Developmental Milestones and Screenings
DEC offers free resources to help parents track their children’s milestones and do developmental screenings. Screenings are easy and fun, and can tell you a lot about what your child can do!
The easiest way to do a screening is through Sparkler, a free app offered by DEC. Click here for more info on Sparkler.
What Are Developmental Milestones?
Milestones tell you how kids move, play, and talk at specific ages. All children develop at their own pace. But milestones can help you know if your child is on track for his or her age. This list shows you some examples of milestones.
By 3 Months
- Lifts and holds head up
- Attempts to reach for toys
- Shows interest in faces
- Coos and smiles
By 6 Months
- Begins to sit up without support
- Brings hands and objects to mouth
- Responds to their own name
- Uses babbling to get attention
By 9 Months
- Likes to look at self in a mirror
- Curious about things and try to get things that are out of reach
- Passes things between their hands
- Has favorite toys
By 18 Months
- Says several single words
- Walks by themselves
- Identifies common household items, like spoons, pillows, books
By 2 Years
- Says short sentences with two to four words
- Kicks a ball
- Points to objects or pictures when things are mentioned
By 3 Years
- Copies adults and friends
- Carries on a conversation using 2-3 sentences
- Climbs well
- Plays make believe
By 4 Years
- Hops or stand on one foot for 2 seconds
- Tells stories
- Draws people with 2 to 4 different body parts
These are just a few of many important milestones to look for. For more complete checklists by age, visit www.cdc.gov/ActEarly.
Supporting Your Child's Development with Sparkler
What Is Sparkler?
Sparkler is a mobile app. It is for all parents and guardians with young children ages 0-5 who want to understand and support their child’s early development.
With Sparkler, you can easily access free, multilingual developmental screenings to track your child’s growth and milestones. Sparkler also provides over 3,000 fun and purposeful play and learning activities to support your child’s development.
Why Use Sparkler
- Easy and Convenient: Complete developmental screenings anytime and anywhere that is suitable to your family’s schedule.
- Engaging Play Activities: Access thousands of thoughtfully curated play and learning activities designed to build critical developmental skills such as comprehension, motor skills, empathy, and many more.
- Early Support and Peace of Mind: Early screenings help identify your child’s strengths and areas that might need extra attention, providing reassurance and timely access to supportive services.
- Accessible for All Families: Sparkler is freely available in multiple languages, making it accessible to our diverse San Francisco community.
How Sparkler Works
- Download the App. Available for free on both iOS and Android. Use the access code SF
- Complete the Screening. Fill out the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). It covers important developmental areas such as communication, gross-motor skills, fine-motor skills, cognitive abilities, and social-emotional growth.
- Receive Personalized Results. Your results will be reviewed by the Early Connections Centralized Access Point (CAP) team. They will proactively reach out to you to discuss your child’s progress and support options.
- Explore Play and Learning Activities. Access over 3,000 carefully curated play and learning activities organized by age group. Activities are intentionally designed to build primary and secondary developmental skills such as comprehension, gross motor skills, empathy, and more.
More About Developmental Screenings
All babies and children should get developmental screenings. Sparkler is one tool to help you complete a screening, but there are many other options to get free screenings in San Francisco.
At your pediatrician’s office
Pediatricians screen children birth to age 3. Ask your pediatrician for a developmental screening.
At your child care program
All Early Learning For All child care programs screen children from 2 months to 5 years old. Ask your child’s teacher or provider if they screen your child.
At a Family Resource Center
There are family resource centers all over San Francisco. They offer many free services for families including free developmental screenings. Drop in or contact them to get a free screening.
For additional questions or support, contact the Early Connections CAP team directly:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 415-920-5040
Learn more about Early Connections.