Developmental Milestones

Click an age below to see the milestones to watch for during the selected period of life, and find age-appropriate resources to support your child’s development! Remember that development exists along a continuum, so not every child will achieve every milestone at an exact time. Always reach out to your child’s pediatrician should you have any concerns.

Talk, Read, Play: The Foundation of Development

At the Rollins Center, we believe Talk, Read, and Play are essential tools to building a solid developmental foundation with a focus on language and literacy for children birth to 5. But what exactly does that mean? Check out our articles below to see how you can make a difference in your child’s language development. Learn more about these approaches and how they fit into your child’s development!

Developmental Milestone Tracker

Choose an age or select up to 3 age groups to compare expected milestones between them.

4 Years
Language / Communication
  • Says sentences with four or more words
  • Says some words from a song, story, or nursery rhyme
  • Talks about at least one thing that happened during his day, like “I played soccer.”
  • Answers simple questions like “What is a coat for?” or “What is a crayon for?”
Social / Emotional
  • Pretends to be something else during play (teacher, superhero, dog)
  • Asks to go play with children if none are around, like “Can I go play with Alex?”
  • Comforts others who are hurt or sad, like hugging a crying friend
  • Avoids danger, like not jumping from tall heights at the playground
  • Likes to be a “helper”
  • Changes behavior based on where she is (place or worship, library, playground)
Cognitive
  • Names a few colors of items
  • Tells what comes next in a well-known story
  • Draws a person with three or more body parts
Movement / Physical
  • Catches a large ball most of the time
  • Serves himself food or pours water, with adult supervision
  • Unbuttons some buttons
  • Holds a crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not a fist)
When to Talk to a Doctor

You know your baby best – don’t wait! If your baby is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills he or she once had, or you have other concerns, act early.

If you or your doctor are still concerned:

  • Ask for a referral to a specialist who can evaluate your baby more; and
  • Call your state or territory’s early intervention program to find out if your baby can get services to help. Learn more and find the number at cdc.gov/FindEI

For more on how to help your baby, visit cdc.gov/Concerned

Helpful Resources 4-yrs-Milestone-Checklist-2021
Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. Program