Learning Milestones: What to Look for from Infancy Through School Age

Every child grows at their own pace, but there are common milestones that help families and teachers celebrate progress along the way. At Peyton’s Learning Place, we use developmental milestones like these to understand where each child is, to plan meaningful activities, and to partner with you as your child learns and grows. Use this stage-by-stage guide to see the kinds of social, language, cognitive, and physical skills children build from infancy through the school-age years.

Infants

0–6 Months

• Begins to smile at people
• Can briefly calm themself
• Tries to look at a parent or a familiar adult
• Coos and makes gurgling sounds
• Begins to follow things with their eyes
• Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
• Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning
• Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired
• Responds to affection
• Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface
• Brings hands to mouth
• Lets you know if they are happy or sad
• Holds head steady on their own
• May be able to roll over from tummy to back
• Can hold a toy and shake it

6–12 Months

• Knows familiar faces and starts to notice strangers
• Likes to play with others and enjoys looking at oneself in a mirror
• Can string vowels together when babbling (ah, eh, oh)
• Responds to their own name
• Looks around at things and objects and shows curiosity
• Can start to pass toys and objects from one hand to the other
• Rolls over in both directions
• Begins to sit without support
• Starts to be clingy to familiar adults and has favorite toys or objects
• Understands “no”
• Uses fingers to point to things and objects
• Plays peek-a-boo
• Can get into a sitting position, crawl, or “cruise”

Toddlers

12–24 Months

• Plays games with peers and adults
• Responds to simple spoken requests (“wash hands”)
• Uses gestures like waving or shaking head “yes” or “no”
• Says “mama” or “dada” and several single words
• Looks at the right picture or object when it is named
• Starts to use things correctly (a towel to dry hands)
• Can get into a sitting position without help and can stand alone
• Shows affection to familiar peers and adults
• Knows what simple objects are used for
• Points to their own body parts
• Scribbles on their own
• Pushes and pulls toys while walking
• Can eat with food utensils with little support
• Likes to help dress themselves
• Will walk, run, climb, and jump

Preschool

3 Years

• Plays make-believe with toys and shows affection for peers
• Mostly toilet trained
• Understands right and wrong
• Plays with peers and takes turns in games
• Knows colors and begins sorting by shape
• Shows empathy for an upset friend
• Separates easily from parents
• Dresses and undresses self
• Follows multi-step directions
• Says their name, age, and sex
• Talks well enough for strangers to understand most of the time
• Builds towers of six blocks or more
• Climbs, runs, and uses stairs one foot at a time

4 Years

• Uses full sentences in conversation
• Draws a person with body parts
• Enjoys doing new things and becomes more creative with make-believe play
• Cooperates with other children
• Understands the difference between real and make-believe
• Talks about personal interests and sings songs from memory
• Tells stories with details and sequence
• Understands the idea of counting and basic numbers
• Plays simple board or card games
• Predicts what might happen next in a story
• Hops, stands on one foot, and catches a bounced ball
• Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes their own food

Pre-K

4 Years

• Follows multi-step directions and separates easily from parents
• Plays cooperatively and takes turns in games
• Names colors and basic shapes
• Recognizes some letters and numbers
• Speaks clearly in sentences of four or more words
• Tells what comes next in familiar stories
• Dresses and undresses independently (zips, buttons, snaps)
• Builds block structures, puzzles, and patterns
• Demonstrates empathy and respect for others
• Catches a large ball, runs, climbs, and balances
• Begins drawing people and copying basic shapes
• Follows classroom routines

5 Years

• Uses full sentences to tell stories and describe ideas
• Recognizes most letters and their sounds; begins to sound out simple words
• Writes their name and some words with correct letter formation
• Counts toward 20
• Retells familiar stories and makes simple predictions
• Follows directions and transitions smoothly between activities
• Cooperates with peers and solves problems with increasing independence
• Draws a person with multiple body parts; copies a variety of shapes
• Uses scissors, glue, and writing tools safely and independently
• Hops, skips, and balances with control; climbs and swings confidently
• Shows curiosity, asks questions, and persists through challenges
• Takes pride in work and shares learning with others

Junior Kindergarten

4 Years

• Toilet trained and practices independent hygiene
• Separates easily from parents
• Engages in cooperative play and takes turns
• Follows multi-step directions
• Recognizes letters, colors, and shapes
• Tells short stories with sequence and detail
• Uses full sentences in conversation
• Counts objects up to 10
• Begins identifying sight words
• Builds towers, puzzles, and early problem-solving skills

5 Years

• Writes some letters in their name
• Recognizes and writes numbers 1–20
• Sings songs and tells detailed stories
• Demonstrates empathy and awareness of others’ feelings
• Understands time concepts like yesterday and tomorrow
• Begins simple addition and subtraction
• Reads simple words with support
• Hops, skips, and balances with control
• Shows curiosity about the world and asks thoughtful questions

School Age

Ages 5–8 Years

• Strengthens coordination, balance, and fine motor control
• Begins to understand others’ perspectives
• Expands vocabulary and reading comprehension
• Applies basic math and problem-solving strategies
• Demonstrates empathy and fairness in group settings
• Takes pride in completing multi-step projects
• Understands cause and effect in behavior and choices
• Learns new games and sports with improving skills
• Manages belongings and classroom responsibilities
• Participates actively in group discussions and ideas

Ages 9–12 Years

• Develops critical thinking and reasoning skills
• Recognizes how actions affect others
• Demonstrates more independence and self-regulation
• Organizes tasks and completes projects with less guidance
• Expands interests through clubs and group activities
• Uses writing and research to express complex ideas
• Balances social dynamics with empathy and self-awareness
• Seeks feedback and takes pride in improvement
• Practices teamwork and leadership roles
• Shows curiosity about the world and community involvement

Milestones are guideposts, not deadlines. If you have questions about your child’s development, our teachers are always happy to talk with you. Schedule a tour to see how we support every stage of learning at Peyton’s Learning Place.