Introduce
In this section, you will discover how you can develop your knowledge of developmental milestones and recognise the factors that influence and support development during the early years.
- It will develop your understanding that ‘age related expectations’ identify the age that children are typically expected to achieve developmental milestones and that in practice this can vary quite a bit.
- You will begin to recognise that for some children with development delay, this may mean they have special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and may require additional or specialist support or services.
- You will also begin to recognise that the development needs and strengths of all children are unique and will be influenced by their environment, background, and family circumstances.
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Develop
To enable caregivers and practitioners to support young children, it is important that they can recognise key developmental milestones. Remember, that each child is unique, with a different set of needs. Even though children tend to follow the same developmental journey, the stage that a child reaches these milestones can be influenced by a range of factors, such as premature birth, illness, SEND and environmental considerations.
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Read: Interactive Child Development Timeline
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
This interactive timeline has been developed by the NHS to help caregivers to understand the developmental journey of a young child.
To begin to understand that ‘age related expectations’ identify the age that children are typically expected to achieve developmental milestones and that in practice this can vary quite a bit.
Read this NHS interactive timeline. Scroll through each section to discover typical ‘age related expectations’ from birth to 60 months.
Reflect
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Stop and Reflect:
Whilst you work through this section think about:
- What is the importance of identifying developmental milestones?
- How does your work in the Greater Manchester area intersect with the developmental journey of the child?
Further Resources
For further information, see the Department for Education ‘What to expect in the Early Years Foundation Stage: a guide for parents’ resource, which includes information on expectations relating to areas of development:
- ‘When I’m a baby’ tells you about your child’s development in the first year of life.
- ‘When I am a bit older’ tells you about their development as a toddler and two-year old.