The number of development milestones that occur in a child’s first few years of life is truly awe-inspiring. Within just three short years, a newborn goes from being dependent on adults for absolutely everything to being able to ask two-word questions, open doors and draw simple shapes on a page. As a parent, it’s fun and exciting to see these changes. But it’s also useful to know which milestones are crucial for little ones to achieve so you can monitoring their proper development and growth. This can help you know whether your child is healthy and growing appropriately.
Did you realize for example, that in the first three months of life, a baby will begin to recognize his or her parents’ voices? By six months of age, a child can react to changes in the tone of voice, too. One-year-old children can point to a picture in a book when the corresponding word is used, while toddlers will naturally pick up new words as they’re being used. These are a few examples of typical markers that demonstrate a young child is developing as he or she should.
If you’re interested in learning more about important “firsts” and when they typically occur, take a look at the attached infographic on child development. It lays out some of the major and most memorable developmental milestones for fine motor, speech, language and hearing skills.
Author Bio: Lisa Orlando is Senior Vice President, Marketing, and Strategy of the Invo Family of Companies, which includes Invo-Progressus — a provider of employment and professional development for therapists. The company connects qualified candidates with job opportunities across the United States.