Developmental Milestones

If your child is not meeting these milestones contact the CHEO Access Team to talk to them about your concerns.

From the Ministry of Children and Youth Services:

By 6 months, your baby

• turns to source of sounds
• startles in response to sudden, loud noises
• makes different cries for different needs - I'm hungry, I'm tired
• watches your face as you talk
• smiles and laughs in response to your smiles and laughs
• imitates coughs or other sounds - ah, eh, buh

By 9 months, your baby

• responds to his name
• responds to the telephone ringing or a knock at the door
• understands being told "no"
• gets what she wants through gestures, e.g. reaching to be picked up
• plays social games with you, e.g. peek-a-boo

By 12 months, your baby

• follows simple one-step directions - "sit down"
• looks across the room to something you point to
• consistently uses three to five words
• uses gestures to communicate - waves "bye bye", shakes head "no"
• gets your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes
• brings you toys to show you
• "performs" for attention and praise
• combines lots of sounds as though talking - abada baduh abee
• shows interest in simple picture books

By 18 months, your toddler

• understands the concepts of "in and out", "off and on"
• points to several body parts when asked
• uses at least 20 words consistently
• responds with words or gestures to simple questions:
  • Where's teddy?
  • What's that?
• Demonstrates some pretend play with toys:
  • gives teddy a drink
  • pretends a bowl is a hat
• makes at least four different consonant sounds - p, b, m, n, d, g, w, h
• enjoys being read to and looking at simple books with you
• points to pictures using one finger

By 24 months, your toddler

• follows two-step directions -
• Go find your teddy bear and show it to Grandma.
• Uses 100 to 150 words
• uses at least two pronouns - "you", "me", "mine"
• consistently combines two to four words in short phrases - "daddy hat", "truck go down"
• enjoys being with other children
• begins to offer toys to peers and imitates other children's actions and words
• people can understand your child's words 50 to 60 per cent of the time
• forms words and sounds easily and effortlessly
• holds books the right way up and turns pages
• "reads" to stuffed animals or toys
• scribbles with crayons

By 30 months, your toddler

• understands the concepts of size (big/little) and quantity (a little, a lot, more)
• uses some adult grammar - "two cookies", "bird flying", "I jumped"
• uses more than 350 words
• uses action words - run, spill, fall
• begins taking short turns with other children, using both toys and words
• shows concern when another child is hurt or sad
• combines several actions in play - feeds doll then puts her to sleep; puts blocks in train then drives train and drops blocks off
• puts sounds at the start of most words
• produces words with two or more syllables or beats - "ba-na-na", "com-pu-ter", "a-pple"
• recognizes familiar logos and signs - McDonalds golden arches, stop sign
• remembers and understands familiar stories

By age 3, your child

• understands "who", "what", "where" and "why" questions
• creates long sentences, using 5 to 8 words
• talks about past events - trip to grandparents' house, day at childcare
• tells simple stories
• shows affection for favourite playmates
• engages in multi-step pretend play - cooking a meal, repairing a car
• is understood by most people outside of the family, most of the time
• is aware of the function of print - in menus, lists, signs
• has a beginning interest in, and awareness of, rhyming

By age 4, your child

• follows some directions involving 3 or more steps -
  • First get some paper, then draw a picture, last give it to mom.
• uses adult-type grammar
• tells stories with a clear beginning, middle and end
• talks to try to solve problems with adults and other children
• demonstrates increasingly complex imaginative play
• is understood by strangers almost all of the time
• is able to generate simple rhymes - "cat-bat"
• matches some letters with their sounds - "letter T says tuh"