Normal Stages of Human Development (Birth to 5 Years)
This page presents an overview of child development from birth to five years of age. Links to other areas and stages of
development and parenting are included.
This page presents an overview of child development from birth to five years of age. It is important to keep in mind that the
time frames presented are averages and some children may achieve various developmental milestones earlier or later than the
average but still be within the normal range. This information is presented to help parents understand what to expect from
their child. Any questions you may have about your child's development should be shared with his or her doctor.
Birth
to
1 month
Physical and Language
Emotional
Social
Feedings: 5-8 per
Generalized
Helpless
day
Sleep: 20 hrs per
Tension
day
Sensory Capacities:
Asocial
Fed by mother
makes basic distinctions in
vision, hearing, smelling,
tasting, touch, temperature,
and perception of pain
Sensory Capacities: color
Distress
perception, visual
Smiles at a Face Visually fixates at a face, smiles at a face, may be
soothed by rocking.
exploration, oral
2 months
exploration.
to
cries, coos, grunts
3 months
Ability: control of eye
Sounds:
Motor
muscles, lifts head when on
stomach. Delight
Sensory Capacities: localizes
Enjoys being
Recognizes his mother. Distinguishes between familiar persons
sounds
cuddled
and strangers, no longer smiles indiscriminately.
Sounds: babbling, makes
4 months
to
6 months
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.
Expects feeding, dressing, and bathing.
7 months
to
9 months
Motor Ability: control of
Specific
trunk and hands, sits without
emotional
support, crawls about.
attachment to
Protests separation from mother. Enjoys "peek-a-boo"
mother.
Motor Ability: control of legs
Affection
Responsive to own name.
apposition of thumb and
Fear of
Wave bye-bye.
fore-finger.
strangers
and feet, stands, creeps,
Plays pat-a-cake, understands "no-no!"
Language: says one or two
Curiosity,
words, imitates sounds,
exploration
Gives and takes objects.
Motor Ability: creeps up
Very upset when
Obeys limited commands.
stairs, walks (10-20 min),
separated
1 years
makes lines on paper with
from mother
Repeats a few words.
to
crayon. Dependent Behavior
Fear of Bath
Interested in his mirror image.
10 months
to
12 months
responds to simple
commands.
Feedings: 3 meals, 2 snacks
Sleep: 12 hours, 2 naps
Anger
1 ½ years
Feeds himself.
1 ½ years
to
2 years
Motor Ability: runs, kicks a
Temper
Resentment of new baby Does opposite of what he is told (18
ball, builds 6 cube tower
tantrums
months).
(2yrs) Capable of bowel and
(1-3yrs)
bladder control.
Language: vocabulary of
more than 200 words
Sleep: 12 hours at night, 1-2
hr nap
2 years
to
3 years
Motor Ability: jumps off a
Negativistic (2
step, rides a tricycle, uses
½ yrs)
crayons, builds a 9-10 cube
tower.
Copies parents' actions.
Violent
emotions, anger
Language: starts to use short
Talks, uses "I" "me" "you"
Dependent, clinging, possessive about toys, enjoys playing
alongside another child.
sentences controls and
Differentiates
explores world with
facial
language, stuttering may
expressions of
appear briefly. Fear of
anger, sorrow,
separation
and joy.
Negativism (2 ½ yrs).
Resists parental demands.
Gives orders.
Sense of humor
(Plays tricks)
Rigid insistence on sameness of routine. Inability to make decision
Motor Ability: Stands on one
Self-sufficient in
Likes to share, uses "we"
leg, jumps up and down,
many routines
draws a circle and a cross (4
of home life.
Cooperative play with other children, nursery school. Imitates
yrs)
Affectionate
parents.
toward parents.
Beginning of identification with same-sex parent, practices
Pleasure in
sex-role activities. Intense curiosity & interest in other children's
genital
bodies.
manipulation
Imaginary friend.
Romantic
3 years
attachment to
to
parent of
4 years
opposite sex
(3 to 5 yrs)
Jealousy of
same-sex
parent.
Imaginary fears
of dark, injury,
etc. (3 to 5
years)
4 years
to
5 years
Motor ability: mature motor
Responsibility
Prefers to play with other children, becomes competitive
control, skips, broad jumps,
and guilt
prefers sex-appropriate activities
dresses himself, copies a
square and a triangle.
Feels pride in
accomplishment
Language: talks clearly, uses
adult speech sounds, has
mastered basic grammar,
relates a story, knows over
2,000 words
(5 yrs)