Cognitive Developmental Milestone: From Birth to Age 6

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Cognition, is how we experience, make sense of, and interact with this world we live in. 💡

Have you ever wondered how did our brain develop into this amazingly intricate organ that helps us learn and live?🧠

Through understanding the Cognitive Developmental Milestones, we get to see how we as infants explore and interact with our surroundings, and grow into the unique individual we are today. 🌳

2 Months

  • Smiles responsively to human face
  • Begins to follow things with eyes
  • Explore own body and their surroundings through reaching for objects, playing with own voice, sucking hand or fingers

4 Months

  • Watches human face closely
  • Responds to affection
  • Follows moving things from side to side
  • Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance

6 Months

  • Observes the surroundings 
  • Starts to show curiosity and attempt to get things that are out of reach

9 Months

  • Plays peek-a-boo
  • Follows with eyes as something falls 
  • Looks for things they see people hide
  • Stare at things that seem impossible (E.g. Objects floating in the air)

1 Year

  • Copies gestures
  • Looks at the right object or picture when it is named
  • Easily finds things that they saw people hide
  • Follows simple directions (E.g. “Open”, “Stand”)
  • Uses items correctly (E.g. Eat with spoon; Brush with comb)

1.5 Years

  • Identifies body parts when they are named
  • Points to identify or show what they want
  • Starts to engage in pretend play (E.g. Feeding teddy bear)
  • Knows the function for daily objects 
  • Follows 1-step instruction without any gestures (E.g. “Pick up the toy”)

2 Years

  • Begins to sort shapes and colors
  • Able to tell the difference between “Me” and “You”
  • Completes sentences for familiar story or nursery rhymes
  • Names characters and items in familiar picture books 
  • Follows 2-step instructions (E.g. Pick up the car and put it into the box)

3 Years

  • Turns one page at a time when reading 
  • Completes 4-piece puzzle
  • Starts to understand the idea of counting and quantity 
  • Engages in imaginary play
  • Curious and like to ask questions

4 Years

  • Starts to understand time
  • Names basic colors and numbers
  • Remembers part of a story
  • Understands “same” and ”different”
  • Understands simple rules for boardgames
  • Draws a person with 2-4 different body parts
  • Tells what they think will happen next in a story

5 Years

  • Counts 10 or more things
  • Draws a person with 6 different body parts
  • Copies triangle and other shapes
  • Understands the function of everyday objects (E.g. Money for buying things)

6 Years

  • Does addition/subtraction within 10 with items or fingers
  • Starts to problem-solve everyday challenges by themselves
  • Comes up with simple strategies during boardgames
  • Plans for future events (E.g. Make a packing list for traveling)

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