The First Month:

1. Responding to me with gentle and dependable adult attention to my cries so I learn that help is always available-REMEMBER when I am this small, I always cry for a reason; crying signals I need your help.
2. Look at me and talk to me while feeding, changing and bathing me. Make faces and stick out your tongue, I like that. I will imitate you after a short while and imitation is my first form of learning.
3. Recognize and show delight when I respond to you. It makes me want to do more of it and shows me that you are listening.
4. Hang toys on a mobile and change them often to add variety. I like new things.
5. Take cues from me, I will let you know when I am tired and need a break by looking away from you or crying.

Check with our health care provider if by one month of age I DO NOT:

1. Show alarm or 'startle' responses to loud noises
2. Suck and swallow with ease.
3. Show gains in weight, height, and head circumference.
4. Grasp with equal strength in both hands
5. Make eye to eye contact when awake and being held.
6. Becomes quiet soon after being picked up.
7. Roll head from side to side when placed on stomach.

One to Four Months:

1. Imitate the noises and faces that I make (grunting, smacking, yawning, squinting, frowning).
2. Read to me out of whatever you like to read. I like hearing your voice and being close to you.
3. I would like us to start playing peek-a-boo now. I will let you know if I am interested by laughing and smiling at you.
4. When we play encourage me to reach for and grasp safe toys. Remember that I put everything in my mouth so make sure it does not have small parts or parts that can come off and I could swallow or choke on. They should not be any smaller than my fist.
5. I like looking at myself, so attach an unbreakable mirror in my crib so that I can see and talk to myself.

1. Continue to get bigger and gain weight.
2. Smile when people smile at me.
3. Follow toys and other items when you move them in front of me. My eyes should work together when I follow them.
4. Bring my hands together over my chest.
5. Turn my head to locate sounds.
6. Begin to raise my head and upper body when you place me on my stomach.
7. Reach for familiar objects and people.

Four to Eight Months

1. Use my name now when you talk to me. "Time for Carol's nap."
2. I like to play with toys that make noise when I shake them but remember that they need to be bigger than my fist.
3. I am ready for a cradle gym now. I like hitting things and making them move. You can even make one for me. I don't need anything fancy, just something fun and safe!
4. Dance with me! I love music and the movement. Gentle jiggling, dancing, turning in circles and moving in front of a mirror is fun!
5. I like playing in the water so please don't hurry my bath. I like the warm water, the splashing and the time I get to spend with you!
6. I am ready to play 'This little Piggy', 'So Big' and 'Where's your nose?'!

1. Continue to grow.
2. Explore my own hands and objects placed in my hands.
3. Hold and shake a rattle
4. Smile, babble and laugh out loud.
5. Search for hidden objects.
6. Use fingers and thumb to pick up objects.
7. Have an interest in playing games.
8. Appear interested in new or unusual sounds.
9. Reach for and grasp objects.
10. Sit alone.
11. Begin to eat some solid foods.

Eight to Twelve Months

1. I like to try new things out and I like to see if I can get you to do things with me.
2. I need a safe place on the floor near you so I can crawl, explore and begin to pull myself up.
3. I need you to watch out for me because I am getting into more things now and I don't know what can hurt me.
4. I am really enjoying being read to now and want to explore the books on my own, which means that I look at them and then put them in my mouth. That's okay!
5. Talk about what I am doing. 'Kyle, you are standing up.'
6. Give me simple instructions. 'Pat your head.' 'Pat mommy's head.' Give me time to do it. You may also need to show me what you want me to do.
7. I like inventing new games, like dropping things off my high chair or out of my crib. It is my way to learn about many things like cause and effect and your patience with me. When you are done wanting to play with me, just say 'All done!' and put the item away. I won't mind.
8. I like to empty containers and then put things back in them. I don't mind what they are so an ice cream bucket and my toys are just fine. Remember the toys need to be bigger that my fist.
9. Give me things that I can push around and make roll. I especially like pushing around canned goods. They roll great and are safe for me to play with.

1. Blink when fast moving items approach my eyes.
2. Begin to cut teeth.
3. Imitate simple sounds.
4. Follow simple verbal requests: come, bye bye.
5. Pull to stand.
6. Transfer objects from hand to hand.
7. Show anxiety toward strangers.
8. Interact playfully with parents, caregivers, brothers and sisters.
9. Feed self, hold own bottle or cup, pick up and eat finger foods.
10. Creep or crawl.

One Year Olds

1. Respond to my jabbering and tone of voice, both playfully and with simple words. Practice conversation turn taking with me.
2. Encourage me to point to familiar objects in books, magazines and catalogues.
3. Hide one of my favorite toys in an obvious spot and encourage me to look for it. It is even okay if I see you hide it.
4. I am ready to play with blocks, stacking rings, shape sorting boxes, and nesting cups. These toys help me learn to use my eyes to guide my hands.
5. Water play is the best! While you work in the kitchen, you can let me play in the sink and for all the spills, an old towel on the floor is good to catch the water.
6. Put my toys where I can get them, but make me work for them a bit. For instance, put them under the coffee table, in containers, behind chairs, etc. This will help me learn to navigate and problem solve.
7. I am ready for toys that can be pushed and pulled. I also like to climb on and over things so please make a space and provide safe things for me to use.

1. Attempt to talk or repeat words.
2. Understand some new words.
3. Respond to simple questions with a yes or no.
4. Walk alone (or with a little help).
5. Exhibit all different emotions: anger, delight, fear.
6. Show interest in pictures.
7. Recognize self in mirror.
8. Attempt self-feeding, hold my own cup to my mouth.

Two Year Olds:

1. Beads for stringing, brightly colored cubes, puzzle boxes, Duplos or large interlocking boxes help me learn to use my fingers and hands better.
2. I also enjoy playing with toy replicas of farm and zoo animals, families, cars, trucks, and planes. They encourage me to use my imagination and my imagination will help me be successful in school and life.
3. I love to be read to and will even pretend to read my favorite books to you, my toys or myself.
4. Teach me nursery rhymes, finger plays and simple action songs. It helps me get ready to read by teaching me the different sounds that letters and words make.
5. Can we paint or color or draw with chalk? I love to create and get messy! The process of playing with all these items keeps me busy and I learn I can create something!
6. I love make believe! Please save cereal boxes, empty food cans (if there are no sharp edges) with the labels still on so I can play store or house.
7. Wagons, large trucks and cars that I can load, push or sit in are great! I also like to take my dolls or animals for rides.

1. Eat a fairly well rounded diet, even though amounts are limited.
2. Walk confidently with few stumbles or falls.
3. Avoid bumping into objects.
4. Carry out simple two-step directions: 'Come to daddy and bring your book.'
5. Point to and name familiar objects: use two or three word sentences.
6. Enjoy being read to.
7. Show interest in other children: watching and perhaps imitating them.
8. Indicate an interest in toilet training.
9. Sort familiar objects according to a single characteristic, such as color, type or size.

Three Year Olds:

1. I like using my imagination. A blanket over chairs is a tent or cave, safe kitchen utensils allow me to pretend to cook, junk mail allows me to pretend to be a mail carrier.
2. I need harder things to sort and play with now. I am ready to learn more about same and different.
3. Creating art is even more fun than it was before so please supply lots of crayons, paint, and glue.
4. Read, read, read! I like going to the library, checking out books and having you read them to me.
5. I am ready for riding toys, but going for a walk is just as much fun, especially if we make it a discover walk and take home items we discovered like leaves and rocks.

1. Have intelligible speech most of the time (can you understand me?)
2. Understand and follow simple commands and directions.
3. State my own name and age.
4. Enjoying playing near or with other children.
5. Use 3-4 word sentences.
6. Ask questions.
7. Stay with an activity for 5-10 minutes.
8. Jump in place without falling.
9. Balance on one foot, at least briefly.

Four Year Olds:

1. Simple board games like Hi Ho Cherry O, Candyland and Uncle Wiggly are fun for both of us.
2. I like to work on puzzles (not too many pieces though, I may lose interest).
3. I enjoy collecting items such as rocks and leaves and looking at them with a magnifying glass.
4. Have fun making up silly rhymes and word games with me.
5. Let's look through a picture dictionary so I can learn new words and when we go to the library, please give me time to pick out my books because sometimes it is hard to choose.
6. My body needs outside play every day if possible. I don't need much, if any, television.

1. State my own name in full.
2. Recognize simple shapes: circle, triangle, square.
3. Catch a large bounced ball.
4. Speak so strangers can understand me.
5. Have good control of posture and movement.
6. Hop on one foot.
7. Appear interested in and responsive to surroundings.
8. Respond to statements without constantly asking them to be repeated.
9. Dress self with minimum adult assistance; manage buttons, zippers.
10. Take care of own toileting needs; have good bowel and bladder control with few accidents.

Five Year Olds:

1. Provide inexpensive materials for cutting, pasting, painting, coloring, folding.
2. I like make-believe so provide dress up clothes and props so I can pretend. Puppets will also help me pretend. We can even make puppets out of paper bags or old socks.
3. Let's take more trips to the library for books!
4. I can learn to recognize and begin writing my own name. I am beginning to name numbers and colors and like to play games with them with your help.
5. I would like to make my own food once in awhile and am more willing to eat it if I helped cook it. Instant pudding, peanut butter sandwiches and cookies are fun for me to help with.
6. We can play new games such as bowling, ring toss, horseshoes, and low hoop basketball. I like climbing, sliding, running and crawling so please take me to playgrounds often.

1. Alternate feet when walking down stairs.
2. Speak in a moderate voice; neither too loud, too soft, too high or too low, nor monotone.
3. Sometimes follows a series of three directions in order. ('Stop, pick up the cup and bring it here')
4. Use four to five words in an acceptable sentence structure.
5. Cut a line with scissors.
6. Sit still and listen to an entire short story. (5-7 minutes)
7. Maintain eye contact when spoken to (unless it is not accepted by the culture).
8. Play well with other children.
9. Perform most self-grooming tasks independently; brush teeth, wash hands and face.