Developmental Milestones from Kindergarten to Third Grade

Every year, when you take your child in for a yearly exam, they’re checked for various milestones. After the first few years, the milestone checks can seem pretty much routine for most parents.

Most children develop just fine, so unless a doctor suspects an issue, they might not go through a comprehensive milestone check.

As parents of children with learning disabilities, however, milestones, foundational skills, and problem areas are often important.

Remember: many learning differences don’t really show up until the child is in an academic situation. That’s why learning differences and learning disabilities are said to be “unexpected.” Your child is perfectly bright and capable, right up until they run into a learning situation that their brain doesn’t fit into.

We created this reference page, just so parents can take a look at milestones, from age 4 through grade 3.  It’s very common that LD children miss some of these milestones. This ties in with brain weaknesses, but also with brain immaturity.  Sometimes, it takes LD children a little longer to mature. If you notice a skill that’s missing or weak, you can work to play or exercise in that area. See also the Foundational Skills discussion.

General Milestones Ages 4 and 5

• The CDC list of all children’s milestones, up to age 5
• The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) has a list of speech and hearing milestones from at 1 to age 5.
• The Understood website has a detailed list of physical, language, and social-emotional milestones for 4 year olds, and milestones for Kindergarteners.
• 4 to 5 year old milestones: cognitive, social, and physical, from WebMD

Milestones in First Grade

• The Understood website has a list of physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional milestones for first grade.
• The Loving2Learn website has a list of first grade milestones for language growth, knowledge growth, social growth, physical growth, and creative growth
• The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) has a list of communication milestones for first grade.
• The Parent Toolkit website has a list of physical benchmarks for first grade.
• Fine motor skill milestones in first grade.

Milestones in Second and Third Grade

• The Understood website has a list of physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional milestones for second and third grade.
• Mr. O’Donnel, a second grade teacher from Massachussetts, lists developmental milestones for 7 and 8 year olds on his website.
• The Loving2Learn website has a list of second grade milestones for language growth, knowledge growth, social growth, physical growth, and creative growth
• The Parent Toolkit website has a list of physical benchmarks for second grade.