Intro to Child Development

Off to a Great Start

Today’s parents are bombarded with advice.It’s easy to get overwhelmed. The truth is you already have what it takes to give your child a strong start. And when children have a strong start, they are more likely to reach their developmental milestones, be ready for kindergarten, be reading by the end of third grade, graduate from high school, and become healthy, productive members of society.

Explore Developmental Domains

How your child plays, learns, speaks, and acts offers important clues about your child’s development. It’s in everyday activities that you provide opportunities for your child to grow and learn. Explore your child’s progress in the five developmental domains when you complete an Ages & Stages questionnaire. They include:

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Communication

Your child’s language skills, both what your child understands and what she can express.

Example: Do you remember your daughter’s first word or the first time she shook her head? She’s on her way to being a world class communicator. Toastmasters here we come.

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Gross Motor

Your child’s ability to use his arms, legs and other large muscles for sitting, crawling, walking, running, and other activities.

Example: The first time your two-year- old kicked a ball and you broke down crying? Yeah. That’s gross motor skills. Time to sign him up for soccer!

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Fine Motor

Your child’s hand and finger movements and coordination.

Example: Is your nine- month- old fascinated with cereal o’s? She’ll begin picking them up between her thumb and index finger (and promptly throwing them on the floor). Welcome to fine motor skills!

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Problem Solving

Your child’s ability to think and figure out the world, typically through play.

Example: At age four, your child might start telling you what he thinks is going to happen next in a book. He’s using problem solving skills and his world experience.

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Personal Social

Your child’s ability to help herself and how she interacts with others.

Example: If you can’t keep your six-month- old from obsessively looking in the mirror, that’s probably personal-social. She’s starting to recognize her own face! Is this where the bathroom hogging begins?

Explore Developmental Milestones

How your child plays, learns, speaks, and acts offers important clues about your child’s development. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age.