| AGE PATTERNS |
6 MONTH 20-32 WEEKS |
12 MONTH 48-52 WEEKS |
18 MONTH 15-21 MONTHS |
24 MONTH 21-30 MONTHS |
36 MONTH 30-42 MONTHS |
48 MONTHS 42-54 MONTHS |
| GENERAL MOTOR PATTERNS | Explores sitting positions, and begins to briefly support self in erect posture. Rolls over, pivots on stomach when prone. Lifts head when supine. Tries to pull self to sitting position when both hands held. | Pivots while sitting to keep track of family activities. Walks with both or one hand held. Cruises around while holding on to furniture. Moves from sitting to creeping to upright positions. Constant exploration. | Walking and seldom stumbling or falling now. Mastering stairs. Can seat self in small chairs. Throws balls and kicks and chases large balls. Much more mobile and climbs at every opportunity. Enjoys heights and shows developing spatial confidence. | Now walks and runs well. Can walk up and down stairs alone. Can walk on tip-toes, and tries standing on one foot. Plays well with large and small balls, and masters scooters and small tricycles. Enjoys jumping and must be protected from extreme heights. | Walks, runs, jumps well now. Climbs stairs with alternating feet. Rides tricycle well. Confident on playground equipment. Explores neighbourhood. Wants and needs much more general motor actives. | Now has a pretty well refined all general movements and is beginning to enjoy competition and challenges from others. May explore too far away from home and get lost. Now showing developing coordination's. |
| VISUAL-MOTOR PATTERNS | Reaches for rattle with one hand. Grasps toys and transfers from hand to hand. Brings all objects to mouth. Turns head to visually follow family movements. Tries to move towards attractive objects. Some infants may appear cross-eyed because of broad, flat bridge of nose. Full evaluation by developmental optometrist important, and surgery must NOT be considered at this time. | All motor activity now much more visually directed. Follows mother and siblings around the house and wants to keep them in sight. Likes toys that can be moved and chased. Tries to imitate seen actions of others and will repeat when laughed at. Eye movements now fully coordinated, both eyes moving more freely but still with accompanying head movement. | Piles blocks and enjoys filling end empting containers. Fascinated by sand box, and water. Eyes now team well and are much more mobile with little head movement. Converges eyes well to look at small objects in own hands. ANY misalignment of eyes MUST be fully appraised by a developmental optometrist. Surgery must ONLY be considered after all other alternatives have been fully investigated. Unnecessary eye muscle surgery may interfere with all learning skills. | Beginning to be much more visual and enjoys large toys that demand more action. More discrete visual-spatial judgements, moving with much less head movement. Converges eyes easily and accurately to inspect new objects. | Works at skills of visually steered activates. Feeds self well now without spilling. Choosing clothing and dresses self quite well now. Visually attracted to new environments, and needs to move through them for primary experiences. Eyes now move without head movements and eyes team well at all distances of inspection. | More specialised coordination now quite evident and can throw a ball at a visual target. Improving catching abilities. Shows visual motor confidence in all activities with much less clumsiness. Now into more and more action toys of all sorts. Eyes move well without head movements, and can roll and cast eyes in an expressive manner. Can wink one eye. |
| VISUAL-TACTUAL PATTERNS | Eyes lead but hands now interacting and essential to guidance of eyes. Inspects own hands and objects grasped. Reaches for bright objects seen. Watches food being brought to mouth, and tries to mouth everything. Pats and scratches surrounding surfaces. Regards own image in mirror and attempts to pat mirror surface. | Shows rapidly developing pincer grasp and uses hands for extensive investigation of objects and toys. Enjoys putting objects into each other and practices grasping and releasing. Picks things up to drop them to see what happens. Beginning to show recognition of matching shapes. Some very gross scribbling if given opportunity. | Attracted to details of toys and objects. Explores textures, weights, shapes, sizes and temperatures. Visually steers hands to compare and combine toys. Often holds objects very close when visually inspecting them. Points to objects and pictures when identifying. | Occasionally visually inspects without needing to touch. Likes to watch movements of wheels, and tops, he is playing with and making rotate. Watches own hands while scribbling and can begin to stay on paper. Can imitate vertical and horizontal pencil or crayon strokes made so he can watch. Attracted to simple well designed puzzles. | Shows advancing dexterities and stacks and assembles blocks at play. Now into making pictures with pencil and crayons. Wants finger paints and chalkboard activities for the "looks and feel" of the activity. Can draw a circle, and does well at imitating a cross. Now more visual than tactual on simple puzzles. All visual-tactual integrations now developing rapidly. | Now using eyes and hands together in a productive manner with increasing skill. Beginning to be interested in simple crafts. Colours within lines most of time, and can cut quite well on simple pictures. Can now place small objects into small places. Wants to draw with pencil or crayon. Vision now serving as the steersman and monitor for hand actions on toys. Can copy many simple forms, and tries letters of own name. |
| VISION LANGUAGE PATTERNS | Coos, squeals and vocally responds to family members when seen. Increasing vocal-social responses and "talks" to toys. Plays with vocal voice. Smiles and responds with sustained interest in family members. | More imitative vocalizations with a few words added to ma-ma and da-da. May now name something special. Tries to imitate facial expressions and gestures. Avoid "baby talk" in general conversations - except at the intimate bedtime situations. | Building vocabulary and uses own jargon. Names pictures and family members. Much "talking" to self as if practicing new words. Imitate many simple words, although may not yet use them. | Increasing vocabulary and now using short sentences. Identifies 4 to 6 pictures. Can give own name, and most family names. Enjoys conversations with others…especially adults. | Knows full name and can usually give full address. Names many pictures. Asks, and answers, simple questions. Names and describes own drawings. Reports on family activities. Corrects some pronunciations when talking about things at which he is looking. | Talks at length about things and places seen or visited. Reports too well sometimes on family events. Likes to discuss details of things being looked at in stores and museums. Talks to build visual images, and to enhance his own memory. |
| COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT | Expresses eagerness and anticipation when sees mother preparing food. Shows familiarity with routines. Now social and beginning to discriminate strangers. Quite self contained and will play by himself for short periods. | Shows well developed memory and demonstrates a sense of form and spatial relationships. Now expresses emotions and under standing of situations. Beginning to recognise pictures and helps turn pages in favourite books. | Understands simple instructions. Identifies and enjoys recognising objects and people. Shows alarm with strangers. Now has favourite books and wants stories repeated while he turns pages. Much more aware of self and surroundings. Quite self centred. | Asks for food, drink and toilet. Knows own clothing. Helps put things away. Asks for "another one". Matches shapes of blocks quickly and accurately. Explores "teasing" and beginning to realise social graces.. But can be a "terrible two". | Quite aware of self and own abilities. Will ask; "Is this right?" or "Do it this way?" Interested in events outside of home. Shows more social skills and wants to please. Can understand the TV programmes having relevancy to childhood. Corrects himself and his activates. | Much more aware of own skills and now willing to try new experiences. May get "out do bounds" because of his self confidence. More aware of responses and feelings of others. More visually and auditorily alert to new surroundings. Asking for challenges now. |
| GUIDANCE | Encourage and stimulate the curiosity infant is now demonstrating. Show infant new things and talk to him about these with appropriate words. Increase number of special toys that encourage visual and tactual explorations. Keep some of these toys separate for this special play and visit time. | Find time in every day for story time - both told and read, for developing appreciation of communication. Find special books for this "see, feel, talk" time. Encourage more and more visual inspections of all home contents. Arrange a pots and pans cupboard your child can get into, with constant conversations about all these utensils. Try to always use clearly pronounced and most suitable words here. | Choose toys more carefully to assure these stimulate curiosity, visual-tactual dexterities and all language development. Avoid all but most realistically child oriented TV programs. Begin to provide many primary experiences in parks and playgrounds, petty zoos, and children's touch and try museums. Discuss all experiences AFTER return home to build memory skills. | Encourage "pretend play" and give direct and simple answers to questions. Provide help when child accepts it. Provide opportunities for play with other children, but be prepared to interrupt when necessary, without scolding. Find "see and hear" books that match child's interests. Provide opportunities fro scribble and finger paints. | Try to answer EVERY question, and find every possible opportunity to explore new areas of interest. Continue to encourage "pretend play" and then discuss the play and the events to develop memory. Encourage visual and tactual inspections whenever and wherever possible. Encourage drawing pictures of his experiences on chalkboards to enhance mental imagery and visualization. | Both boys and girls need throwing and catching practice to develop visual spatial skills. Music and dance can now be very important to both boys and girls. Help in finding and exploring the curiosity now blooming anew. Make special efforts to assist your child in visual, tactual and auditory discriminations of important details. Assist with decisions for your child but do NOT make the decisions for your child. Allow child to make mistakes ago there is the opportunity to learn how to correct them. |