Locomotion
Locomotion is the predominant childhood development stage, probably because it's the most startling, the most encouraged, and the most visible. From the moment we're born, our genetic programming makes us strive to walk erect on two limbs. There's no developmental stage that gets us more praise as young children, either. Getting up on our own two feet, however, takes some doing.
Locomotion Milestones
1) Newborns have no control over their heads, bodies and limbs. It takes up to six months for infants to learn the most basic muscle control.
2) By six months of age, babies can hold their heads up and sit upright with support, and they can roll their bodies from back to front, and front to back.
3) At nine months, children begin trying to crawl, can sit without support, and use their hands to pull themselves up into a standing position.
4) Kids usually walk by their first birthday, but spend most of their time crawling on their hands and knees.
5) By eighteen months, they make the transition from crawling to walking, and start to run. These toddlers can also stoop to pick up objects, walk upstairs with support, and can crawl backwards downstairs.
6) By age two, children can walk up and downstairs without support, and begin honing their climbing skills.
7) Three-year-old children climb with confidence and agility, can throw and kick objects, and will ride small bikes (like tricycles.)
8) Four-year-olds can walk and run on tiptoe, and take the stairs with one foot on each step.
9) By age five, children can stand and jump on one leg, and are competent at playground skills such as sliding, climbing, and swinging.
What Can they do?
Like locomotion, vision and fine movement skills begin developing immediately, but progress in attaining the predictable landmarks is much more subtle. Until this century, doctors were not even sure newborn infants could see. We now know children begin developing hand-eye coordination from birth.
Vision and Fine Movement Milestones
1) Newborns connect seeing with doing by watching their own hand movements, which may also be the first milestone in becoming aware of their own consciousness.
2) At six months of age, babies have learned to look intently at everything. They can follow movements and reach out for objects with one or both hands.
3) Nine-month-olds begin grasping with index and middle fingers, and can manipulate objects with a limited amount of success.
4) By their first birthday, children can grasp and release objects and use both hands equally.
5) At eighteen months, children are stacking blocks and begin gripping crayons with help, and begin showing a use preference for the right or left hand.
6) Child safety caps are always vital, especially when two-year-olds display their ability to unscrew caps and open containers.
7) By three years of age, they will be able to unbutton clothes and hold crayons, and settle on right- or left-handedness.
8) Four-year-olds can copy simple letters and build high towers of blocks.
9) At five years old, children can differentiate colors and begin drawing recognizable images.
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