Your Child's Development

• Two months

  At around two months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Whilst laying on tummy, baby turns their head to the side
  • Whilst laying on back, baby waves arms, legs and wiggles/squirms
  • Briefly holds a toy when you place it in their hand
  • Follows an object or person with both eyes

  Communication

  • Be able to make cooing sounds such as ‘aaah’, ‘gah’, ‘ooo’
  • Baby smiles when spoken to
  • When you talk to your baby, they make sounds back to you
  • Cries when wet, hungry tired or wants to be held
  • Eye to eye contact is deliberately maintained
  • Turns to voices

• Four months

  At around four months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • When laying on tummy, baby will hold their head straight up and look around
  • When in a sitting position, baby will hold their head steady, without support
  • Whilst laying on back, baby will bring hands together over the chest, touching their fingers
  • When in a sitting position, baby should start to reach for a toy close by
  • When baby has a toy in their hand, they will hold it whilst looking at it, waving it about and attempting to chew it

  Communication

  • When in front of a mirror, baby should smile or ‘coo’ at themselves
  • Baby will be able to chuckle softly and/or laugh
  • After you have been out of sight, baby will smile or get excited when they see you
  • Baby will make sounds when looking at toys or people
  • Baby will be able to make high pitched squeals

• Six months

  At around six months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Baby will roll from their back to their tummy
  • Baby will be able to sit up with support
  • Baby will be able to get into a crawling position
  • Be able to grasp a toy using both hands at once
  • Reach a small object using their finger and pick it up using their thumb and all fingers
  • Be able to pick up a small toy with one hand and pass it to the other
  • Plays with feet when laying on back

   

  Communication

  • Holds hands up to be lifted
  • Makes sounds like ‘Da’, ‘ga’, ‘ka’
  • Squeals and laughs
  • Likes to look at themselves in a mirror

• Nine months

  Nine months

  At around nine months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Sits without support
  • Can get into sitting position from lying down
  • Will pull to stand and take weight on feet
  • May crawl
  • Rolls over both ways

  Communication

  • Copy simple sounds
  • Babbles making different sounds e.g. mamma
  • Baby will when asked ‘Give it to me’ or ‘Put it back’
  • Recognises family members
  • Clingy to familiar adults
  • Has a favourite toy

• Twelve months

  At around twelve months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Sits well and gets into sitting position alone
  • Pulls to stand from sitting position and can sit down again
  • Walks around furniture
  • May crawl or bottom shuffle
  • May stand alone
  • Help turn the pages of a book
  • Throw a small ball
  • Be able to pick up a piece of string with first finger and thumb

  Communication

  • Points at objects
  • Responds to own name
  • When dressing, will hold out arm or foot to help
  • Makes more meaningful sounds e.g. Mamma, Dadda

• Eighteen months

  At around eighteen months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Walks well
  • Can walk upstairs holding an adults hand
  • Can stack blocks on top of each other
  • Turn the page of a book
  • Put a small in their mouth, right side up

  Communication

  • Says several single words
  • Recognises and points to parts of the body
  • Enjoys nursery rhymes and tries to join in
  • Obeys simple commands, such as ‘bring me your shoes’

• Two years old

  At around two years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Tries to kick a ball
  • Runs well
  • Jumps with both feet leaving the floor at the same time
  • Holds pencil by using thumb and first two fingers
  • Can string small items such as beads, pasta onto a string
  • Drinks from a cup with no lid

  Communication

  • Likes to pretend and role play
  • Can name well known objects
  • Correctly uses words like ‘I’, ‘Mine’ and ‘You’
  • Will correctly put two – three words together

• Three years old

  At around three years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Will walk on tip toes when shown
  • Walks upstairs with alternate feet, still puts both feet on each step when coming down
  • Catches a large ball
  • Pedals a tricycle
  • Climbs wall

  Communication

  • Can say own name, age and sex
  • Can say numbers up to 10
  • Pretend play is more vivid
  • Plays with other children and takes turns
  • Understands and uses ‘You’, ‘Me’, ‘I’

• Four years old

  At around four years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Walks up and down stairs using alternate feet
  • Good on a tricycle
  • Hops and stands on one foot
  • Can throw, catch and kick well
  • Draws a person with recognisable body parts eg head, arms and legs
  • Uses a fork and spoon well

   Communication

  • Knows own first and last name
  • Can sing several nursery rhymes
  • Likes to listen to longer stories and will tell own stories
  • Continues to ask lots of questions
  • Takes turns and shares
  • Shows sympathy to friends when hurt or upset

• Five years old

  At around five years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

  Physical

  • Can balance and stand on one foot for about 10 seconds
  • Hops
  • Dances
  • Swings and climbs
  • Slides down a slide
  • Can now get dressed and undressed by self

  Communication

  • Speech very clear
  • Knows name, address and age
  • Likes listening and telling stories
  • May have best friend
  • Sense of humour increasing
  • Uses more imagination
  • Shows more independence

  NB: Immunisation and Infant Feeding Advice Sheets are not working.