Understanding Child Development Milestones

Child development focuses on the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social growth of infants, children, and adolescents through various stages.

Child Development FAQ

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What is Child Development?

child development, the growth of perceptual, emotional, intellectual, and behavioral capabilities and functioning during childhood. The term childhood denotes that period in the human lifespan from the acquisition of language at one or two years to the onset of adolescence at 12 or 13 years. A brief treatment of child development follows.

What is Child Development & why is it important?

Child development describes how children grow and change. Experts divide developmental stages into five periods from birth to 18 years old. At each stage, healthcare providers expect children to meet certain developmental milestones. Identifying and knowing the cause of any delays can help provide appropriate supports. What is child development?

What is Early Childhood Development?

Early childhood typically ranges from infancy to the age of 6 years old. During this period, development is significant, as many of life's milestones happen during this time period such as first words, learning to crawl, and learning to walk.

How do children develop skills and abilities?

Most children develop skills and abilities in roughly the same order, but the timeframes involved aren’t exact. They vary from child to child, just as hair and eye color do. Every child grows and develops at an individual pace. Here’s a quick look at some common milestones for each age period.

What is child development training?

This free, online training provides an overview of child development and gives practical advice for supporting the development of children in your early years setting, including reception years.

What is a child's learning & development guide?

This guide is for parents* of children from birth to five years old. It will help you find out more about your child’s learning and development in the EYFS. The EYFS includes seven areas of learning and development. In this guide the seven areas are split into three age bands**:

What if a developmental delay is not found early?

When a developmental delay is not found early, children must wait to get the help they need to do well in social and educational settings. If your child is not meeting the milestones for their age, or you are concerned about your child’s development, talk with your child’s doctor and share your concerns.

What does development matter?

That’s why the Department for Education’s guidance document, Development Matters, sets out children’s learning in broad ages. It shows how lots of different experiences in the first three years of life will help your child to learn. In this guide, ‘When I’m a baby’ broadly tells you about your child’s development in the first year of life.