Research into children development shows that we learn, grow, and develop more within our first five years, than at any other time in our lives. Within these first five years, children typically reach developmental milestones in a similar order and at similar stages – however, it’s completely normal for some to reach them earlier or later than others.
Developmental milestones are emotional, cognitive, and physical signs of development and help parents and caregivers track progress. While developmental milestones are used in education and general health and wellbeing, they should not be treated as strict guidelines for how a child should be developing: a child’s learning is ongoing, and each child will progress differently and in equally meaningful ways.
Early childhood educators, like Raising Stars, understand and embed the principles and practices of the Early Year Learning Framework (EYLF) Developmental Milestone booklet so we can support the unique learning and growth of the children in our care.
What are developmental milestones?
Children’s developmental milestones are age-specific stages or actions, such as playing, learning, speaking, and engaging with others, which children can typically do at a certain age. Again, it’s important to remember that every child develops at their own rate and may meet different milestones at different ages – milestones merely give us a general idea of what changes to can expect as a child grows.
Children’s developmental milestones include:
- Physical: sitting, walking, dressing, eating, sleeping habits, reflexes, eye sight, among other physical abilities.
- Social: reactions to others and how they play and communicate with other children.
- Emotional: how emotionally regulated children are, how often they have tantrums, if they have separation anxiety, and levels of empathy/sympathy.
- Cognitive: senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing) development, fine and visual motor skills, and overall learning.
- Language: speech and interpretation of sounds.
6 children’s development stages & milestones
Following the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) Developmental Milestones booklet developed for the Australian Department of Education, there are six significant children’s development stages and milestones childhood educators and parents can use to measure their child’s progress.
Birth to 4 months
The first four months of a baby’s life are filled with developmental milestones. Babies are learning to open their eyes, wriggle around, make noises, experience touching sensations, control their body, and interact with their parents and carers. From birth to four months old, a baby is taking in the world around them and learning feelings of happiness, tiredness, and discomfort from their parents and carers. Parents and caregivers can enhance this learning through talking, singing, and playing with their child, returning their smile, and getting into a daily routine.
4 to 8 months
When a baby reaches four months old, milestones they’ve already reached will be enhanced with their newfound curiosity. From four to eight months old, a baby may become more interested in objects and people, reaching for and grasping items, getting bored when their parents or carers aren’t around, and enjoying games like peek-a-boo and repetitive sounds. During this stage, a baby may respond to their name, recognise familiar faces, and start to crawl around.
Parents and carers can make the most of this playfulness and tickle their baby, mimic their baby’s sounds and actions (clapping, laughing, etc), and encourage tummy time for their baby to wriggle, stretch, and roll around.
8 to 12 months
The last four months of a baby’s first year is where carers (typically) see the most development. A baby’s curiosity and taste for the world will be supercharged, and will want to explore, investigate, and experiment with everything. A baby will start to understand how they affect people, show signs of separation anxiety or weariness, and respond to and make gestures (e.g. waving when someone says “bye”, smiling when they see a familiar face, etc).
To encourage this curiosity, parents and carers can start talking simply and clearly to their baby, look at books together, sing songs, provide finger food with different tastes and textures, and give the baby space to move around and explore.
1 to 2 years
One to two year old children are on the go, and are ready to discover more of the world. Toddlers begin to understand and communicate what they like doing and how they like doing it, but will still depend on their parents and caregiver’s guidance.
One to two year olds develop better concentration, listening skills, and can happily play along with others. Their fine motor skills become stronger and may start walking, finger feed themselves better, scribble with pencils and crayons, and climb, kick, and throw objects. With all the fun this age brings, a toddler’s moods may be more up and down and become more easily tired, frustrated, or upset.
2 to 3 years
With strong feelings, opinions, and the urge to test boundaries, two to three year olds are more likely to throw “temper tantrums”. Toddlers are developing new skills in many areas, and want to explore this independently.
A toddler’s cognitive skills, such as language, thinking, and memory, are developing fast and their imagination is soaring. Two to three year olds’ physical skills are also progressing more than ever and may walk, climb, run, and jump easily, hold items better, and start getting dressed with help. Parents and carers can engage with their toddler in developmental activities, such as reading, talking and listening, playing outside, and cooking together.
3 to 5 years
In the preschool years, three to five years old, children speak in longer sentences, tell stories, start asking more questions, and enjoy engaging and playing with other kids their age. While enjoying their independence and socialising, three to five year olds may develop particular friends, laugh and joke with them, and start to understand empathy. They can hop, skip, and jump, colour-in, draw, and write some words, feed themselves with cutlery, use the toilet independently, and engage in sports.