Milestones for Age One

• follows moving object with eyes
• recognizes differences among people; responds to strangers by crying or staring
• responds to and imitates facial expressions of others
• responds to very simple directions
• imitates gestures and actions
• puts small objects in and out of container with intention

Milestones for One and Two

• imitates actions and words of adults
• understands and follows simple, familiar directions
• resp onds to words or commands with appropriate action
• is able to match two similar objects
• looks at storybook pictures with an adult, naming or pointing to familiar objects on request
• recognizes difference between you and me
• has very limited attention span
• accomplishes primary learning through own exploration

Milestones for Two and Three

• responds to simple directions
• selects and looks at picture books, names pictured objects, and identifies several objects within one picture
• matches and uses associated objects meaningfully
• stacks rings on peg in order of size
• recognized self in mirror, saying baby, or own name
• can talk briefly about what he/she is doing; imitates adult actions
• has limited attention span; learning is through exploration and adult direction
• is beginning to understand functional concepts of familiar objects and part/whole concepts

Milestones for Three and Four

• recognizes and matches six colors
• intentionally stacks blocks or rings in order of size
• draws somewhat recognizable picture that is meaningful to child if not to adult; names and briefly explains picture
• asks questions for information: why and how questions requiring simple answers
• knows own age
• knows own name
• has short attention span; learns through observing and imitating adults and by adult instruction and explanation; is very easily distracted
• has increased understanding of concepts of the functions and grouping of objects and part/whole
• begins to be aware of past and present

Milestones for Four and Five

• plays with words: creates own rhyming words, says or makes up words having similar sounds
• points and names four to six colors
• matches pictures of familiar objects
• draws a pers on with two to six recognizable parts, such as head, arms, and legs; can name or match drawn parts to own body
• draws, names, and describes recognizable pictures
• rote counts to five, imitating adult
• knows own street and town
• has more extended attention span; learns through observing and listening to adults, as well as through exploration; is easily distracted
• has increased understanding of concepts of function, time, part/whole relationships; function or use of objects may be stated in addition to names of objects
• time concepts are expanding; can talk about yesterday or last week, about today, and about what will happen tomorrow

Milestones for Five and Six

• retells story from picture book with reasonable accuracy
• names some letters and numerals
• rote counts to ten
• sorts objects by single characteristics
• is beginning to use accurately time concepts of tomorrow and yesterday
• uses classroom tools meaningfully and purposefully
• begins to relate clock time to daily schedule
• attenti on span increases noticeably; learns through adult instruction; when interested, can ignore distractions
• concepts of function increase as well as understanding of why things happen; time concepts are expanding into an understanding of the future in terms of major events