Growth/Development Tasks

There is an approximate age range for normal development of each skill. Failure to master a skill at a certain age does not necessarily indicate pathology, but it indicates the need for further assessment and/or referral for further evaluation.

Age	Growth	Skills (Milestones)
0–1 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk HC ↑ 0.5 in./mo	Reflex activities—lacks purposeful movement Lies in flexed position Regards a person’s face
2 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk HC ↑ 0.5 in./mo	Lifts head for short periods when prone Visually tracks moving objects 180 degrees Smiles and frowns Coos
3 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk HC ↑ 0.5 in./mo	Rolls from back to side Sits with support Focuses on own hands Recognizes parent Demonstrates pleasure by squealing
4 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk HC ↑ 0.5 in./mo	Turns from back to prone position Holds head erect while in sitting position Reaches for objects with both hands Carries objects to mouth Laughs aloud Makes consonant sounds
5 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk HC ↑ 0.5 in./mo	Turns from abdomen to back Grasps objects intentionally Holds object with one hand Plays with feet
6 mo	Birth wt has doubled Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk HC ↑ 0.5 in./mo	Imitates sounds Stranger anxiety begins
7 mo	Teething begins at 5–7 mos	Crawls Bears wt on feet when placed on surface Transfers object from hand to hand
8 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk	Sits alone with support Pulls to standing position Uses pincer grasp Marked stranger anxiety Says “dada” without meaning
9 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk	Walks while holding on Bangs 2 blocks together Drinks from cup Attempts to feed self Searches for hidden object
10 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk	May begin to walk and climb Neat pincer grasp Demonstrates one-hand dominance Plays pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo May say a few words with meaning
11 mo	Ht ↑ 1 in./mo Wt ↑ 3–5 oz wk	Cooperates with dressing self Attempts to feed self with spoon Can follow one-step commands Understands meaning of “no” Shakes head to indicate “no”
12 mo	Birth wt has tripled Birth length has increased by 50% Head and chest circumference are equal	May walk independently or with hand held Says “mama” and “dada” with meaning Points for desired object
15 mo		Walks unassisted Pulls or pushes toys Builds tower of 2 blocks Scribbles with crayon or pencil
18 mo		Throws ball overhanded Builds tower of 3–4 blocks May be able to control urinary and anal sphincters Says about 10 words
24 mo	Weighs about 4 times birth wt Average wt gain 4–6 lb/yr during years 2–6	Jumps in place with both feet Runs with wide stance Climbs steps by placing both feet on each step Builds tower of 6–7 blocks Names familiar objects Speaks in short phrases
30 mo		Walks backward May hop on one foot Copies a crude circle Holds crayon with fist
3 yr	All 20 deciduous teeth have erupted	Rides tricycle Climbs stairs by alternating feet on steps Turns doorknobs Dresses self Builds tower of 9–10 blocks Holds crayon with fingers Copies circle Speaks in short sentences Attains bladder and bowel control
4 yr		Hops on one foot Recognizes colors Buttons and unbuttons
5 yr		Catches ball Skips and jumps rope Balances with eyes closed Sentences contain all parts of speech Has vocabulary of about 2100 words
6–12 yr	Ht 2–3 in./yr Wt 4.5–6.5 lb/yr Primary teeth are lost and replaced by permanent teeth	Skips May learn to swim, ride a bicycle, and roller skate Learns to read Language, math, and reasoning skills increase Peer group becomes increasingly important
12–18 yr	Continued physical growth Physical changes of puberty	Belonging to and acceptance by a group is important Individual identity and independence are evolving Sex role identity develops Thinking is increasingly abstract

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