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Child development charts
How to use these child development charts
Children develop in several main areas: physical (the body),
mental (the mind), communication (signing or talking), and social
(relating to other people). Any one action a child does often includes a
skill from each area. For example, when a child reaches his
arms up to be held, he is using a:
• physical skill — he holds up his arms
• mental skill — he recognizes you
• communication skill — he tells you what he wants
• social skill — he enjoys being held by you
The charts in this appendix show some of the skills children learn and
the age at which most children learn them. You can use the charts to get
general information about how children develop and to help you decide
what skills your child needs to learn.
6 12 2
months
months
years
The charts show how children’s physical skills change as children grow.
How to know what skills your child needs to learn
Find the chart for the age group closest to your child’s age. On the chart,
circle the skills your child has. You may find your child does not have some
skills that other children his age have. Knowing this can help you decide
which activities you want to work on with your child.
If your child’s development is behind others his age
It is important to work on the skills your child needs to learn next,
even if they are skills that other children usually learn much
earlier. When your child has mastered more basic skills, he will be
able to learn skills that others his age are learning. Trying to teach
a child skills before he is ready will lead to frustration for both you
and your child.