Last Updated on May 25, 2025 by

Early Childhood in India: Every child requires early childhood age to develop their cognitive abilities and social bonds as well as their physical attributes.

Social smile by two months.
Four months of head holding.
Nine months of sitting alone.

Crawl after a year.
Individual 15-month period.
18 months of walking alone.
Reach the upper and lower levels in 24 months.
A child should be able to see, hear, and listen.

By six months, hold the rattle.
Move items from one hand to the other by nine months.
Twelve months of pincer grasp.
By 15 months, placing toys or other items in a container.
By 18 months, Scribble
Self-feeds by 24 months using a spoon or hand.

Hearing :

Becomes sound-sensitive by two months.

Reacts to the mother’s voice by four months

Turns one’s head or eyes to a whisper. Six months.

Answers the name within nine months.

Coos or squeals by two months

• Create screaming noises by four months
• By six month of age, child may say one letter like “p”, “b” & “m”
• At 9 mth of age of child, s/he may be able to say one word like baba, mama & kaka etc.
• Speaks one significant word every twelve months.
• Baby during 15 months of birth, may be able to say two words other than : baba & ma like cat & ball etc.
• At about 18 mth old, babies are able to tell at least 5 different words
• By age 24 months Child can speak two words that combine these elements as “mama-milk” and “car-go.”
• 36 months to speak sentences

By two months of eye contact
Four months after the object
Watches TV for six months without cocking their head.

Refrain from running into things when moving for nine months.
By 15 months, placing tiny items in a cup

social smile by two months
reaches out for something six months in advance.

Poor hands by four months
Seeks a spoon or a six-month-old toy that has fallen
Answers her name within nine meters
Responds to “no” within a yearlooks for concealed objects by the end of the year.
15 months pointing at objects
By the age of fifteen months, the child uses toys to pay by pulling or prodding.

Mimic household chores at the age of 18 months
Acting as you are also at the age of two years old.
By two years, parallel play
Skipped three years of play.

Features of Mental retardation : Early childhood in India

1. A Slow Reaction
2. Inability to Understand Quickly
3. Lack of Clarity 
4. Inability to Learn Fast
5. The inability to make a decision
6. Focus problems
7. Short-tempered
8. Unable to Recall 
9. Insufficient Coordination
10. Development Delay

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT : Early childhood education India

Social smile by 2 months

Enables parents to choose arms by six months.

Adores peek-a-boo by nine months.

Distinguishes known faces from unknown ones by a year.

At the age of 15 month, a baby can be able to imitate different phrases like “bye bye” & “namaste”.

24-month parallel play

Head holding by 4 months & Rolls over by 6 months :

Sit alone by 9 months

Crawl by 12 months  

Stand-alone  15 months

In Indian context most of the children walk alone by 15 months  and stand alone by 12 months,

What does walking alone mean for mothers ?

12 months to 15 months, walk alone by 15 months 

 Walks well means he can walk while pulling a toy by 18 months :

2 years one step at a time with holding

Climb upstairs and down stairs :

 3 years alternating feet without holding

Hold rattle by 6 months :

•Grasps an object with the center of his or her palm, using his thumb and the whole palm

Pincer grasp by 12 months.

Once they reach 9-months, they start being able to move objects from the palm of one hand to the other.

Placing any types of objects or playing toys in a container during 15 months of age.

Scribble by 18 months

Able to feed self in his/her hand or through spoon during 24 months

Pattern of child development (Flexion to extension):

FAQs:

Q1. What is ECD-early childhood development?

Ans. The medical field describes early childhood development (ECD) as the physical along with emotional and social and cognitive growth that occurs between birth up to approximately 8 years of age. From the moment of birth until reaching approximately 8 years old children experience physical as well as emotional and social and cognitive advancement.

Q2. Why ECD important?

Ans. Early childhood development excellence allows individuals to achieve life success with good well-being throughout their entire lives.

Q3. The fundamental domains which make up early childhood development consist of what four categories?

Ans. As below for Early childhood

• Motor activities like movement, motor skills etc.
• Cognitive development viz. thinking, problem solving etc.
• Emotional development socially i.e. relationships with other members, feelings etc.
• Development in Language in children like speaking, understanding

Q4. Early childhood growth depends heavily on which foods children eat.

Ans. The proper development of the brain along with physical growth depends heavily on good nutrition because it also strengthens immunity and prevents both present and future developmental problems.

Q5. What is the important role of parent in ECD?

Ans. Early childhood development greatly depends on parental involvement which consists of what specific roles parents should play. Children receive emotional backbone plus stimulation and nutrition from parents while their safety needs are met along with opportunities to learn from playful activities and interactive conversations.

Q6. What indications signal that a young child is developing healthily?

Ans. As below for Early childhood

• Meeting milestones viz. walking, talking
• Always curiosity with topics with engagement
• Socially active
• Communicating and development of skill

Q7. When parents be alert about developmental delays of their child?

Ans. Parents should become concerned about developmental delays which arise when their child fails to reach specified milestones during appropriate periods of their growth. Parents must bring their child for early professional evaluation with pediatrician or specialist when major developmental milestones such as walking at 18 months or using simple speech at 2 years are missed.

Q8. What confined mechanisms early learning institutions implement to support young students during developmental stages?

Ans. These play activities are helpful for children at preschool as they improve their social skills, thinking, emotional control and prepare for entering kindergarten.

Guideline of WHO for Early Childhood development and its link as mentioned below: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/97892400020986

Thanks and Regards.

Note: This information is suggestive only and not a replacement for medical advice. For more details please visit to my website as mentioned below:

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