Infancy landmarks
as distilled from The First Twelve Months of Life by Frank Caplan of Princeton
and Piaget The Construction of Reality in the Child

These are the progressions of behavior to watch for in various categories. The later ones in a category usually come after the earlier ones, but not all the time.

I haven't finished this at all.

[back to Lida]

Motor

• lying
  • on back
    • random movements
    • tonic neck reflex (this is the position of the baby when lying on her back, when she has her head turned to one side, with the arm on that side extended out to that side, and the other arm out horizontal from shoulder to elbow, then bent up towards top of head, like someone fencing)
    • pushes with arms and legs
    • disappearance of tonic neck reflex . Instead, she will hold her head so it rests on the back of the head, and the arms wave around
    • on back, cranes head up off mattress
    • on back, moves left arm and leg together, then right, or else both arms together, then both legs, symmetrically
    • turns head deliberately in any direction
    • cranes head to watch hands and feet
    • rolls on to side
    • lifts head and shoulders
    • sucks toes
    • moves around by shoving with feet
    • lifts legs high
    • rolls to stomach
  • when picked up, "helps" by contracting body
  • on tummy
    • lies like a frog or in a ball
    • turns head to clear nose from bed
    • lifts head briefly
    • holds head up at 45° angle
    • holds head and chest up
    • holds hips down on mattress with legs flexed, instead of bunching legs up under tummy
    • lifts head 90 °
    • rests weight on arms or forearms
    • deliberately raises hips
    • arches and rocks (like an airplane)
    • rolls to side
    • rolls over to back
    • lifts head and chest off mattress
    • pushes to hands and knees
    • moves around, creeping with tummy still on ground , or by throwing herself off her perch
    • rocks on hands and knees
    • creeps while holding object
    • true crawling (hands and knees, alternating L hand + R leg; R hand + L leg)
    • pivots around
    • crawls while holding object
    • turns around while crawling
    • crawls up stairs
    • straightens legs while on hands & knees (puts bum in air)
    • crawls with bum in air
  • if held in "football position" on tummy, tries to lift head
• sitting
  • head flops forward or backward
  • head keeps in line with back (not flop forward or backward)
  • sitting, keeps head centered without flopping over sidewayss
  • holds head steady if torso held in sitting position
  • helps keep herself sitting
  • with support, sits 10-15 minutes, head steady, back firm
  • able to sit supported for 30 min
  • helps pull herself up if offered fingers to grab
  • able to grasp objects while seated (no longer has to pay so much attention to sitting that she can't do anything else in this position)
  • sits with slight support
  • uses high chair to eat
  • leans forward or sideways and comes back straight without falling over
  • sits alone (without support)
  • gets into sitting position from lying
  • wheels around while sitting
  • gets to sitting from crawling
  • sits on floor with one leg straight and one flexed
  • bounces on bum
  • sits alone indefinitely
  • pivots 90° while seated
  • sits from standing
  • gets onto stomach from sitting
  • lowers self gracefully to sitting
• standing
  • if pulled to standing, keeps legs under body in straight line (not collapsing at hips or knees)
  • able to be pulled easily to stand
  • if supported under arms, bounces up and down, stamps feet alternately
  • stands well with support
  • helps pull self to standing
  • bears own weight
  • if supported, steps
  • if supported, looks at feet
  • stands without holding on, while leaning on something
  • pulls self to standing by using furniture
  • needs help to get down from standing
  • stands holding on to your hand
  • if held standing, puts one foot in front of the other
  • stands alone not holding on
  • stands without pulling up on anything
  • gets down from standing
  • steps along holding furniture
  • walks if both hands are held
  • climbs up and down from furniture
  • squats down and gets back up
  • waves while standing alone
  • leans over low support and gets back up
  • pivots 90° while standing
  • climbs up stairs
  • walks alone
  • toddles (arms held out)
  • walks while waving or carrying something
  • walking, stops and starts again in middle of area
  • climbs down stairs
  • walks backward
  • walks well, swinging arms and not paying attention to walking
• hands
  • hands kept in fists
  • stares at objects
  • can hold on to object if object is placed in her hand
  • palmar reflex (hand grasps finger poked into palm)
  • swipes at objects
  • opens hands deliberately
  • keeps hands open most of the time
  • deliberately goes after objects, but just hits them or slugs them
  • reaches with both arms, but just bashes object with two fists
  • grabs one hand with the other
  • uses "mitten" grasp (thumb vs entire rest of hand)
  • picks up objects between 2nd and 3d fingers
  • holds on to largish objects (eg dolls)
  • palmar reflex replaced by voluntary grasp 4-6
  • looks back and forth from object to hand, but is not accurate in grasping object
  • starts to grasp with thumb and forefinger
  • plays with rattle
  • holds bottle
  • reaches for and grabs dangling ring
  • pulls objects to mouth
  • swaps objects from hand to hand
  • grabs or waves objects with either hand
  • rotates wrist; turns things
  • reaches with one arm instead of with both at once
  • uses thumb properly
  • holds blocks
  • holds two objects, one in each hand
  • bangs two objects together
  • grasps small blocks with thumb and first two fingers
  • pincer grasp
  • rakes small pellets towards herself but can't pick them up
  • picks up string
  • reaches with fingers overextended, paying lots of attention
  • grasps pellets with thumb & forefinger
  • claps hands
  • points
  • pokes index finger into holes
  • builds two-block tower
  • carries two small objects in one hand
  • dangles object from string
  • starts to develop handedness
  • releases grasped object awkwardly
  • holds crayons
  • marks with crayons
  • carries spoon to mouth
  • uses hands for different things at same time (eg one reaches for food while other puts already-grasped food in mouth)
  • pulls off socks
  • pulls shoelace ends
  • takes covers off containers
  • handedness becomes more defininte
  • pushes objects
  • undresses
  • puts small objects into bottle
  • puts blocks into holes
  • throws ball (real throw)
  • builds tower of 3
• other muscles
• plantar reflex (toes grasp finger placed under them )
• babinski reflex (stroke sole of foot from heel to toe with knitting needle; toes grasp and flex)
• startle reflex (arms flail out and come back in when loud noise or drop from 1-2")
• drools (salivation begins)
• makes swimming motions in water
• startle reflex disappears
• plantar reflex disappears
• babinski reflex disappears
• poo in pot

Language

• animal-like sounds
• cries
• small throaty sounds
• responds to voice (looks at person, acts differently for mother and father)
• coos (sounds like "goo"); mostly vowels with maybe an easy (m, d, g, b) consonant on the front
• listens to sounds
• whimpers, chortles, gurgles, squeals
• cries less and makes more other sounds
• vocalizes responsively to your talk
• uses different pitches while cooing
• babbles (entire syllables)
• voice sounds more "normal"
• smiles, "talks" responsively
• imitates pitch
• talks to self, toys
• calls for attention
• watches mouths
• imitates inflections
• turns head to own name
• more consonants
• pleasure & displeasure sounds different
• reacts to inflections
• several syllables strung together
• imitates sounds
• first real word (mama or dada are common)
• shouts
• mimics mouth and jaw movements
• two-syllable "words"
• sound-imitation used as word (eg imitate sound of dog or train and use it to indicate the dog or train)
• recognizes familiar sounds (eg vacuum cleaner, phone ring)
• recognizes some words
• imitates coughs, clicks, hisses
• repeats syllable over and over
• understands "No"
• carries out simple commands ("go get the x")
• associates words and gestures (shakes head for NO, waves bye-bye)
• says real words other than mama/dada
• imitates inflections, rhythms of speech
• mumbles long strings of gibberish, sometimes with a word embedded
• points at named items
• makes a sound for something (eg "How does the doggie go?" - imitates dog, not saying "woof" but actually barking or growling)
• practices words
• uses a word to mean a class of things (eg I used to say "orbot" for anything up in the sky on its own - airplane, moon, bird)

Mental

• sees patterns, light and dark
• sensitive to location of sound
• distinguishes volume and pitch
• distinguishes length
• quiets when picked up
• distinguishes taste
• stops sucking to look at something
• alertness
  • at birth, only alert ~ 45 min/day
  • alert ~2 hours per day
  • stays awake 45 min at a time
  • stays alert about an hour at a time
• object permanence
  • follows moving object with eyes from side to center of body
  • regards objects in line of vision, but "loses" them
  • excites at seeing person or object
  • remembers objects that have disapeared for up to 2 seconds
  • deliberately looks away from something and then looks back at it
  • cries deliberately for someone to come
  • eyes follow moving object past midline of body
  • eyes follow moving object in a circle
  • excites in anticipation of objects
  • follows slowly moving object completely across body from one side to the other
  • turns head to follow vanishing object
  • searches for fast-moving objects
  • leans over to look for fallen objects
  • removes minor obstacles to vision
  • looks briefly for things that have disappeared
  • looks behind screen for hidden object (if she saw it go there)
  • uncovers objects she hid herself
  • reaches behind self for toy previsously put there
  • looks for hidden object if she sees it hidden. looks in more than one place for object
  • finds items under boxes, cups, pillows
  • searches for objects she has not seen hidden
• startles or grimaces at sounds
• stares at surroundings
• if shown two objects, concentrates on one
• activates if shown attractive object; swipes at it
• prefers to look at people rather than other objects
• stares at or quiets to face or voice
• blinks at shadow of own hand
• repeats movements for their own sake (practices)
• discriminates among voices, people, tastes, proximity, size of object (prefers parents; doesn't want parents to go too far away)
• looks from one object to another
• regards dangling object at middle of body promptly
• reaches with 2 fists for dangling object
• if you put a rattle in her hand, she looks at it
• keeps object grasped in hand
• plays with rings, rattles
• moves arm close in, extends it, while watching it
• waits for feeding if there are signs that it is coming
• becomes bored with repetitions of sounds or images
• recognizes different family members
• watches hands and feet
• feels own face with hand
• tries to prolong pleasing experiences
• stops sucking to listen to things
• looks and sucks at same time
• looks for the source of sounds
• swallowing becomes voluntary
• notices details (eg patterns on clothes)
• head and eyes turn in coordination and parallel to surface on which she lies or sits
• deliberately grabs object with either hand
• deliberately releases object
• pulls dangling object towards self
• puts objects in mouth
• manipulates table edge (grasps and tries to move it)
• stares at place from which object drops
• smiles more to actual face than to image
• discriminates family/strangers
• plays with hands
• smiles, pats mirror if shown own self
• develops preference for some toys over others
• experiments with objects - holds, turns, shakes, tastes
• recognizes whole object from just seeing part of it
• remembers own immediate actions
• imitates sounds and movements
• drops one block to pick up a second
• alert about half the daylight time
• looks at things upside down
• holds cup by handle
• lifts inverted containers
• watches someone scribble
• holds one block, reaches for second, looks at third
• interested in details
• likes toys that make sounds
• remembers seqment representative of entire action (games)
• compares size differences
• does things first with one side of body, then the other
• associates baby photos with self
• puts things in and out of containers
• imitates people who are not right in front of her
• pulls string to get to attached toy
• kicks hanging toy
• blinks in anticipation of crash of object she drops
• notices rearrangement of furniture
• fears heights
• uses finger/thumb on small objects, both hands on large ones, right away
• remembers games from previous day
• pushes one object with another
• plays "catch" with rolled ball, or "fetch"
• practices dismaying situations
• doesn't distract so easily
• crumples paper
• looks inside boxes for contents
• looks at small items that fall out of boxes
• imitates behavior (eg wash hands)
• points to body parts if acts
• points at objects through glass
• tries to grab objects through glass
• lifts lid off boxes
• pokes at clapper of bell
• puts things in and out of cups, boxes
• imitates scribbles, bell-ringing
• uses particular sounds or gestures to indicate objects
• removes and stacks rings on a cone
• nests boxes
• turns pages of books
• looks at pictures in books
• rotates, reverses, stacks objects
• puts 3 items in cup before dumping them out
• finds new ways to solve problems
• builds 3 block tower with demonstration
• groups by shape or color

Social

• personal
  • shows excitement and distress
  • responds to comfort or pain
  • shows delight
  • quiets by sucking thumb or other non-food object
  • shows frustration
  • shows hunger by smacking lips or special cry
  • many moods obvious: indecision, anticipation
  • tries to soothe self
  • quieted by music
  • able to wait for feeding if sees it is being prepared
  • fear, distrust, anger develop
  • discriminates between mirror images of self and mother
  • discriminates own image in mirror
  • knows name
  • pats self in mirror
  • feels own body with hands
  • likes music
  • identifies body parts (points)
  • reaches for mirror images of objects
  • guilt develops
• interactive
  • smiling etc
    • smiles fleetingly
    • regards your face if you smile
    • smiles responsively (usually to mother)
    • smiles responsively to other family
    • smiles spontaneously
    • laughs
    • smiles and vocalizes to make social contact
    • teases
    • sense of humor
  • quiets when picked up
  • searches for nipple
  • makes eye contact
  • sticks out tongue imitatively
  • quiets when looking at your face
  • adjusts posture to being held
  • grasps you when nursing
  • directly regards people, and excites
  • recognizes mother
  • excites when looking at recognized people
  • vocalizes responsively
  • "calls"
  • vocalizes to initiate socializing
  • wants to sit so as to interact better
  • imitates faces
  • waves to be picked up
  • clings when held
  • stops crying when talked to
  • resists removal of toy
  • plays with rattle
  • pats breast or bottle
  • turns to own name
  • distinguishes strangers
  • distinguishes adults from children
  • plays peek-a-boo
  • plays come and get me
  • plays fetch
  • wants to be included
  • resists pressure to do things she doesn't want to do
  • anticipates play; wriggles
  • attached to parent; follows her/him around
  • shouts for attention
  • pushes away things she doesn't want
  • performs for applause
  • fights for disputed toys
  • cries if other children crying
  • plays patty cake
  • plays so big
  • plays ball games
  • jealous of attention
  • plays with hats
  • "loves" a stuffed toy or doll
  • tries to persuade or protest
  • obeys commands
  • may inhibit own behavior (no-no)
  • seeks approval
  • extends toy to others, but won't release it
  • fears separation
  • able to refuse
• cultural
  • meals
    • many feedings ( 7-8 or more) around the clock
    • hiccups
    • 2 feedings at night, more in day
    • 1 night feeding
    • drinks from cup
    • anticipates food
    • takes from spoon
    • more interested in socializing than in finishing food
    • interested in solid foods
    • puts finger foods in mouth
    • holds bottle herself
    • tries to drink from cup herself
    • abandons night feeding
    • holds spoon
    • uses cup handle
    • eats whole meal alone
    • 3 meals a day
    • sits at family table
  • sleep
  • sleeps/wakes 8 or more cycles per day with no real schedule
  • sleeps 5 hours at night
  • sleeps 7 hours at a stretch
  • 2 naps
  • sleeps 10 hours at night
  • wakes at dawn
  • sleeps straight through night
  • trouble getting to sleep alone
  • 1 nap
  • excretion
    • many bowel movements
    • fewer, near feeding times
    • regular time period between eating and elimination
    • stays dry 1-2 hours
    • you can tell when she is about to poo, and she is OK if you put her on the pot for this
  • bathing
    • cries
    • happy at bath (stops crying in bath)
    • splashes with hand
    • kicks, lifts head
  • dress
    • holds up legs to help be changed
    • pulls at clothes
    • takes off socks
    • cooperates, helps dress self (holds out arms, legs as needed)
    • undressess; can't manage the fasteners
    • unzips
    • unbuttons