1.4 Checklist for Growing Children

By around 3 months, watch for your baby to:

• turn head toward bright colors and lights.
• move both eyes together in the same direction
• respond to loud sounds by startling or crying
• grasp rattles or hair
• wiggle and kick with legs and arms
• smile when you smile at her and make cooing sounds

By around 6 months, watch for your baby to:

• turn towards sounds
• reach for objects and pick them up
• roll from stomach to back
• move objects from one hand to the other
• play with her feet and toes
• recognize and respond to familiar faces
• babble saying "babababa" or "mamama" or "dadada."
• look to the floor when something falls

By around 9 months, watch for your baby to:

• sit without support
• make sounds to get attention
• stand with support and use legs to bounce
• crawl or find some way to get to toys she wants
• wave bye-bye
• respond to name

By around 12 months, watch for your baby to:

• pull himself to a standing position
• put objects into a container and stack two blocks
• hold a crayon and make marks
• say "momma" and "dada"

By around 18 months, watch for your baby to:

• push, pull, and dump things
• follow simple directions like "bring the ball, please"
• pull off shoes and socks
• look at pictures and short books
• feed herself finger foods
• use 8 to 10 words that are easy to understand
• walk without help
• point to show you what she wants

By around 2 years, watch for your child to:

• use 2 to 3 word sentences
• say names of toys
• recognize familiar pictures
• carry an object while walking
• feed himself with a spoon
• play by herself for short periods of time
• imitate parentsŐ actions
• identify hair, ears, and nose by pointing
• build a lower of four blocks
• show affection

By around 3 years, watch for your child to:

• walk up steps using alternating feet
• use the potty
• put on shoes and socks
• open doors
• turn one page at a time
• play with other children for a few minutes
• repeat common rhymes and use 3-to-5 word sentences
• name at least one color correctly

By around 4 years, watch for your child to:

• balance on one foot 4 to 8 seconds
• jump up and down
• dress and undress with little help
• cut straight with childrenŐs scissors
• wash hands alone
• play simple group games
• ask questions beginning, "What, where"
• know his first and last name
• show many emotions

By around 5 years, watch for your child to:

• skip
• catch a large ball
• bathe and dress himself
• speak clearly
• know how to count 5 to 10 objects
• draw a body with a least 5 parts
• print a few letters and copy familiar shapes

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