These include:

• Plays and gets along with other children
• Able to follow rules and instructions
• Able to follow routines
• Accepts responsibility for actions
• Shows respect for others

What you can do as your child grows: 

• Hold your baby close and provide skin-to-skin contact
• Provide a safe environment so your child can explore
• Work on establishing a routine for sleeping, feeding and playtime
• Play turn taking games such as peek-a-boo and ensure turn-taking by saying “my turn” and “your turn”
• provide opportunities for your child to be with other children

These include: 

• An interest in reading, writing and language-related activities
• Age-appropriate reading, writing and counting skills
• Recognition of shapes, sizes and colours
• Can easily remember things

What you can do as your child grows:

• Read to your child everyday. Name the objects you see in the books and their environment
• Provide quiet opportunities for play without interruptions
• Provide age-appropriate toys such as ring stacks, nesting cups, farm animals, puzzles, blocks etc.
• Provide only one or two toys at a time. Alternate them several times a day.
• Limit screen time (No screen tie for children under 2 years,  less than 1 hours per day for children 2-4 years, less than 2 hours per day for older children )

These include: 

• Able to deal with feelings at an age-appropriate level
• Able to separate from parent/guardian
• Not too fearful or impulsive
• Able to focus

What you can do as your child grows:

• Get close and make eye contact with your child when you feed, talk, sing and read to them
• Help baby self soothe by offering a pacifier and providing a comforting environment
• Name your child’s feelings so they learn the words
• Creating art allows children to express themselves. Provide clay, paints and building materials. These items can be used to recreate things children experience in their world
• Maintain consistent expectations for your child’s behaviour and tell them in advance about changes in their routine or when you are somewhere

These include:

• Ability to communicate needs and wants in socially appropriate ways
• Ability to tell stories
• Can say words clearly
• Age-appropriate knowledge about life and the world
• Ability to take part in imaginative play

What you can do as you child grows: 

• It is important to respond to your crying baby. Their cries are their way to communicate that they need something
• Talk to your baby; describe what you’re doing and name familiar objects
• Reply when your baby babbles to encourage them to take a turn to communicate
• Praise your child’s attempts to speak and repeat the word correctly when pronounced incorrectly
• Take time to talk to your child and ask open ended questions that start with who, what or where

These include:

• Fine and gross motor skills (can hold a pen, crayons or brush, can climb stairs, etc.)
• Independence in looking after own needs (able to go to the washroom most of the time)
• Physically prepared for school (dressed appropriately, well nourished and rested)
• Able to sustain energy levels throughout the day

What you can do as your child grows:

• Provide supervised tummy time to help strengthen baby’s neck, back, upper trunk and arms
• Provide a variety of healthy foods for meals and snacks
• Ensure you child has adequate sleep and encourage good sleeping habits by keeping a regular sleep routine in a darkened, quiet place
• Provide plenty of outside play and activity such as walking, bike riding, etc.
• Encourage fine motor activities such as reaching, grasping, breading, drawing and cutting

3 Months: Recognizes and prefers familiar faces and voices
6 Months: Enjoys and interacts with own reflection in a mirror
9 Months: Enjoys turn-taking games such as peek-a-boo

3 Months: Makes Pleasure sounds; coos, giggles
6 Months: Responds to own name
9 Months: Responds to simple verbal requests; waves bye-bye

3 Months: Cries to signal needs
6 Months: Says “mama” and “dada” nonspecifically
9 Months: Babbles a lot; imitates sounds and actions

3 Months: Generally quiets when comforted; may be times when can’t stop crying
6 Months: Seeks comfort when upset
9 Months: Starts to read emotions of others

3 Months: Kicks, grabs and sucks based on reflexes
6 Months: Sits up with support, then independently
9 Months: Rolls and crawls

12 Months: Plays purposefully with toys
18 Months: Finds it hard to share “mine”

12 Months: Likes to stack, nest and put things into containers
18 Months: Points to pictures when named

12 Months: Uses one to three words and expressions like “uh oh”
18 Months: Uses voice in conjunction with pointing and gesturing

12 Months: May show fear or anxiety over new people and situations
18 Months: Explores from secure base of parent or caregiver

12 Months: Pulls to stand; walks holding furniture
18 Months: Likes to ride on toys; runs

2 – 3 Years: Begins to engage in pretend play

2 – 3 Years: Able to sort objects by colour and size

2 – 3 Years: Uses two to three-word sentences

2 – 3 Years: Has poor impulse control; tests parental limits

2 – 3 Years: Jumps; catches a large ball

3 – 4 Years: Begins to share and take turns.

3 – 4 Years: Able to complete a four-piece puzzle.

3 -4 Years: Uses long sentences  and detailed stories

3 – 4 Years: Able to identify and name own feelings

3 – 4 Years: Walks upstairs alternating feet; able to put needs on a string

4 – 5 Years: Likes playing with other children

4 – 5 Years: Counts out loud to ten

4 -5 Years: Speech is easily understood by others; uses correct grammar

4 -5 Years: Develops real fears (of the dark, etc.), as well as a sense of humour

4 -5 Years: Uses paint and scissors; can draw simple shapes and faces

5 & Beyond: Enjoys group activities and games with rules

5 & Beyond: Able to say full names, birth date and month

5 & Beyond: Uses correct grammar; narrates long stories

5 & Beyond: Has sense of right and wrong

5 & Beyond: Dresses without support; rides bicycle with training wheels; prints letters