English Kreyol ayisyen Português Español

dark theme color theme

How YOU Can Support Your Child’s Development

Resource Type

Family Resources

Resource Topic

Share this post

How YOU Can Support Your Child’s Development

Age 0 – 6 Months
What You Can Expect of Your Child
• Makes gurgling, babbling, cooing sounds
• Responds to voices
• Enjoys interacting with others
• Smiles in response to a smile from others
• Reacts to emotions of others
• Responds to own name
• Explores with hands and mouth
• Supports own head for more than a moment
• Rolls from stomach to back and back to stomach
• Uses gestures and expressions to communicate wants and needs
What You Can Do to Support Development
• Hug your baby often to help her feel loved and safe
• Talk or sing to your baby while doing everyday things like dressing, bathing, feeding and playing
• Talk face-to-face and use her name often
• Play on the floor with her
• Read books to her every day
• Make sure that other caregivers form loving and comforting relationships with your child
• Make scheduled wellness baby visits to your baby’s doctor and make sure she has all of her shots

Age 6 – 12 Months
What You Can Expect of Your Child
• Prefers mother or regular caregiver to all others
• Shy with strangers; cries when parent leaves
• Responds to simple verbal requests
• Looks at correct picture when the image is named
• Understands names of objects
• Imitates gestures; tries to imitate words
• Uses single words or gestures
• Repeats sounds or gestures for attention
• Finds objects easily hidden while they watch
• Creeps on hands and knees
• Walks holding furniture or independently
• Feeds self with fingers
What You Can Do to Support Development
• Continue to hold your baby often and talk to him about everyday activities
• Read books to your baby every day
• Encourage him to imitate gestures by playing games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
• Point out names of things in picture books and ask him to point to them
• Provide a safe place for him to crawl
• Introduce him to other children and adults
• Continue doctor visits and shots

Age 12 – 24 Months
What You Can Expect of Your Child
• Begins to show defiant behavior
• Shows more independence but has periods of separation anxiety
• Begins make-believe play
• Recognizes names of familiar people, objects and body parts
• Uses 2 – 3 words and gestures to communicate
• Says several single words by 15 months; uses two to four word sentences by age 2
• Seeks out and enjoys company of other children
• Climbs onto and down from furniture unassisted
• Begins to run
What You Can Do to Support Development
• Use words to describe objects and people
• Respond to and initiate your child’s pretend play
• Help your child use words to describe emotions and express feelings
• Find time for your child to interact with other children in safe, supervised settings
• Try to have family meals, naps and bedtime at the same time every day
• Continue shots and health checkups
• Keep holding and hugging your child and read with your child every day

Age 2 – 3 Years
What You Can Expect of Your Child
• Expresses affection openly
• Separates easily from parents
• Makes mechanical toys work
• Identifies common objects and pictures
• Can be mostly understood by a stranger
• Combines several words together to express thoughts, feelings and wants
• Can take short turns in simple games
• Understands the meaning of “mine” and “his/hers”
• Walks up and down stairs alternating feet
• Pedals tricycle
• Turns book pages one at a time
• Holds a pencil in writing position
What You Can Do to Support Development
• Read with her every day
• Read books and magazines in front of her so she sees that you
value reading
• Give your child lots of writing and coloring materials (crayons, pencils, paper, etc.)
• Listen to her and answer her questions
• Give her riding toys, building toys and a climbing structure in a safe and supervised setting
• Make sure she has time to play with other children and supervise her play to help her learn to take turns and cooperate
• Continue shots and health checkups, including dental visits
• Hug your child often and talk about everyday people, places and things

Age 4 – 5 Years
What You Can Expect of Your Child
• Sometimes demanding, sometimes eagerly cooperative
• Wants to be like her friends
• Agrees to rules and wants others to follow rules
• Can count 10 or more objects and name four colors
• Recalls part of a story
• Speaks sentences of more than five words
• Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer
• Hops, somersaults
• Prints some letters
• Dresses and undresses without assistance
• Uses fork, spoon, and sometimes a knife
What You Can Do to Support Development
• Continue to hug your child often and read together every day
• Have longer conversations with him; use words that match his growing vocabulary
• Set and enforce limits and explain why there are rules
• Provide different kinds of toys, materials, and games that spark creativity
• Provide plenty of opportunities for your child to play with other children in safe, supervised settings
• Provide safe space where he can run, jump and exercise with adult supervision
• Continue shots and health checkups, including dental visits

Age 6 – 8 Years
What You Can Expect of Your Child
• Friends become more important; want to be liked by other children
• Growth rate slows and can be uneven
• Better understanding of right and wrong; developing conscience
• Small muscle development increases coordination; better able to tie own shoes, use writing materials, play musical instruments and use eating utensils
• Learning to read and write
• Understand and concerned about how others feel
• Increasing vocabulary and use of language
• Enjoys fantasy play and make-believe
What You Can Do to Support Development
• Continue to hug your child and compliment her for doing things well
• Be sure she has access to books; continue to read together
• Provide writing materials, art supplies, and music; share her enthusiasm for creative interests
• Give her more responsibility; ask for help with simple household chores and be sure she follows through
• Provide opportunities to experience a variety of physical activities that help develop large muscles – running, riding a bike, dancing or playing sports
• Talk to her about things she likes and what she does
• Continue regular health and dental checkups

Age 9 – 11 Years
What You Can Expect of Your Child
• Friends are very important; often join clubs or form groups of best friends with similar interests
• Experience peer pressure; interested in conforming or belonging
• Able to read and write; interest in fantasy stories and fiction
• Body is maturing physically; girls maturing more quickly than boys
• Develop special interests in hobbies, sports, creative activities
• Language becomes more adult-like
• Wants more independence from family; tests limits and rules
What You Can Do to Support Development
• Continue to show affection for your child and talk about his interests and activities
• Give him more complex responsibilities that require follow through; reward a job completed well
• Encourage him to join groups and clubs that offer opportunities to practice skills or explore new interests
• Take an interest in his friends and get to know their families
• Make your expectations clear and, when discipline is necessary, be consistent and fair
• Provide for quiet time and space for homework or just being alone
• Continue regular health and dental checkups

Compiled by Success by 6 Hamilton County from resources including the American
Academy of Pediatrics and local early childhood professionals.