Signs of normal Developmental Stages Ages 0-5

| Age 0-5, Parent Resources
The information below shows the ages by which most young children develop certain abilities. It is normal for a child to do some of these things later than the ages noted here.
Physical and Language Emotional Social
Birth to 3 month:
Feedings: 5-8 per day
Sleep: 20 hrs per day
Sensory Capacities: makes basic distinctions in vision, hearing, smelling, tasting, touch, temperature, and perception of painMotor Ability: control of eye muscles, lifts head when on stomach.
Generalized TensionDelight
Distress
Smiles at a Face
Helpless
Asocial
Fed by motherVisually fixates at a face, smiles at a face, may be soothed by rocking.
4 to 6 months
Sensory Capacities: localizes sounds
Sounds: babbling makes most vowels and about half of the consonants
Feedings: 3-5 per day
Motor Ability: control of head and arm movements, purposive grasping, rolls over.
Enjoys being cuddled Recognizes his mother.
Distinguishes between familiar persons and trangers, no longer smiles indiscriminately. Expects feeding, dressing, and bathing.
7 to 9 months
Motor Ability: control of trunk and hands, sits without support, crawls about.
Specific emotional attachment to mother, protests separation. Enjoys “peek-a-boo”
10 to 12 months
Motor Ability: control of legs and feet, stands, apposition of thumb and fore-finger.
Language: says one or two words, imitates sounds, and responds to simple commands.
Feedings: 3 meals, 2 snacks
Sleep: 12 hours, 2 naps
Anger
Affection
Fear of strangers
Curiosity, exploration
Responsive to own name. Wave
bye-bye. Plays pat-a-cake,
understands “no-no!” Gives and
takes objects.
1 to 1 ½ years
Motor Ability: creeps up stairs, walks (10-20 min), and makes lines on paper with crayon.
Dependent Behavior Very upset if separated from mom Fear of Bath Obeys limited commands.
Repeats a few words. Interested in his mirror image. Feeds himself.
1 ½ to 2 years
Motor Ability: runs, kicks a ball, and builds 6 cube tower (2yrs)
Language: vocabulary of more than 200 words
Sleep: 12 hours at night, 1-2 hr nap
Temper tantrums (1-3yrs)
Resentment of new baby
Does opposite of what he is told
(18 months).
2 to 3 years
Motor Ability: jumps off a step, rides a tricycle, uses crayons, builds a 9-10 cube tower.
Language: starts to use short sentences controls and explores world with language, stuttering may appear briefly.
Fear of separation
Negativistic (2 ½ yrs)
Violent emotions, anger Differentiates facial expressions of anger, sorrow, and joy.
Sense of humor (Plays tricks)
Talks, uses “I” “me” “you” Copies
parents’ actions. Dependent,
possessive about toys, enjoys
playing alongside another child.
Resists parental demands. Gives orders. Rigid insistence on sameness of routine. Inability to make decisions.
3 to 4 years
Motor Ability: Stands on one leg, jumps up and down, draws a circle and a cross (4 yrs) Self-sufficient in many routines of home life.
Affectionate toward parents.
Pleasure in genital manipulation Romantic attachment to parent of
opposite sex (3 to 5 yrs)
Jealousy of same-sex parent.
Imaginary fears of dark, injury, etc. (3 to 5 years)
Likes to share, uses “we”
Cooperative play with other
children, nursery school. Imitates
parents. Beginning of
identification with same-sex
parent, Intense curiosity & interest
in other children’s bodies.
Imaginary friend.
4 to 5 years
Motor ability: mature motor control, skips, broad jumps, dresses himself, copies a square and a triangle.
Language: talks clearly, uses adult speech sounds, has mastered basic grammar, relates a story, knows over 2,000 words (5 yrs)
Responsibility and guilt
Feels pride in accomplishment
Prefers to play with other children,
becomes competitive prefers sex-
appropriate activities.
For more on your child and helpful facts please click on:

www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/normaldevelopment.shtml

www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/devsequence.shtml

www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10109