The document discusses children's development from ages 0-5 years across social-emotional, physical, and cognitive domains. It provides milestones to observe and ways to promote development at different ages. The key messages are that children develop at their own pace, parents know their child best, and seeking professional advice can help address significant delays.

1. “Children’s learning is ongoing and each child will
progress towards the outcomes in different and equally
meaningful ways. Learning is not always predictable
and linear. Educators plan with each child and the
outcomes in mind.” (Early Years Learning Framework)

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
2. Table of Contents
3 Social and Emotional Development
4 What should be observed Social and Emotional Development 0-2yrs
5 Ways to promote Social and Emotional Development 0-2yrs
6 What should be observed and ways to promote Social and Emotional Development 2-
3yrs
7 What should be observed and ways to promote Social and Emotional Development 3-
5yrs
8 Physical Development
9 What should be observed Physical Development 0-2yrs
10 Ways to promote Physical Development 0-2yyrs
11 What should be observed and ways to promote Physical Development 2-3yrs
12 What should be observed and ways to promote Physical Development 3-5yrs
13 Cognitive Development
14 What should be observed Cognitive Development 0-2yrs
15 Ways to promote Cognitive Development 0-2yrs
16 What should be observed and ways to promote Cognitive Development 2-3yrs
17 What should be observed and ways to promote Cognitive Development 3-5yrs
18 Children’s Development Video
19 When to seek professional advice
20 References

3. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT

4. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 0-2 YEARS
What should be observed:
• 0-4 months Smiles & laughs; 4-8 months laughs during social interactions;
• 0-4 months Starts bonding & recognizing familiar faces; 4-12 months stretches arms out to
be held, starts show wariness to strangers;
• 0-4 months Cries, when hungry or tired, usually will stop when comforted; 4-8 months May
start to self soothe either with or without aide e.g. dummy; 1-2 years Actively seeks comfort
and reassurances from parents or familiar faces. May ‘lose control’ of self when tired or
frustrated. Starts to show signs of comforting others.
• 0-4 months Moves head to sound of voices; 4-8 months Responds to own name.
• 0-4 months Sleeps most of the time; 4-8 months becomes more settled into routines &
patterns.
• 4-8 months Starts to become upset when parent leaves room; 8 months -2 years Increased
anxiety when parents leave sight, enjoys being in close proximity of parent or familiar adult
• 8-12 months starts to offer toys to adults or familiar faces but does not let go; 1-2 years
Begins to play with others or alongside others (parallel play)

5. SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 0-2 YEARS
Ways to promote development:
• Be nurturing & affectionate, give hugs & kisses.
• Build and encourage the skills your child already have
• Be patient during tough times
• Establish routines
• Support your babies developing skills, Babies learn best through play.
• Provide responsive care, match your parenting or caregiving to what your baby needs

6. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2-3YRS
What should be observed:
• Continues to show strong attachment to parents. Becomes upset when they leave.
• Tends to demand continued parent or adult attention. Shows strong attachments towards
one or more parents
• Plays with other children but has trouble with sharing.
• Begins to show signs of role play or make believe play
• Prefers to play with same gender playmates or toys
Ways to promote development:
• Help your child understand their feelings and help them to express them through play
• Observe carefully, allow children to work through their feelings or issues intervening when
help required.
• Encourage friendships, slowly introduce sharing games and toys.
• Get involved with your child's play at appropriate times ask questions, ask them for ideas
for resolutions, praise their processes & above all encourage their efforts
• Set guidelines, continuing to reinforce through simple rules, examples and explanations

7. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 3-5YRS
What should be observed:
• Has a particular friend or group of friends; Enjoys playing with others.
• Social skills and independence has developed ready for prep/school
• Shares, smiles and cooperates with friends
• Is able to play and manipulate toys equipment in cooperation with others
• Is able to show compassion and comfort others
• Continues to give & receive affection with parents and caregivers
• Is able to be proud of themselves, boast their efforts and praise their own efforts
• May enforce gender role norms with their friends; Is certain of own gender; may show
preference to same gender friends.
• May still have times of aggression with peers
Ways to promote development:
• Continue to encourage warm, loving and emotionally responsive relationships
• Use positive guidance strategies
• Create a positive home environment
• Be responsive to your child's emotions & feelings
• Model positive behaviors
• Play with your child
• Continue to have open conversations

8. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
‘Your support helps your child’s development a lot.
Supporting them and encouraging your child’s efforts
builds confidence and encourages them to keep going’
(Department of Communities, Child safety and
Disability services)

9. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT 0-2YRS
What should be observed:
• 0-4months Startle reflex when placed unwrapped on flat surfaces, Head turns when
cheek touched, able to lift head and chest when laying on stomach,
• 4-6 months Grasp objects, roll over, play with feet, makes effort to sit alone but needs
hand support, makes crawling movements when lying on stomach, turns head towards
sounds
• 6-12months Raise self to sitting position, sits without support, successfully reach out and
grasp objects, picks up and throws small objects, holds bottle, crawls, may attempt to
crawl up stairs, uses hands to feed self, rolls ball and crawls to retrieve
• 12months-2 years Walks, climbs and runs, throw ball overhead, turn pages of books two
or three at a time, squats to pick up an object, reverts to crawling if in a hurry, can drink
from a cup, tries to use spoon/fork

10. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT 0 – 2 YEARS
Ways to promote Development:
• Get on the floor and play
• Plenty of tummy time
• Place toys just out of reach
• Provide lots of opportunities from free
• Praise and encourage efforts
• At this stage the best toy for your baby is you!

11. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT 2-3YRS
What should be observed:
• Walks, runs, climbs, kicks and jumps easily
• Attempts to balance on one foot
• Avoids obstacles, able to open doors
• Jumps in place with both feet
• Hops on one foot
• Draws pictures
• Able to open doors
• Turns pages one at a time
• Stops readily
• Uses steps one at a time
Ways to promote development:
• Chase bubbles
• Use large, soft balls to encourage catching and throwing
• Play different music to encourage dancing
• Rough and tumble play
• Walking, running or jumping into puddles, around trees, over stones
• Wheeling, pulling or pushing different objects

12. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT 3-5YRS
What should be observed:
• Hop on one foot
• Skip alternating feet
• Balance on one foot
• Catch bounced ball
• Dress self independently
• Exhibits hand preference
• Enjoys learning simple rhythm and movement routines
Ways to promote development:
• Plenty of outdoor play
• Running , tumbling and rolling play
• Crawling through tunnels
• Games of chasey
• Climbing obstacles

13. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

14. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 0-2 YEARS
What should be observed:
• 0-4 months able to see objects more clearly; focuses on moving objects and starts to
recognise faces of carers; recognises different tastes, sweet, salty, bitter and sour; detects
differences in pitch and volume
• 4-6 months Use facial expressions and imitate expressions of others; respond to others
facial expressions; gaze longer at impossible things such as an object suspended in mid air
• 9-12 months show interests in picture books; imitate gestures and basic actions; begin to
wave and make sounds; manipulate objects by turning them over and trying to put one object
into another
• 1-2 years Understanding and responds to words; point out objects in a picture book; imitate
words and actions of adults

15. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 0-2 YEARS
Ways to promote development:
• Shape sorters
• Object picture books
• Mirror play
• Stacking cups
• Sing songs such as ‘Heads and shoulders’ or ‘If Your Happy and You Know It’ to promote
response in gestures and sounds

16. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2-3 YEARS
What should be observed:
• Role play- ability to imitate adult actions such as fixing a car, washing clothes
• Stack objects from smallest to biggest
• Ability to sort objects by category such as animals, flowers
• Recognition of themselves in a mirror
• Respond to simple direction given by adults
Ways to promote Development:
• Sorting games
• Stacking games
• Picture Bingo games
• Sequential puzzles
• Hide and seek games
• Bead mazes

17. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 3-5 YEARS
What should be observed:
• An attention span of 5 to 15 minutes
• Inquisitive
• Awareness of past and present
• Learn by observation and listening to instructions
• Draw recognisable objects
• Count
• Group and match objects according to colour and or shape
Ways to promote development:
• Encourage children to problem solve and come up with their own answers to questions
• Construction sets
• Play games like Simon Says and Follow the Leader
• Turn and tell time games
• Pattern Blocks

18. CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT VIDEO

19. CONCLUSION
All children are individuals and it is imperative to understand that they develop at their own
pace. These milestones are to be used only as a guide to Children’s development.
If a child is experiencing significant delays in one or more of these developmental areas it is
reasonable to seek professional advice.
A parent knows their child best and should trust their instinct regarding their child’s
development.
Visiting a general practitioner would be the first step, the GP would then refer the child to a
paediatrician.
Observations made by the family help decide on a diagnosis so it is important to document
any concerns. A lot of the time developmental delays can be improved on if caught early
enough by stimulating and encouraging the child’s development. The activities stated in
the previous slides are also important to be implemented as they also encourage the
children to progress.

20. REFERENCES
Faragher, J & McLean, J 1983,Children’s Stages of Development (birth to 2 ½ years), Collingwood, TAFE Publications
Unit//files.acecqa.gov.au/files/ACECQA/2014/developmental-
milestonesDevelopmental%20Milestones%20and%20the%20EYLF%20and%20the%20NQS.pdf
Faragher, J 1985, Childrens Development (3-5 years), Collingwood, TAFE Publications Unit
www.communities.qld.gov.au/resources/childsafety/practicemanual/physical-cognitive-milestones.pdf
Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services, 2014, My Child has Developmental Delay, Viewed
3rd January 2015
https://publications.qld.gov.au/storage/f/2014-03-21T05%3A25%3A01.262Z/my-child-has-developmental-delay.pdf
Raisingchildren.net.au
Supporting Children’s development 3-5years,
http://icdfr.csusb.edu/documents/phandoutsocialdevelopment-2.pdfZ
Zero to Three, National Center for infants, toddlers and families, http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/social-
emotional-development/social-emotional-development.html