Motor development
Motor skills develop from the head downwards ,cephalocaudal development, so the baby learns to lift the chin, then hold the head steady before developing the skills to control and move their body. Similarly, the centre or trunk of the body develops before the limbs, so the baby is able to hold their head steady, before learning to roll and to sit, then to move by crawling or bum shuffling.
Development of motor skills can be divided into two areas; large or gross, motor movements, eg. walking and small or fine motor movements, eg. picking up a pencil.
Motor skill milestones
0-3 months:
2 weeks - turns head slightly, moves all limbs, grasps
1 month - lift chin and head, turns head from side to side, strong grasp
2 months - hold head steady, can usually control head movement when positioned upright, holds rattle briefly, follows an object with the eyes
4-5 months:
4 months - reaches for objects, able to push body up on own hands, can usually bear their weight through the legs, plays with hands and toes, all objects usually taken to the mouth to explore
5 months - rolls from abdomen to back, grasps objects
6-11 months:
6 months - sits alone, no head lag when pulled to sit, rolls from back to abdomen, stands with support
Uses palmar grasp, transfers objects between hands, mouths objects, eats finger foods
7 months - able to sit and lean forward
8 months - rolls over
8-9 months - sits easily without support
9 months - crawls, pulls self to stand, holding furniture; holds crayon with fist and briefly scribbles
bangs objects, feeds self with fingers, starts to drink from a cup
10 months - pincer grasp
11 months - creeps
12-15 months:
12 months - pulls to stand, cruises with furniture or holding onto a hand (from 10 or 11 months)
11-15 months - walks independently (wide based gait)
14 months - walks, fine pincer grasp, feeds self, uses a cup but rotates a spoon, two block tower, throws ball overhand, turns several pages at a time
15 months - walks well, independently with wide base, crawls upstairs, stoops, may run builds a tower of two cubes, scribbles vigorously, drinks from a cup, feeds self with fingers
16-19 months:
18 months - walks quickly, may run, can walk upstairs with one hand held, can kick a ball
21-24 months:
24 months - steadier gait, runs, climbs upstairs: one step at a time (two feet on each step), kicks ball, jumps