Early Childhood Services – Developmental Checklist For Young Children

Every child is unique. It is normal for young children to develop skills at different rates. Listed below is a checklist designed for you to determine your child’s growth and development.

Free developmental screenings are available for children aged birth to five. Screening is completed in less than an hour and consists of questions and tasks that check the way your child talks, learns, behaves, and moves.

If your child is not doing one activity at the age listed, there is probably no need to be concerned. However, if your child is late in doing several activities or has a medical diagnosis, you should discuss it with your child’s doctor and consider a developmental screening.

If you are interested in finding out more information about your child’s development or in scheduling a free developmental screening for your child, please contact  Kim Cox or Tina Butterbrodt at Livingston County Special Services 815-844-7115.

At One Month—most children can:

  • Raise head slightly when lying on stomach
  • Briefly watch objects
  • Make “noise in throat” sounds
  • Pull away from a cloth or blanket on face

 

 At Eighteen Months—most children can:

  • Use five to ten words
  • Understand simple directions
  • Climb up or down one stair
  • Walk (maybe run a bit)
  • Mark on paper with crayons
At Three Months—most children can:

  • Lift head and chest when lying on stomach
  • Show vigorous body movement
  • Follow a moving person with eyes
  • Recognize a bottle or breast
  • Smile when someone speaks to them

 

 At Two Years—most children can:

  • Hand over toys upon request
  • Kick a large ball
  • Turn pages in a book (2 or 3 at a time)
  • Ask for items by name
  • Recognize a familiar picture and know
At Six Months—most children can:

  • Sit with minimal support
  • Roll from back to stomach
  • Turn to locate and identify sounds
  • Crawl
  • Transfer objects from hand to hand and from hand to mouth
  • Respond to friendly speech with smile or coo
 At Three Years—most children can:

  • Walk upstairs while holding the railing
  • Stand momentarily on one foot
  • Open doors
  • Unbutton large buttons
  • Verbalize toilet needs
  • Stack objects of different sizes

 
At Nine Months—most children can:

  • Sit without aid and change position
  • Respond to their name
  • Say “mama” and “dad”
  • Respond to familiar people
 At Four Years—most children can:

  • Hop in place
  • Ride a tricycle
  • Copy a circle
  • Say their last name and age
  • Respond verbally to “hi” and “how are you?”
  • Wash their hands by themselves
  • Throw balls from above their heads
  • Begin to play with other children
  • Point to six basic colors when asked

 
At Twelve Months—most children can:

  • Pull to stand and may step with support
  • Pick things up with thumb and one finger
  • Nod head to signal “yes”
  • Give affection
  • Say two or three words

 

 At Five Years—most children can:

  • Run on their tiptoes
  • Recognize their names in print
  • Play cooperatively with others
  • Put their shoes on the correct feet
  • Use sentences with correct grammar such as “May I go to the store?” or “I want a big cookie”
  • Understand “yesterday” and “today”
At Fifteen Months—most children can:

  • Walk without support
  • Do some self-feeding
  • Drink from a cup held by someone
  • Use four or five words
  • Vocalize & make their voices go up & down