Click each card to see more about the stages of physical development scroll along at the bottom to see the various stages from 0-19 years
Step-by-step timeline:
Then click the next pages (arrow button on right side) to move to the other aspects :(speech, language & communication cognitive personal, social and emotional.
Physical Development 1.1a
Understanding children & young people's development
Charlotte Willicombe
Step-by-step timeline:
Click each card to see more about the stages of speech , language and communication development scroll along at the bottom to see the various stages from 0-19 years
Speech, language & communication development 1.1b
Step-by-step timeline:
Click each card to see more about the stages of cognitive development scroll along at the bottom to see the various stages from 0-19 years
Cognitive development 1.1c
Step-by-step timeline:
Click each card to see more about the stages of personal, social and emotional development scroll along at the bottom to see the various stages from 0-19 years Click last page for references
Personal, social & emotional development 1.1d
References
- Advocates for Youth (2025). Growth and Development, Ages 18 and Over-What Parents Need to Know - Advocates for Youth. [online] Advocates for Youth. Available at: https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/resources/parents-17/.
- Burnham, L. (2018). CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning. Hodder Education.
- Cleveland Clinic (2025). Prefrontal Cortex: What It Is, Function, Location & Damage. [online] Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/prefrontal-cortex.GOSH (2016). Speech and language development from birth to 12 months. [online]
- GOSH Hospital site. Available at: https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/procedures-and-treatments/speech-and-language-development-birth-12-months/.
- NHS (2025). Adolescence. [online] Waiting Room. Available at: https://londonwaitingroom.nhs.uk/adolescence.
- NHS Buckingamshire Healthcare (2024). Development guide from 3 to 5 years. [online] Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website. Available at: https://www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk/cyp/pifs/development-guide-from-3-to-5-years/.
- NHS Buckingham Healthcare (2021). Development guide from 18 months to 3 years. [online] Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website. Available at: https://www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk/cyp/pifs/development-guide-from-18-months-to-3-years/.
- Pathways.org (2025). Understanding Neuroplasticity: How Your Child’s Brain Learns and Develops. [online] Pathways.org. Available at: https://pathways.org/understanding-neuroplasticity.
- Speech and Language UK (n.d.). 12-18 months. [online] Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives. Available at: https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/help-for-families/ages-and-stages/12-18-months/.Stanford Medicine (2025). Cognitive Development in Adolescence. [online]
- Stanfordchildrens.org. Available at: https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=cognitive-development-in-the-teen-years-90-P01594.The University of Nottingham (2016). Emotional Development: from 16 – adult. [online]
- Nottingham.ac.uk. Available at: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/helm/dev-test/ncc_work_in_progress/emotional_16_adult/page_one.html [Accessed 1 May 2026].
Aged 2-3 years
Children develop more control and strength at this age. They begin to have more control over their fine motor skills. They can turn pages in a book, and start to draw on paper. They can throw, kick and run! They may develop a prefered hand at this age. Burnham, L (2022)
Ages 3-7
At this age, a child's fine motor skills really start to develop: they are working on the skills of drawing, cutting, threading, doing puzzles and zipping their own coats up or fastening their own buttons! Their co-ordination is developing as is their confidence in these physical skills. Their gross motor skills are also improving, they can ride a bike, run, hop and walk upstairs. Burnham, L (2022)
Aged 1-2 years
Here's where it gets messy in the kitchen. Children start to feed themselves with a spoon. They can also hold a crayon or an object. Their bodies get stronger and they begin to walk, at first unsteadily. They might try and crawl or bump up and down the stairs. Burnham, L (2022)
Aged 12-16 years
There are rapid changes at this age. Enter the teenage years! Both girls and boys will enter pubity, with development varying. It's possible for girls to reach their full height by the time they are aged 13-15, though it can be later for boys. At this time, children also develop their strength and coodination. Burnham, L (2022)
Age 6-12 months
They can control their heads and roll over. They can shuffle or crawl. They may even pull themselves up! It's possible for them to sit without support. They start to pick things up and put them in their mouth. Burnham, L (2022)
Age 7-12 years
At this age, a child's gross motor skills are still developing, but children may develop a preference in how they like to move, e.g sports or dance, and will spend time practicing this skill. Their fine motor skills continue to develop and can be seen in skills such as learning a musical instrument. Some children start puberty towards the end of this range, most commonly girls. Burnham, L (2022)
Ages 0-3 months
At this age physical development is limited to primitive reflexes, their actions are not a learned response. In time the conscious brain takes over so they start to have some control over their movements. From around aged 3 months, babies start to control their hands and try to reach for objects. If they hear a sound, they can lift and turn their heads. Burnham, L (2022)
Ages 5-7
At this age children can use body language. They can understand longer stories and remember them over several days. They can understand words relating to feelings and descriptions. They can talk to solve problems, and they can tell jokes. They can take turns in conversation. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
Ages 7 to 12
Chidren are now considered fluent. They are able to learn and develop their understanding, including being able to use reason and explain abstract ideas. They can speak to adults they don't know. They can use more complex language eg. massive instead of big. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
Ages 3 to 4
By this age, children can make short sentences and link two sentences together using "and". They ask a lot of questions about the world around them? Why? Why! Why!? They can understand words related to colours, numbers and time. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
14-19 years
Children can now understand complex information. They can tell complex stories. Their communication and language skills can be used to read and write at the same level as adults. They can alter their language depending on to whom they are speaking. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
1-3 years
Children can start to use individual words between the ages of 1 and 2., and know about 20 words, including words such as "cup", "daddy" or "dog" and can point to things and say what they see. They can understand simple instructions like "where's teddy?" Between ages 2 and 3, their vocabulary continues to grow quickly and they can use simple sentences. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
12 to 14 years
Children at this age can use sarcasm, slang and be witty/humourus. They can change conversation topics easily and understand idioms. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
Birth to 12 months
From birth, babies start to listen to and process speech and language. From the age of 2 months they can listen to the different tones people make, Between birth and 6 months, babies initially use crying to communication but later they start to make noises to communicate such as cooing and vocal play (use their mouth, e.g. "raspberry" noises using vibrations in the mouth and lips. Between 6 and 12 months, babies start to understand some phrases and recognise their own name as well as familar voices. They understand some words and they develop a small vocabulary. (www.gosh.nhs.uk)
Ages 16-19 years
Children are still growning at this age - they will soon be close to full adult maturity Boys may get stronger and their voices may continue to deepen. Physically, young adults switch from growth to maintainence of physical health. (NHS, 2025)
12 to 16 years
At school, children of this age start to focus more on subjects they enjoy. They being to question authority and social standards. They continue to develop their identity and moral reasoning. They can use abstract thinking and consider things from many view points. (www.stanfordchildrens.org)
16 to 19 years
At this age, the brain starts to reach maturity, however the prefrontal cortext doesn't fully develop until the mid-20s. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that helps manage emotions, thinking and behavior. Aged 16-19 children become young adults and start to become responsible, e.g. start working. They can identify career goals and work towards them. They develop new skills and hobbies and they are aware of consequences. (advocatesforyouth.org)
7 to 12 years
Regarding reading and writing skills, children are becoming more fluent at this age. Additionally their problem-solving skills are starting to develop. They will develop personal preferences (in school subjects and personal interests). They are still learning about themselves and will try new things. (Burnham)
Ages 3 to 7
Cognitive development is closely linked to language formation and development, and at this age, children can understand and use symbols (e.g. letters, numbers - important for reading and writing). They can sort simple pieces of information at this age. They are discovering the world around them. They being to learn about themselves and their own identity. (Burnham)
Birth to 2 years
Cognitive development (or intellectual development) is defined by how a child learns to think and process information. This includes using their memory and connecting their experiences. From birth to 2 years old, a child's neural pathways are formed. This means learning through developments in the brain. It is the brain's foundation for learning and grows through experience (repetitive experiences or new information). (https://pathways.org/understanding-neuroplasticity)
12 to 16 years
This is an emotional time for children, they experience many difference emotions. They experience changes in their bodies as they start to develop towards being adults. However, they still need adult support and may not be able to emotionally handle everything that happens to them during this age range (e.g. the challenges of growing up). Burnham)
16 to 19 years
As young people enter the life and world of adults, they start to discover their place in the world. Their emotional maturity develops and they start to experience life. Some aspects of life are social constructs, e.g. the age of being an adult, the age of consent, legal drinking age, the age a person can vote, drive a car or get a job. Young people are navigating life through all of this and they may still need support (Nottingham.ac.uk)
7 to 12 years old
A child's development is less rapid at this stage, is is more steady. Peer friendships become very important (usually of children of the same sex) and they spend lots of time talking to their friends. They enjoy group activites over playing alone and they respond to peer pressure. They start to understand the attitude of others and they start to develop their own opinions. (Burnham, kidcentraltn.com)
Ages 3 to 7
By this age, children are becoming more aware of the world around them. Their social skills have developed and they are able to share and take turns. They have friends they like/preferred friends. At age 3-4 they have developed more self control, eg. they are not having tantrums like they did aged 2. There is a little less seperation anxiety, though it can still often be hard when they leave for school. They start to become more independent and accept some responsbilities. (Burnham, buckshealthcare.nhs.uk)
Birth to 3 years
In the first 3 years of a child's life, they develop very quickly, though it's important to remember children don't always develop at the same pace. In this age range, babies/children develop close attachments to those people around them - they are dependent on them and get upset if they are seperated from them. By 18 months to 2 years they are becoming more independent and have tantrums if they don't get their own way. They can play with others but they can't share! (Burnham, buckshealthcare.nhs.uk)
Physical Development 1.1a
Charlotte Willicombe
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Transcript
Click each card to see more about the stages of physical development scroll along at the bottom to see the various stages from 0-19 years
Step-by-step timeline:
Then click the next pages (arrow button on right side) to move to the other aspects :(speech, language & communication cognitive personal, social and emotional.
Physical Development 1.1a
Understanding children & young people's development
Charlotte Willicombe
Step-by-step timeline:
Click each card to see more about the stages of speech , language and communication development scroll along at the bottom to see the various stages from 0-19 years
Speech, language & communication development 1.1b
Step-by-step timeline:
Click each card to see more about the stages of cognitive development scroll along at the bottom to see the various stages from 0-19 years
Cognitive development 1.1c
Step-by-step timeline:
Click each card to see more about the stages of personal, social and emotional development scroll along at the bottom to see the various stages from 0-19 years Click last page for references
Personal, social & emotional development 1.1d
References
Aged 2-3 years
Children develop more control and strength at this age. They begin to have more control over their fine motor skills. They can turn pages in a book, and start to draw on paper. They can throw, kick and run! They may develop a prefered hand at this age. Burnham, L (2022)
Ages 3-7
At this age, a child's fine motor skills really start to develop: they are working on the skills of drawing, cutting, threading, doing puzzles and zipping their own coats up or fastening their own buttons! Their co-ordination is developing as is their confidence in these physical skills. Their gross motor skills are also improving, they can ride a bike, run, hop and walk upstairs. Burnham, L (2022)
Aged 1-2 years
Here's where it gets messy in the kitchen. Children start to feed themselves with a spoon. They can also hold a crayon or an object. Their bodies get stronger and they begin to walk, at first unsteadily. They might try and crawl or bump up and down the stairs. Burnham, L (2022)
Aged 12-16 years
There are rapid changes at this age. Enter the teenage years! Both girls and boys will enter pubity, with development varying. It's possible for girls to reach their full height by the time they are aged 13-15, though it can be later for boys. At this time, children also develop their strength and coodination. Burnham, L (2022)
Age 6-12 months
They can control their heads and roll over. They can shuffle or crawl. They may even pull themselves up! It's possible for them to sit without support. They start to pick things up and put them in their mouth. Burnham, L (2022)
Age 7-12 years
At this age, a child's gross motor skills are still developing, but children may develop a preference in how they like to move, e.g sports or dance, and will spend time practicing this skill. Their fine motor skills continue to develop and can be seen in skills such as learning a musical instrument. Some children start puberty towards the end of this range, most commonly girls. Burnham, L (2022)
Ages 0-3 months
At this age physical development is limited to primitive reflexes, their actions are not a learned response. In time the conscious brain takes over so they start to have some control over their movements. From around aged 3 months, babies start to control their hands and try to reach for objects. If they hear a sound, they can lift and turn their heads. Burnham, L (2022)
Ages 5-7
At this age children can use body language. They can understand longer stories and remember them over several days. They can understand words relating to feelings and descriptions. They can talk to solve problems, and they can tell jokes. They can take turns in conversation. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
Ages 7 to 12
Chidren are now considered fluent. They are able to learn and develop their understanding, including being able to use reason and explain abstract ideas. They can speak to adults they don't know. They can use more complex language eg. massive instead of big. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
Ages 3 to 4
By this age, children can make short sentences and link two sentences together using "and". They ask a lot of questions about the world around them? Why? Why! Why!? They can understand words related to colours, numbers and time. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
14-19 years
Children can now understand complex information. They can tell complex stories. Their communication and language skills can be used to read and write at the same level as adults. They can alter their language depending on to whom they are speaking. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
1-3 years
Children can start to use individual words between the ages of 1 and 2., and know about 20 words, including words such as "cup", "daddy" or "dog" and can point to things and say what they see. They can understand simple instructions like "where's teddy?" Between ages 2 and 3, their vocabulary continues to grow quickly and they can use simple sentences. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
12 to 14 years
Children at this age can use sarcasm, slang and be witty/humourus. They can change conversation topics easily and understand idioms. (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
Birth to 12 months
From birth, babies start to listen to and process speech and language. From the age of 2 months they can listen to the different tones people make, Between birth and 6 months, babies initially use crying to communication but later they start to make noises to communicate such as cooing and vocal play (use their mouth, e.g. "raspberry" noises using vibrations in the mouth and lips. Between 6 and 12 months, babies start to understand some phrases and recognise their own name as well as familar voices. They understand some words and they develop a small vocabulary. (www.gosh.nhs.uk)
Ages 16-19 years
Children are still growning at this age - they will soon be close to full adult maturity Boys may get stronger and their voices may continue to deepen. Physically, young adults switch from growth to maintainence of physical health. (NHS, 2025)
12 to 16 years
At school, children of this age start to focus more on subjects they enjoy. They being to question authority and social standards. They continue to develop their identity and moral reasoning. They can use abstract thinking and consider things from many view points. (www.stanfordchildrens.org)
16 to 19 years
At this age, the brain starts to reach maturity, however the prefrontal cortext doesn't fully develop until the mid-20s. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that helps manage emotions, thinking and behavior. Aged 16-19 children become young adults and start to become responsible, e.g. start working. They can identify career goals and work towards them. They develop new skills and hobbies and they are aware of consequences. (advocatesforyouth.org)
7 to 12 years
Regarding reading and writing skills, children are becoming more fluent at this age. Additionally their problem-solving skills are starting to develop. They will develop personal preferences (in school subjects and personal interests). They are still learning about themselves and will try new things. (Burnham)
Ages 3 to 7
Cognitive development is closely linked to language formation and development, and at this age, children can understand and use symbols (e.g. letters, numbers - important for reading and writing). They can sort simple pieces of information at this age. They are discovering the world around them. They being to learn about themselves and their own identity. (Burnham)
Birth to 2 years
Cognitive development (or intellectual development) is defined by how a child learns to think and process information. This includes using their memory and connecting their experiences. From birth to 2 years old, a child's neural pathways are formed. This means learning through developments in the brain. It is the brain's foundation for learning and grows through experience (repetitive experiences or new information). (https://pathways.org/understanding-neuroplasticity)
12 to 16 years
This is an emotional time for children, they experience many difference emotions. They experience changes in their bodies as they start to develop towards being adults. However, they still need adult support and may not be able to emotionally handle everything that happens to them during this age range (e.g. the challenges of growing up). Burnham)
16 to 19 years
As young people enter the life and world of adults, they start to discover their place in the world. Their emotional maturity develops and they start to experience life. Some aspects of life are social constructs, e.g. the age of being an adult, the age of consent, legal drinking age, the age a person can vote, drive a car or get a job. Young people are navigating life through all of this and they may still need support (Nottingham.ac.uk)
7 to 12 years old
A child's development is less rapid at this stage, is is more steady. Peer friendships become very important (usually of children of the same sex) and they spend lots of time talking to their friends. They enjoy group activites over playing alone and they respond to peer pressure. They start to understand the attitude of others and they start to develop their own opinions. (Burnham, kidcentraltn.com)
Ages 3 to 7
By this age, children are becoming more aware of the world around them. Their social skills have developed and they are able to share and take turns. They have friends they like/preferred friends. At age 3-4 they have developed more self control, eg. they are not having tantrums like they did aged 2. There is a little less seperation anxiety, though it can still often be hard when they leave for school. They start to become more independent and accept some responsbilities. (Burnham, buckshealthcare.nhs.uk)
Birth to 3 years
In the first 3 years of a child's life, they develop very quickly, though it's important to remember children don't always develop at the same pace. In this age range, babies/children develop close attachments to those people around them - they are dependent on them and get upset if they are seperated from them. By 18 months to 2 years they are becoming more independent and have tantrums if they don't get their own way. They can play with others but they can't share! (Burnham, buckshealthcare.nhs.uk)