Tracking Milestones 101

Tracking developmental milestones 101!

As we explained in a Georgia Parent Power blog post earlier this year, paying attention to your child’s developmental milestones can go a long way in helping you support your child’s individual development of important skills as well as give you an early warning if your child seems to be having problems. Remember, each child is unique and so is their development and mastering of skills.

When tracking milestones, children most often achieve certain skill levels within a specific age range. Your child may reach some skills ahead of the suggested age and others a few weeks after. Developmental milestone age ranges should be used as a guideline, not as an absolute timeframe. However, these research-based parameters are valuable in identifying possible delays and concerns early which allows for intervention sooner.

What milestones should you track?

The good news is that it has never been easier to understand and track your child’s development. There are many different organizations that provide explanations, checklists and even free, easy-to-use apps for use on your smartphone or other device.

  • Milestone tracking most often begins at two months of age, and last through your child’s fifth year. Find a source that list the milestones, along with examples, you should be aware of for each age.
  • Utilize checklists that assess gross and fine motor skills, language skills, cognitive skills, and social skills.
  • Be aware that “developmental” milestones differ from “growth” milestones. Developmental is concerned with the learning of more complex abilities while growth refers to a child’s size.

What should you do if your child is not meeting the milestones for his age?

If you are concerned about your child’s progress and think there could be a problem, call your pediatrician to share your worries. Be sure to talk with other important people in your child’s life such as grandparents and child care providers to help you monitor his progress and support his development.

More information:

Summer Camp Safety

Summer Camp Planning

Summer camp should be fun! But it’s also important that summer camps be a safe place for children to play and learn. Be a wise consumer in selecting the right camp experience for your child.

This year Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is partnering with Quality Care for Children (QCC) to help parents find summer camps and child care programs for the summer. Parents can verify their camps by visiting www.qualityrated.org to see if it is either licensed or exempt from licensing.

If parents prefer, they can speak with a summer camp referral specialist by calling 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS (877-255-4254) Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. with early hours beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Monday/Wednesday and extended hours until 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday/Thursday.

QCC encourages parents to consider the following questions when selecting a summer camp or child care program:

  • Is the program licensed, Quality Rated, or accredited? If not, has the program been granted an exemption by DECAL?
  • Has the owner/operator screened all staff, with what methods, and how thoroughly?
  • What are the hours of operation, fees, and payment procedures?
  • Are parents/guardians welcome to visit at all times?
  • Is there a daily lesson plan?
  • What are the program’s health, safety, and nutrition policies and procedures?
  • Does the staff/child ratio and group size fit into the Georgia maximum staff-to-child ratio?
  • Is the staff well-trained? Do they have experience with early childhood/school-age care or children with special needs? What about CPR and First Aid training, or appropriate licensing for transporting children?

Reading & Writing

Early literacy is sometimes confused with a child’s ability to read and write at a young age. In reality, early literacy means the development of oral language and literacy skills that begins at birth through every day interactions such as talking, singing and reading to your baby. From these activities, babies develop listening skills and an interest in sounds.Parents, siblings and child care providers play an important role in helping young children understand the language that they will eventually use themselves.

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Good Nutrition

More than 80 percent of children do not eat enough of the healthy foods that their brains and bodies need for nourishment. Not having enough or proper nourishment can affect a child’s learning ability and concentration, and can cause them to be overweight.

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Read Across Georgia Month

Growing young readers may take some time and commitment on your part but the benefits are so much greater than you can imagine. Begin sharing books with your baby as soon as you are able, and carve out time each day – before bed, in the early afternoon, or after bath time – whatever works for you.Reading aloud to your child builds many foundational skills, introduces vocabulary, provides a model of fluent, expressive reading, promotes bonding and helps children understand that reading is for pleasure as well as learning.

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Identifying Quality Care

When considering a child care program, whether it is a center-based provider or a family home, it is likely that your search criteria includes several factors: child safety, cost, location, hours of operation, and curriculum. All of these factors are extremely important, but what about some of the components that are not as easy to see or find out such as are the children participating in age-appropriate learning.

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