Physical Development

A child’s physical growth is easy to measure with simple tools; his or her physical development requires observation by parents, caregivers, and health care practitioners.  Physical development encompasses many things depending on the child’s age: rolling from back to front and front to back, holding one’s head up, sitting alone, standing with or without support, crawling, walking, climbing stairs, throwing a ball, and imitating scribbling are all examples of a child’s physical development.

Cognitive Development

Cognitive development also encompasses a variety of skills and abilities.  Whether a child will search for an object hidden while he is looking, or while he is not looking, is a measurement of cognitive development.  A child’s problem-solving skills (does she move a stool to the counter in order to reach an object?) and ability to understand concepts such as “two” are examples of how cognitive development is measured.

Social and Emotional

A child’s social and emotional development is vital. Expressing joy or displeasure, being able to understand when another’s facial expressions or tone of voice indicate joy or displeasure, smiling, laughing, waving, and maintaining eye contact are all measurements of social and emotional development. For older children, the ability to play cooperatively and collaboratively and to take turns are other developmental milestones.  Playing make-believe games is another example of emotional and social development.

Language

Babies are hard-wired for language, and, if developing appropriately, will coo and make other noises from birth. Around one year, normally developing children can use a word or two; by age two, short subject + verb sentences and repeating words are signs of normal development.  The extent to which a child uses language to express him- or herself as appropriate for his or her age is measured in language development assessments.

These definitions should serve as a starting point for understanding what is measured in developmental assessments. Your child’s health care practitioner can offer more detailed explanations of both what each term refers to and where you child should be developmentally at his or her age.

Physical

Children at this age continue to develop muscles and motor skills, both large and fine.  While at age 48 months, a normally developing child can stand on one foot for up to 5 seconds, that length of time increases to 10 seconds by 60 months.  The ability to hop well develops during this time, and children progress from going up and down stairs without support to going up and down stairs using alternate feet.  Fine motor skills like copying shapes and being able to print some letters progress, and by age 60 months most children can draw a person with a body.  Children learn to use silverware at the table during this time, and, by 60 months, usually can tend to their own bathroom and dressing and undressing needs.

Cognitive

Cognitive development during this stage includes moving from being able to correctly name some colors to being able to name at least four.  An increased sense of time develops as well, and fantasy and make-believe play continue and become more elaborate.  Children also develop a sense of what everyday objects are and how they are used, and, by the end of 60 months, can count 10 or more objects.

Social and Emotional

Children begin to be able to distinguish between fantasy and reality during this time, and begin to view themselves as whole beings.  As such beings, their desire to be around and to please friends develops.  By the end of 60 months, children are more likely than before to agree to rules as they become more independent.  By the end of 60 months children are aware of gender.  While increasingly cooperative, children will still sometimes be demanding during this stage as they become more independent.

Language

Language use is refined during this stage of development.  Most children can be easily understood by strangers by around age 48 months, but their sentences may be short and basic grammar rules like verb tense incorrect.  By the end of age 60 months, most children speak in sentences longer than 5 sentences (although many do before this age) and they can tell longer stories than at age 48 months.  They begin to use future tense, can say their name and address, and can recall parts of stories.

Obviously, no two children will develop at the same rate and may develop certain skills while seeming to lag in other areas.  Developmental milestones are guidelines to normal development.  Check with your pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about the rate at which your child is developing.

Physical

At age 2, normally developing children walk alone, can pull a toy behind them while walking, and carry toys while walking.  This independent walking develops into the ability to climb unassisted and then into the ability to climb by age 3.  Walking develops into running and being able to bend over without falling.  Fine motor skills move from scribbling on one’s own to being able to make circular, side-to-side, and up-and-down, more deliberate, marks with a crayon, and being able to hold a pencil in a writing position. The height of block towers increases, and children move from being able to turn over a container to dump out its contents to being able to unscrew lids and turn rotating handles.

Cognitive

Make-believe play takes off during this year.  Normally developing children begin to play “pretend” around 24 months; this develops into playing make-believe games with dolls and stuffed animals.  During this stage children move from being able to find hidden objects to being able to sort them by shape or color, and matching items.  Concepts such as the idea of “two” are developing, as is the ability to work simple, 3 or 4 piece puzzles.

Social and Emotional

Around age 2, children may begin to show defiant behavior as they are becoming aware of themselves as independent beings.  At the same time, they get excited about the company of others, and separation anxiety increases, and then fades.  The concept of “mine” and of taking turns in games starts to develop and children start to display affection for familiar friends as well as to express a range of emotions.  These displays may make parents realize their child is turning into a “real” little person, and it is this social and emotional development that can be in turn frustrating and exhilarating to witness.  Children may become increasingly less flexible, objecting to major changes in routine as they become more independent and aware of likes and dislikes.

Language

Language development during this time is rapid as well.  Around age 2, children use telegraphic language:  simple phrases and 2-to-4 word sentences, repeating words they overhear and recognizing familiar names and objects.  The ability to follow simple instructions develops into being able to follow a 2-or 3-part command and an understanding of most sentences.  Pronoun use develops, and by the end of age 3, children can state their name, age, and sex.  Strangers can usually understand most of a child’s words by age 3.

No two children develop alike, and they may seem to lag in one area of development only to catch up later.  Developmental guidelines help to assess a major deviation from normal development, so if you have any concerns about your child’s development, check with your pediatrician.