Checkpoints

Communication and Language checkpoints

  • Do I like to babble to communicate with you and other familiar adults?

Around 6 months old:

  • do I respond to my name and ‘take turns’ in conversations with babbling?

Around 12 months:

  • do I ‘take turns’ by babbling and using single words?
  • do I point and use gestures to show you things that I am interested in?
  • am I beginning to use single words like ‘mummum’, ‘dada’ and ‘tete’ (‘teddy’)?
  • can I choose between 2 objects: “Do you want the ball or the car?”

Around 15 months:

  • can I say around 10 words? These may not all be clear yet

Around 18 months:

  • can I listen and respond when you give me a simple instruction like: “Adam, put on your shoes?”
  • can I use a range of speech sounds and at least 20 clear words?
  • do I understand lots of different single words and some two-word phrases, such as “Give me.” or “Shoes on.”?

Around two years:

  • am I starting to show an interest in other children’s play? Do I sometimes join in?

Towards my 2nd birthday:

  • can I use up to 50 words?
  • can I put two or three words together such as “More milk.”?
  • do I often ask questions, such as the names of people and objects?
  • am I starting to use pronouns (she/her), plurals and words to describe space? These are tricky and I may not use them correctly to begin with
  • can I understand lots more words than I can say – between 200–500 words?
  • can I understand simple questions and instructions like: “Where’s your hat?” or “What’s the boy in the picture doing?”

Towards my 3rd birthday:

  • when we read a book together, can I show I understand action words by pointing to the right picture For example: “Who’s jumping?”
  • do I pay attention if you use my name? E.g. “Jason, please can you stop now. we’re tidying up.”
  • can I use around 300 words? E.g. words to describe things and how they are used (a sponge is for washing). Words to talk about time (now, later), and space (over there)

Around 3 years:

  • can I link up to 5 words together?
  • do I use pronouns (‘me’, ‘him’, ‘she’), and plurals?
  • do I use prepositions (‘in’, ‘on’, ‘under’) - these may not always be used correctly to start with
  • can I follow instructions with three key words like: “Can you wash dolly’s face?”
  • can I switch my attention from one activity to another if you use my name?

Towards my 4th birthday:

  • can I use sentences with 4-6 words?
  • can I use sentences with joining words such ‘because’, ‘or’, ‘and’? E.g. “I like ice cream because it makes my tongue shiver.”
  • can I use different tenses: “I am going to the park.” and “I went to the shop.”?
  • can I answer simple ‘why’ questions?

Personal, Social and Emotional Development checkpoints

Around 7 months:

  • do I respond to my name?
  • do I respond to the emotions in your voice?

Around 12 months:

  • do I start to be shy around strangers and show preferences for certain people and toys?

Around 18 months:

  • am I increasingly curious about my world?
  • do I want to explore the world and be noticed by you?

Around the age of 2:

  • am I starting to see myself as a separate person? E.g. do I decide what to play with, what to eat, what to wear?

Between 2 and 3 years:

  • am I starting to enjoy being with other children and want to play with them?

Towards my 3rd birthday:

  • can I sometimes share or take turns with others? (with guidance from you) Do I show an understanding of ‘yours’ and ‘mine’?
  • can I settle to some activities for a while?

Around the age of 4:

  • do I play alongside others or do I always want to play by myself?
  • do I take part in pretend play (e.g. being ‘mummy’ or ‘daddy’?)
  • do I take part in other pretend play with different roles? Such as being the Gruffalo, for example?
  • can I generally solve conflicts in my play?
  • am I reliably dry during the day? This is typical for most children but not all. Working in partnership with your child’s key person will really help

Some children can get very upset by certain sounds, smells or tastes, and cannot be calmed. Some children seem to flit from one thing to the next. Some children seem to stay for over-long amounts of time and become distressed if they are encouraged to do something different.

If you or your child’s key person notices that your child is experiencing some of these challenges, you will need to work together. This may involve including other professionals to find out more about these developmental difficulties.

If you notice that your child seems worried, sad or angry for much of the time, speak to your child’s key person or childminder.

Physical Development checkpoints

As a baby:

  • can I move around with ease and enjoyment?

At around 12 months:

  • can I pull myself upright from a sitting position and sit down?
  • can I use my first finger and thumb to pick something up?

Around my 2nd birthday:

  • can I run, kick a ball and jump with both feet off the ground at the same time?

Around my 3rd birthday:

  • am I a confident climber, can I catch a large ball and pedal a tricycle?

If I find it tricky to sit on a chair comfortably, I might need some help to develop my core tummy muscles.

You can help me by encouraging me to scoot on sitdown trikes without pedals and jumping on soft play equipment.

Your child’s key person or childminder will be looking out for babies and toddlers who appear underweight, overweight or to have poor dental health. If they are worried, they will need to work closely with you and your health visitor to help your child’s health.