Cognitive And Physical Early Childhood Development: What You Should Know
As a parent or guardian, you’re likely fascinated by all the firsts in your child’s life. Cognitive and physical milestones can help you track your child’s development and cognitive growth. For example, at six months old, a child should generally be able to roll from their stomach to their back and reach to grab the toys they want. Meanwhile, at nine months old, they will likely be able to move into a sitting position on their own and look for objects that drop out of sight. If you notice any potential delays, it can be best to speak to your child’s pediatrician to identify any potential underlying issues. Working with a therapist to develop effective parenting skills can also be helpful, and attending sessions online can make it easy to fit therapy into your schedule.
What are developmental milestones?
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control generally define developmental milestones as the physical, mental, language, social, and emotional skills present in approximately 75% of children by a certain age.
It can be important to pay attention to how your child plays, learns new skills and information, speaks and understands language, and behaves with you and others for vital clues about their developmental progress.
Key childhood development areas
Cognitive development: How young children understand objects, takes in sensory information, and engages with the world around them
Physical development: How your child moves their body, with large body movements like sitting and walking, and small body movements, such as control over their hands, reflexes, vision, sleeping, and eating
Language development: How your child hears and understands sounds and uses speech to communicate
Social and emotional development: How your child interacts with and forms connections to the people who make regular appearances in their lives, such as parents, siblings, and grandparents, and how they react to strangers and places with new people
Two months
During the first two months of their life, your child will likely learn, change, and grow by leaps and bounds. Children experience rapid physical and cognitive developmental milestones from birth to two months typically center around developing basic senses, exploring their body parts and how they move, and learning about the world around them.
Physical development: Can hold their head up while on their stomach, move both arms and legs, and open their hands
Cognitive development: Watches you when you move and stares at toys or other objects for several seconds
Four months
Most babies at four months are developing their sense of perception. You may notice them reacting to familiar sounds and voices, recognizing faces they see frequently, and responding to others’ facial expressions with imitation.
Physical development: Can hold steady independently while being held, hold a toy when placed in their hand, use arms to swing at toys, bring hands to their mouth, and push up on their elbows while on their stomach
Cognitive development: Opens their mouth when seeing a breast or bottle if they’re hungry, stares at their hands with fascination
Six months
Your child at six months is likely full of wonder, often staring at objects that catch their interest. You may notice a developing ability to discern real things from fake ones, such as picking between a live animal and a stuffed toy.
Physical development: Rolls from their stomach to back, pushes up with straight arms from their tummy, and leans forward on hands for support while sitting
Cognitive development: Puts objects in their mouth, reaches to grab toys they want, and closes their mouth when they don’t want food
Nine months
Most babies at nine months old are expanding their movement abilities and trying to explore the world around them. They typically understand when objects are gone, such as losing a bottle or snack.
Physical development: Can get to a sitting position by themselves, their motor development involves moving objects from one hand to the other, rake food with their fingers, and sit without support
Cognitive development: Looks for objects that drop out of sight and bangs two things together
One year
As they reach the one-year mark, your baby’s cognitive, social, and physical development usually speeds up, and you may notice them observing or imitating you and other adults. They may begin producing spoken language in the form of simple words or concepts.
Physical development: Can pull themselves up to stand, walk while holding on to furniture, drink from a cup without a lid that you hold, and pick up small objects between their thumb and pointer finger
Cognitive development: Can put something into a container and look for objects they see you hide
Fifteen months
Most children can understand the difference between themselves and others by 15 months. You may notice that they can identify similar objects and imitate others’ actions or speech.
Physical development: Can take a few steps on their own and use their fingers to feed themselves food
Cognitive development: Tries to use objects for their correct function, such as cups or books, and can stack at least two small things, like blocks
18 months
By the time they are 18 months old, your baby may be actively learning through exploration and physical activity and frequently using their newfound mobility to see as much as possible. You may notice they can identify some objects in picture books, differentiate between “me” and “you,” and understand words enough to respond.
Physical development: Walks freely without support, scribbles, drinks from lidless cups with occasional spills, feeds themselves with their fingers, attempts to use a spoon, and can climb onto and off couches or chairs independently
Cognitive development: Can copy your movements during chores, like washing windows or sweeping, and engage in simple play with toys, such as babbling into a toy phone
Two years
By the time they reach two years, your child will likely be developing a sense of independence. You may notice them begin to engage in pretend play. Much of their learning at this stage usually results from their experiences.
Physical development: Their motor skills have developed to being able to kick a ball, run, walk up a few stairs independently without climbing, and eat with a spoon
Cognitive development: Can hold something in one hand while using the other hand for another task, attempts to use buttons, knobs, or switches on toys, and frequently plays with more than one toy simultaneously
Many children learn language structures and experience language acquisition to a more significant degree around the age of 24 months old. This subsequent language development is related to improving cognitive skills, which support language development.
30 months
At 30 months, your child may be becoming more independent and exploring their world. They may learn quickly and respond to simple directions from caregivers. You may notice they recognize their reflection and demonstrate increasing intelligence.
Physical development: Can use their hands to twist objects, such as doorknobs, remove some clothes independently, jump off the ground using both feet, and turn a single book page
Cognitive development: Often uses objects for pretend play, demonstrates problem-solving skills, can follow simple two-step instructions, and shows knowledge of at least one color
Three years
After reaching the three-year mark, your child may have the brainpower to analyze the information they gather and may constantly ask, "Why?" At this point, children’s attention spans tend to grow. You may also notice a developing ability to understand the concept of time.
Physical development: Can string items like beads together, put some clothing items on independently, and use a fork to feed themselves
Cognitive development: Can draw a circle when shown how and avoids touching hot objects after warnings
Often, preschool age children love learning to use their bodies in different ways and may begin focusing on coordination-oriented activities at this time.
Four years
By four years old, your child can likely learn through observation and listen to instructions. You may notice their attention span grow to five to 15 minutes, and they may be able to organize objects, seek information about how and why things work, and understand how to group items by color.
Physical development: Can catch a ball most of the time, serve themselves food or pour drinks with supervision, unbutton some of their buttons, and hold writing implements without using a fist
Cognitive development: Can name a few colors, remember what happens next in their favorite stories, and draw a person with three or more body parts
Ages four to five are also when theory of mind (TOM) skills begin to develop. In this stage of intellectual development, most preschool-age children develop TOM in the following order:
Understanding “wanting”
Understanding “thinking”
Understanding “seeing leads to knowing”
Understanding “false beliefs”
Understanding “hidden feelings”
Five years
In general, your five-year-old child may be nearing school age and is likely continuing to grow their ability to communicate with words, imitate what they see adults doing, count, identify colors, and complete some of the primary activities required for school readiness.
Physical development: Can hop on one foot and help dress themselves
Cognitive development: Can count to 10, name some numbers up to five by sight, use words that express an understanding of time, expand their attention span, write some of the letters in their name, and recognize some letters when you point them out
“Every child is different, and so is every parent's experience, but experts have a clear idea about the range of normal development from birth to age 5—and signs that a child might have a developmental delay.” — The Child Mind Institute’s Complete Guide to Developmental Milestones
Six years and beyond
As children enter middle and late childhood, they often understand more than 6,000 words and speak over 2,000 words. By age seven, they may begin using slang and cliches. Such dramatic language is often the result of rapid neural growth and reinforcement through positive feedback from parental figures.
Physical development: Motor skills continue to improve as the body’s physical development progresses.
Mental development: Begins to develop lifelong interests and explore slang, cliches, and more dramatic language.
How therapy can help you learn parenting skills and understand physical and mental development during childhood
Working with a licensed therapist can be a valuable tool for helping parents learn new skills for raising happy, healthy children. A balanced parent may have an easier time helping their children learn language and communication skills at a rapid pace.
Findings from the World Health Organization’s Growth Reference Study Group and similar studies, even very young children exhibit significant developmental growth when their parents are actively engaged in their learning.
Benefits of online therapy for understanding your child’s development
You can speak to a therapist online through a virtual therapy platform like BetterHelp. Flexible appointment formats through phone, video call, or online chat can make fitting therapy into your busy schedule simple. Keeping childcare may not be necessary, as you can attend therapy from the comfort and convenience of your home.
Effectiveness of online therapy for exploring cognitive development
Although more research may be needed regarding the efficacy of online therapy specifically for developing parenting skills, studies show that, in general, online therapy and in-person therapy are similarly effective. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for professional guidance and support.
Takeaway
Child development milestones can provide general markers to help you track how your child’s growth and emerging skills compare to most children their age. Identifying delays can help you recognize problems early so you know when to reach out to a medical professional to address any potential challenges. Parenting can be difficult and stressful at times, and it can be helpful to reach out to a therapist for guidance and support if you’ve discovered potential delays in your child’s development or are interested in developing healthy parenting skills.
What is the physical development of childhood?
Physical development in childhood refers to the changes in size, shape, and physical abilities as the child grows. This includes fine motor skills, like the ability to manipulate objects and draw straight lines, and gross motor skills, such as climbing large play equipment. Physical development is a vital area of human development in which young children can explore their surroundings and start to gain independence.
What is mental development in childhood?
Mental development in childhood often includes expanding cognitive abilities, emotional skills, and language development. It involves the way children learn to speak and understand others, as well as how they develop self-confidence and social skills. During childhood, mental growth is as important as physical growth and greatly influences overall development in children.
What is the importance of physical development in early childhood?
Physical development in early childhood often influences a child's overall health and well-being. During this time of human development, children develop motor skills that help them perform school-related tasks and participate in sports and activities.
What is social and emotional development in early childhood?
Social and emotional development in early childhood often involves the process in which young children understand who they are, what they feel, and what to expect when interacting with others. It includes the ability to develop self-confidence, relationships, and social skills. Through social and emotional development, children can start to form their identities and learn to express their emotions appropriately.
What is the relationship between physical development and mental development?
The relationship between physical and mental development during childhood is closely connected, with each influencing the other. As a child develops, fine motor skills and physical abilities can affect their ability to learn, which in turn supports their mental development. Similarly, overcoming cognitive challenges can promote physical development, as children use their minds to work through obstacles and learn new skills.
Why is mental and physical health important?
Mental and physical health are vital to overall well-being. Good physical health allows children to participate in growth-oriented activities, while sound mental health supports learning, emotional control, and social development. Both are important for a child's ability to thrive in different areas of development during childhood and beyond.
How does early childhood differ from late childhood in terms of physical development and mental development?
Early childhood often consists of rapid physical growth and the development of basic motor skills, while late childhood slows in physical growth but advances in mental development. In early childhood, babies begin to develop fine motor skills, but in late childhood, these skills become more refined, and the focus shifts to more complex thinking and social skills.
What is the difference between physical growth and mental growth?
Physical growth refers to the increase in size and strength and the improvement of physical abilities, like climbing or manipulating objects. Mental growth, however, involves the development of the brain and cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, memory, and spoken language. While physical growth can be easily observed, mental growth is more about the internal processes that help a child understand and interact with the world.
What are the mental changes in adolescence?
During adolescence, individuals can experience significant mental changes involving abstract thinking and emotional intelligence. Adolescents may begin to think more about moral, philosophical, and ethical issues. They may also start to put a greater focus on peer relationships, which can affect their overall social development.
What are the social and personality development of middle childhood?
During middle childhood, children's social and personality development becomes more nuanced as they form stronger friendships, understand others' emotions better, and learn a clearer sense of right and wrong. During this stage, they might learn to cooperate with others and begin to form their unique identity separate from their parents.
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