Early Developmental Checklist

Ages Newborn to Six Years Old

Use as Needed for Special Needs Children over Six

Gross Motor Skills

___Turns head to both sides

___Lifts head

___Hold head to one side

___Extends both legs

___Rolls to side

___Kicks legs and feet

___Holds chest up with weight on arms

___Rotates and extends head

___Pulls to sit

___Hold head steady in supported sitting

___Sits with some support

___Bears some weight on legs

___Bears some weight on arms

___Sits for a short time while leaning on hands

___Holds head erect while leaning forward

___Sits independently for a lengthy time and may put use hands

___Bears most weight on legs

___Lift head and assists to be pulled to sitting

___Hold weight on one hand

___Gets to the sitting position without assistance

___Bears most weight on legs and bounces

___Goes from sitting to creeping

___Stands holding on

___Pulls to standing on furniture

___Crawls backwards

___Demonstrates balance skills

___Lowers to sitting position from furniture

___Creeps on hands and knees

___Walks holding onto furniture

___Stands momentarily

___Stands for several seconds

___Stands for a minute or more

___Stands well on own

___Bends and gets item/toy

___Walks well

___Show balance reaction in kneeling

___Falls to sitting position

___Walks backwards

___Creeps upstairs

___Walks without support

___Walks sideways

___Runs

___Bends over and looks through legs

___Balance reaction shown in standing

___Throws ball forward

___ Pulls a toy while walking

___Throws toy

___Walks upstairs holding the rail- both feet on the step

___Walks downstairs holding the rail- both feet on the step

___Picks up toy from the floor without falling

___Stands on one foot with help

___Walks upstairs with one hand

___Carries large toy while walking

___Backs into a small chair

___Kicks ball forward

___Throw ball into a box or area

___Runs well

___Climbs to adult chair/sofa, turns around and sits

___Walks downstairs with one hand being held

___Squats in play

___Jumps in place using both feet

___Goes up and down while standing

___Stands on tiptoes

___Walks with legs close together

___Catches large ball

___Rides tricycle

___Walk down bottom stair alone

___Jumps around twelve inches

___Initiates one foot standing

___Walks on tiptoes a few steps

___Jumps backwards

___Walks backwards ten feet

___Jumps sidewards

___Jumps on trampoline with adult holding hand

___Walks upstairs alternating feet

___Jumps over string or other object two or more inches high

___Hops on one foot

___Catches a bounced ball

___Jumps around a twenty inch distance

___Stands on one foot for several seconds

___Walks on tiptoes ten feet

___Uses pedals on tricycle appropriately

___Climbs on toys

___Catches an eight inch ball

___Jumps a distance of two feet to almost three feet

___Avoids obstacles in path

___Runs on toes

___Makes sharp turns around corners when running

Fine Motor Skills

___Looks at colorful objects

___Moves arms symmetrically

___Follows a moving person with eyes

___Stares and gazes

___Keeps hands open 50% of the time

___Reaches toward toy without grasping

___Blinks at sudden visual stimulus

___Eyes follow in different positions

___Looks from one object to another

___Grasps rattler and other toys actively

___Looks from 1 object to another

___Looks at distant objects

___Drops object

___Recovers objects

___Clasp hands together

___Follows with eyes without head movement

___Reaches for objects with both arms

___Reaches for toy followed by momentary grasping

___Reaches and grasps objects

___Watches others scribble

___Transfers cubes or other objects from hand to hand

___Bangs objects on a table or other object

___Attempts to get tiny objects

___Manipulating toys with wrist movement

___Reaches and grasps object with extended elbow

___Rakes tiny objects like raisins

___Uses basic pincer grasp

___Bangs two cubes held in hands

___Removes pegs from pegboard

___Takes objects out of container

___Extends wrist

___Releases objects voluntarily

___Pokes with index finer

___Uses advanced pincer grasp

___Tries to scribble

___Uses hands freely

___Shows preference for one hand

___Grasp crayon

___Puts objects in container

___Places one block on top of another

___Marks paper with a crayon

___Puts three or more objects in a container

___Builds a tower with two cubes

___Places one peg in pegboard

___Points with index finer

___Dumps/Inverts small container to obtain tiny object like raisins

___Puts many objects into a container and does not remove any

___Puts tiny objects into a small container

___Uses both hands in the middle of the body

___Builds a tower using three cubes

___Places six round pegs in pegboard

___Imitates vertical scribble movement

___Builds tower using four cubes

___Imitates circular scribble movement

___Imitates folding paper

___Builds tower using six cubes

___Holds crayons with thumb and fingers

___Strings a big bead on string

___Snips with scissors

___Folds paper in half

___Copies a circle

___Places six pegs in pegboard

___Builds tower using eight cubes

___Snips on line using scissors

___Builds tower using nine cubes

___Strings several big beads on string

___Holds pencil with thumb and finger adult like grasp

Language Skills

___Responds to the noise of a bell

___Vocalizes without crying

___Laughs

___Squeals

___Turns to voices

___Imitates speech sounds

___Says Dada or Mama

___Says words other than Dada or Mama

___Combines two different words

___Points to a named body part

___Names a picture

___Follows a simple direction

___Follows two simple directions

___Uses plurals

___Says first and last name

___Understands feeling words like cold, tired, hungry.

___Recognizes colors

___Understands opposites like cold hot, light dark

___Can define words

Social Skills

___Looks at faces

___Smiles responsively

___Feed self crackers

___Resist having toy pulled away

___Plays Peek A Boo

___Works to get a toy out of reach

___Shy with strangers at first

___Plays Pat A Cake

___Plays ball with others

___Indicates a want but not by crying

___Drinks from a cup

___Imitates housework

___Uses a spoon, but spills a little

___Helps with simple household jobs

___Removes clothes

___Put on clothes

___Washes and dries hands

___Plays games with others like tag, hide in seek

___Buttons clothes

___Zips zippers

___Dresses with supervision

___Will separate from Mom easily

___Dresses without supervision