For every developmental achievement, there is an average range in which a child may accomplish that achievement For example, walking may take place as early as 8 months or sometimes not until 18 months and be considered normal.

One of the reasons it is recommended to see your pediatrician at regular intervals is to check your child's development. Any concerns on the part of the doctors, parents, teachers, or childcare providers are important to discuss for the well being of the child.

Below are some general guides lines of some of the things you might see children doing at different ages, but these are NOT precise guidelines. There are many different paces and patterns of development.

Infant -- birth to 1 year

* learns to drink from a cup

* should be able to sit alone, but sometimes will still require support

* starting to make sounds such as da- da

* Begin to smile back at you

* Getting a first tooth

* Pulls up on side of crib or table

* Rolls over by self

* Begins to understand the meaning of the word "NO"

* Walks around furniture while holding on to it

* Takes first steps

Learning new skills such as how to walk, talk, and the skill that most parents' look forward to potty training well not the actual training process but certainly the end result of not changing any more diapers. It is exciting to watch your toddler develop new skills. The progress of children aged 1-3 can be broken down into the following areas:

* Large motor - walking, running, climbing

* Fine motor - feeding themselves, coloring

* Sensory - seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling

* Language - saying single words, then sentences

* Social - playing with others, sharing, doing role playing

Toddlers do not learn new skills at the same rate. Your child may be doing well in some areas and a little bit behind in others. If you are concerned about possible delays, talk to your child's pediatrician.

Children learn new skills at their own pace, so it's impossible to tell exactly when yours will learn a given skill. The developmental schedule shown below will give you a general idea of the changes you can look forward to as your child grows and develops, but don't be alarmed if your child is progressing differently.

Toddler -- 1 to 3 years

* Able to eat by their self

* Able to draw a straight line

* Able to run, turn, and walk backwards

* repeat their first name

* Begins to ride tricycle

* Can name pictures of common objects and point to body parts

* Dresses self with very little help

* Copies speech of others

* Learns to share toys (without adult direction)

* Learns to take turns (if directed) while playing with other children

* Recognizes and labels colors appropriately

* Recognizes gender differences

* Uses more words and understands simple commands

* Uses spoon to feed self