Child Developmental Milestones by Age (1 Year Old to 5th Grade)

Parents often wonder whether their child is developing appropriate academic and language skills for their age. Each child develops at their own pace, but there are general developmental milestones that children between ages 1 and elementary school should achieve. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates developmental milestones are skills that children should achieve as they develop, which include language, learning, movement, and social milestones.

This guide details developmental and academic milestones from age 1 through 5th grade, including language development; early reading, writing, and math skills; and general academic expectations.

Developmental Milestones in the Early Years

Age 1 Developmental Milestones
By age 1, children should be saying basic words, such as “mama” and “dada” and should respond to oral requests as well as the word “no.”

Age 2 Developmental Milestones
By age 2, children should begin to speak using simple phrases and 2-4 word sentences. They should also pick up a pencil and scribble on their own.

Age 3 Developmental Milestones
By age 3, children should begin to recognize numbers, colors, and basic shapes, and should be able to count 1-3 objects.

Age 4 Developmental Milestones
By age 4, children should be able to count 5 objects, rhyme words, print some (though not all) letters, and speak in long, compound and complex sentences using a roughly 1,500 word vocabulary.

Academic Milestones During the School Years

Kindergarten Milestones
By kindergarten, children should recognize basic sight words, such as at, too, this, and what. They should also be able to count at least ten objects, identify and write the numbers 1-10, identify and write upper and lower case letters, and recognize the sounds associated with each letter of the alphabet.

First Grade Milestones
By first grade, students should be able to decode basic three and four letter words. Students often still use inventive spelling but are able to compose multi- sentence stories when writing.

Second Grade Milestones
By second grade, most students will have become fluent readers and are able to decode the majority of unknown words that they come across when reading. They should be reading chapter books and read them with expression. They should also begin to use correct (not inventive) spelling when writing multi- paragraph stories.

Third Grade Milestones
By third grade, students should be writing both creative stories as well as simple paragraphs, with a topic sentence, details, and a conclusion sentence. They should use mostly correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. They should also be
“automatic” with their basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

Fourth Grade Milestones
With the shift from learning to read to reading to learn, children should be able to fluently decode words and identify the topic, main idea, and important details when reading. They should also begin to write well-composed multi-paragraph essays and be able to independently
break down math word problems.

Fifth Grade Milestones
Children should be able to brainstorm, write, and self-check five paragraph essays with proper sequence and organization. They should also have well-developed higher level comprehension skills, including drawing conclusions and making inferences and predictions
based on information read. Furthermore, they should be able to independently solve multi-step math computation problems.

Read more about signs your child may be neurodiverse at https://eblcoaching.com/signs-your-child-may-be-neurodiverse/.

When Should Parents Be Concerned About Developmental Milestones?

All children develop at a different pace, but significant delays in language or academic skills could be signs of a learning disability like dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia. If you notice your child is struggling with any of the skills below, you may want to have them evaluated and consider academic tutoring:

• Difficulty learning letter names and sounds
• Trouble learning basic basic sight words
• Difficulty learning to count and grasp basic math skills
• Trouble understanding material that is read to them
• Frustration when trying to read or write
• Poor self-esteem related to learning

If you notice any of these struggles, EBL Coaching can help. We provide individualized, one-on-one tutoring in reading, writing, math, and other content areas. Learn more about how we can help your child, including those with dyslexia, ADHD, and learning disabilities, at www.eblcoaching.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are developmental milestones?
Developmental milestones are skills children should generally achieve by a specific age, such as reading, writing, math, and language skills.

Do all children reach milestones at the same time?
No! All children are different and reach milestones at varying times. However, there is a range of expectations for skills, and if your child’s milestones fall out of that range, you may want to seek an evaluation and academic remediation.

What are signs that your child may be falling behind academically?
If your child struggles to learn basic academic skills, like the names of the letters and their corresponding sounds, math concepts including counting and number recognition, or writing letters and numbers – or shows frustration with academic tasks, you may want to look into individualized tutoring for them.

Read more about dyslexia at Could My Child Have Dyslexia? – EBL Coaching.

Dr. Emily Levy holds her Doctorate Degree and is the Founder and Director of EBL Coaching. She has been helping students of all ages build their academic skills with specialized academic tutoring and executive functioning coaching for over twenty years.

Other Related Blogs:
Building Pre-Reading Skills
Building Basic Reading Skills