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Home > My Child > Ages and Stages > 6 to 12 Months > What to Expect


My Child
What to Expect: 6 to 12 Months

Developmental milestones describe what most children are capable of doing at a particular point in time. Developmental milestones also provide a snapshot of the new skills many children will be starting to master in the upcoming months or year. Knowing what children are capable of, and what they will be practicing, can help you provide appropriate experiences to enhance your child's development.

Remember, developmental milestones only provide benchmarks. Each child develops at his or her own pace. So, in any particular child some skills may emerge early, while others may appear later.

If you have any concerns about your child's development, consult your child's physician.



Social

Typically Can:
  • Show fear of separation from a parent
  • Imitate others
  • Finger feed himself, but is still messy
  • Respond differently to familiar and unfamiliar faces
  • Explore his surroundings with enthusiasm
  • Enjoy the company of other babies by watching and imitating them
  • Emerging Skills:
  • Holding and drinking from a cup
  • Showing an air of independence

  • Intellectual

    Typically Can:
  • Find a toy that is covered up
  • Watch where an object goes as she drops it on purpose, for example, a toy into a basket, food on the floor or a ball as it rolls away
  • Enjoy looking at pictures in books
  • Respond to her own name when called
  • Emerging Skills:
  • Placing cylindrical objects in a matching hole in a container, for example, a spool of thread or a ping pong ball into the lid of a coffee can or a yogurt pot
  • Repeating an action that gets a reaction, for example, knocking over blocks

  • Language

    Typically Can:
  • Use gestures to show he wants something, for example, pointing
  • Turn in response to his own name
  • Understand simple instructions, for example, "wave bye-bye"
  • Say "mama" or "dada," but not always to the specific person
  • Follow one command, for example, "don’t touch" or "find the ball"
  • Emerging Skills:
  • Saying a few words, for example, "oh-oh," but understanding many more
  • Listening to a short story

  • Emotional

    Typically Can:
  • Cooperate in simple give and take games, for example, peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek with toys
  • Reach to be picked up and held
  • Test reactions of her parents at bedtime or feeding time
  • Shout for attention
  • Emerging Skills:
  • Needing and expecting to experience rituals and routines
  • Expressing anger and the beginnings of tantrums
  • May display fear and insecurity with situations that were accepted before

  • Gross Motor

    Typically Can:
  • Get to a sitting position by himself
  • Pull himself to standing using furniture
  • Crawl or creep forward
  • Sit down from standing
  • Walk with one hand held
  • Emerging Skills:
  • Creeping upstairs
  • "Dancing" to music
  • Throwing a ball

  • Fine Motor

    Typically Can:
  • Grasp items with her thumb and forefinger
  • Bang two blocks together
  • Take objects out of a container
  • Poke with her pointer finger
  • Use both hands at the same time, for example, hold a block in each hand
  • Emerging Skills:
  • Putting three or more objects into a container
  • Stacking two blocks
  • Focusing on small objects, for example, carpet fluff, raisins or dry cereal
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