat will remain about the same even as her body grows, leading to a slimmer appearance, reports Healthy Children. Coordination and strength improve, allowing her to tie her shoes, skip and play sports. Girls typically see signs of puberty, such as increasing bust size and her first menses, around the age of 10. Boys experience puberty at around age 11, beginning with signs like increased size of the testes and the development of pubic hair. According to Medline Plus, a school-age child also develops mentally with an increased ability to read and follow sequential directions.
Considerations
If a parent feels her child is not reaching the developmental norms for his age, she should take him to see a pediatrician right away. Healthy Children provides examples of possible warning signs for developmental delays, such as not imitating actions or using two-word sentences by the age of two.
