Introduce
Milestones are checkpoints in children’s development as they grow. These are the core skills all children should be reaching. Understanding the milestones of physical development in the early years is essential for tracking a child’s growth, responding to children’s needs appropriately and ensuring they are on the right developmental path. There is variability in when these milestones occur but the resources below provide rough guidelines on when you may start to see these develop.
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Babies start to develop physical skills pre-natally. As children move through these milestones their confidence will grow and coordination will improve. Children cannot learn a new skill until their muscles are sufficiently developed. Watch the video below to see some examples of motor milestones in the first year:
You will find a Child Development Overview below:
Develop
For some children not reaching milestones can be one of the signs that let parents and professionals know a child could need extra support.
There are many different factors that can influence the rate of development. Most children progress at their own rate and therefore the ages for each particular physical skill can vary considerably. Please also refer to your local specialist physiotherapist and occupational therapist service for referral criteria.
The Interactive Child Development Timeline by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde provides a valuable visual tool to explore typical developmental progress across different age stages. Explore it here: Interactive Child Development Timeline | NHS GGC
The term developmental delay is used when a child is taking longer to reach a milestone than other children their age. It can feel worrying for parent and it is important to know where best to signpost parents and ask for additional support.
Various assessment tools can help identify developmental progress in young children. One example is the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-2), a parent-focused tool used by health visitors during the two-year check-up to assess key areas of a child’s development. This approach encourages parental involvement and provides valuable insight. You can find out more about this here: ASQ-3 – Ages and Stages
Reflect
Stop and Reflect: Reflecting on the following questions can help you effectively support and nurture children’s development through a deeper understanding of milestones and individualised approaches.
– How does your understanding of developmental milestones influence your approach when working with young children?
– How do you tailor activities to support children at different developmental stages?
– What strategies do you use to help children who may not be meeting expected milestones?