Early childhood development refers to the skills and milestones that children are expected to reach by the age of five. As a child develops they become increasingly more able to perform additional complex skills. Developing milestones of the young child are age specific tasks which focus on five particular areas.
Communication: Use of language skills such as, use of simple sentences and understanding what is said.
Gross motor: Movement of large muscle groups and skills that include running, throwing, and balance to name a few.
Fine motor: Control of smaller movements of hands and fingers. Examples of fine motor skills include the use of a pencil, tracing, and managing buttons.
Problem Solving: Looks at thinking and reasoning skills. How a child plays with toys and solves problems.
Social: Interactions with others including family and friends, cooperation, and responses to feelings.
Keep in mind, achieving age specific milestones vary between each individual child. Every child is unique. Please review the attached links for developmental milestones specific to your child’s age:
CDC Developmental Milestones
Healthy Children
PBS Whole child