5.4: Cognitive Milestones

Typical Cognitive Milestones

Children are actively learning about the world as they perceive it from the time they are in the womb. Here is a table of some of the cognitive milestones infants and toddlers typically develop.

Age 2 Months Image Source: April. This fantastic baby is two months old! License CC BY-NC-SA 2.0	Pays attention to faces Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn’t change
Age 4 months Image Source: Sweet Baby Jude at 4 months. License CC BY-NC-SA 2.0	Lets you know if he is happy or sad Responds to affection Reaches for toy with one hand Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it Follows moving things with eyes from side to side Watches faces closely Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance
Age 6 months Image Source: 6 Month Old Online Checklist. CDC.gov	Looks around at things nearby Brings things to mouth Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach Begins to pass things from one hand to the other
Age 9 months Image Source: Visa Kopu. Oona. License CC BY-ND 2.0	Watches the path of something as it falls Looks for things he sees you hide Plays peek-a-boo Puts things in mouth Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other Picks up things like cereal o’s between thumb and index finger
Age 1 year Image Source: Jennifer Kelly Geddes. Your 1-Year-Old's Developmental Milestones. What to Expect.	Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, throwing Finds hidden things easily Looks at the right picture or thing when it’s named Copies gestures Starts to use things correctly, for example, drinks from a cup, brushes hair Bangs two things together Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container Lets things go without help Pokes with index (pointer) finger Follows simple directions like “pick up the toy”
Age 18 months Image Source: Easy Baby Art and Sensory Activities. HomegrownFriends	Knows what ordinary things are for, for example, telephone, brush, spoon Points to get the attention of others Shows interest in a doll or stuffed animal by pretending to feed Points to one body part Scribbles on own Can follow 1-step verbal commands without any gestures; for example, sits when you say “sit down”
Age 2 years Image Source: Martin LeBar. SweetwaterNWR. Flickr.com	Finds things even when hidden under two or three covers Begins to sort shapes and colors Completes sentences and rhymes in familiar books Plays simple make-believe games Builds towers of 4 or more blocks Might use one hand more than the other Follows two-step instructions such as “Pick up your shoes and put them in the closet.” Names items in a picture book such as a cat, bird, or dog
Age 3 years Image Source: 3-year-old Salvadoran girl holds her puppy. NARA & DVIDS Public Domain Archive	Can work toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people Does puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces Understands what “two” means Correctly name familiar colors Understand the idea of same and different, start comparing sizes Pretend and fantasize more creatively Follow three-part commands Remember parts of a story Understand time better (for example, morning, afternoon, night)

Source

• Leon, Ana R. Children’s Development. Licensed under CC BY 4.0