Singapore Parents’ Guide to Developmental Milestones: 0-3 Years Month-by-Month Checklist

You find yourself watching your baby a little more carefully than you let on. Comparing. Wondering.

Maybe even Googling at 11pm while everyone else is asleep. Is this normal? Am I missing something?

If that’s where you are right now — you’re not alone, and you’re not overreacting.

Developmental milestones exist to give parents a framework, not a finish line. Every child blooms in their own time. But knowing what to look for — and what deserves a closer look — is one of the most powerful things you can do for your child in those early years.

A note before you read on:

This guide is written for parents who are curious, not for those who are panicking. The goal is clarity — to help you observe your child with confidence and know when to reach out.

If something in this guide resonates with what you’re seeing at home, we’re always here to help you make sense of it.

A note before you read on:

This guide is written for parents who are curious, not for those who are panicking. The goal is clarity — to help you observe your child with confidence and know when to reach out. 

If something in this guide resonates with what you’re seeing at home, we’re always here to help you make sense of it.

What Are Developmental Milestones — and Why
Do They Matter?

Developmental milestones are a set of skills or behaviours that most children can do by a certain age. They’re not a rigid test — they’re a map drawn from decades of research across thousands of children, refined by organisations like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and locally by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and the National University Hospital (NUH).

What Are Developmental Milestones — and Why Do They Matter?

Developmental milestones are a set of skills or behaviours that most children can do by a certain age. They’re not a rigid test — they’re a map drawn from decades of research across thousands of children, refined by organisations like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and locally by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and the National University Hospital (NUH).

In Singapore, our children are assessed at well-child visits using structured developmental screening tools — including the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2) and Singapore’s own HealthHub developmental screening guidelines. These tools help identify children who may benefit from early intervention — the earlier, the better.

“Teachers don’t create miracles. They create milestones.”

— Bridging the Gap, Singapore’s #1 Early Intervention Centre

The Four Domains of Child Development

When therapists and developmental paediatricians observe a child, they look across four interconnected domains. A delay in one area can affect others, which is why early and holistic support matters so much.

Domain What It Covers Examples
🏃 Gross Motor Large body movements, balance, coordination Rolling, sitting, walking, running
✋ Fine Motor Hand and finger control, eye-hand coordination Grasping, pinching, stacking, drawing
🗣️ Communication & Language Receptive understanding and expressive speaking language Babbling, first words, following instructions, sentences
🧠 Cognitive & Social-Emotional Thinking, problem-solving, emotional regulation, play, and connection Object permanence, imitation, pretend play, eye contact

Milestones at a Glance: 0–6 Months


These first six months are a whirlwind of firsts — first smile, first laugh, first time they track your face across the room. Your baby is taking in the world at breathtaking speed.

1 Month

Social & Communication

  • Reacts to sounds (startles)

  • Focuses on faces at ~20–30 cm

  • Makes brief eye contact

  • Cries to communicate needs

3 Months

Communication & Motor

  • Social smile (responds to yours)

  • Coos, gurgles, vocalises

  • Holds head up during tummy time

  • Follows moving objects with eyes

6 Months

Motor & Cognition

  • Sits with suppor

  • Rolls front to back

  • Reaches for and grasps objects

  • Laughs, squeals, blows raspberries

  • Recognises familiar faces

Seek guidance if your baby (by 6 months) does not:

  • Smile back at you or make social-emotional responses
  • Make any sounds or respond to sounds
  • Follow objects or faces with their eyes
  • Show any interest in people around them

Seek guidance if your baby
(by 6 months) does not:

  • Smile back at you or make social-emotional responses
  • Make any sounds or respond to sounds
  • Follow objects or faces with their eyes
  • Show any interest in people around them

Milestones at a Glance: 7–12 Months

This is the age of curiosity and cause-and-effect. Your baby is starting to understand that they can make things happen — drop the spoon, you pick it up. That’s not naughtiness. That’s science.

Age Language & Social Motor & Cognition
7–9 Months Babbles consonant sounds (ba, da, ma); responds to own name; understands “no” Sits independently; transfers objects hand to hand; begins to crawl or commando-crawl
10–12 Months  (1 Year) Uses “mama/dada” with intent; waves bye-bye; points to objects of interest; plays peek-a-boo Pulls to stand; cruises along furniture; uses pincer grasp (thumb + index finger); puts objects in containers

The joint attention milestone is one of the most important of this period.

By 12 months, your baby should be able to follow your finger when you point at something, and point to share their interest with you (not just to request). This “pointing to share” is a key early marker therapists look for.

The joint attention milestone is one of the most important of this period.

By 12 months, your baby should be able to follow your finger when you point at something, and point to share their interest with you (not just to request). This “pointing to share” is a key early marker therapists look for.

Milestones at a Glance: 13–24 Months

Welcome to the toddler years — possibly the most intense and most beautiful season of early childhood. Words start appearing. Walking becomes running. And opinions? Very much present.

15 Months

Language & Play

  • 3–5 words used consistently

  • Points to body parts when asked

  • Follows simple 1-step instructions

  • Uses objects appropriately (brush hair, drink from cup)

18 Months (1.5 Years)

Communication

  • 10+ words consistently

  • Attempts to imitate new words

  • Points to several body parts

  • Walks independently, begins to run

  • Scribbles with a crayon

24 Months (2 Years)

Cognition & Language

  • 50+ words; starting 2-word phrases

  • Follows 2-step instructions

  • Begins simple pretend play

  • Matches shapes and colours

  • Plays alongside (not just near) others

Seek guidance if your toddler (by 18 months) does not:

  • Use at least 6–10 words consistently and meaningfully
  • Point to show interest in things around them
  • Respond to their name reliably
  • Follow simple instructions like “come here” or “give me”
  • Show interest in other children or imitate actions

Seek guidance if your toddler
(by 18 months) does not:

  • Use at least 6–10 words consistently and meaningfully
  • Point to show interest in things around them
  • Respond to their name reliably
  • Follow simple instructions like “come here” or “give me”
  • Show interest in other children or imitate actions

The 18-month language milestone is often a turning point.

Research consistently shows that children who receive early intervention support before age 3 — particularly for speech and language — have significantly better long-term outcomes. If you are uncertain, an assessment never hurts.

Book a developmental consultation →

The 18-month language milestone is often a turning point.

Research consistently shows that children who receive early intervention support before age 3 — particularly for speech and language — have significantly better long-term outcomes. If you are uncertain, an assessment never hurts.

Book a developmental consultation →

Milestones at a Glance: 25–36 Months

By the time your child turns three, many parents start comparing more — with cousins, with classmates, with children at the playground. This is also the stage where developmental differences can become more visible in group settings.

Age Language & Communication Social & Cognitive Motor Skills
24–30 Months
(2.5 Years)		 2–3 word phrases; about 200+ words by 30 months; strangers can understand ~50% of speech Parallel play transitions to interactive play; begins turn-taking; shows empathy Runs confidently; kicks a ball; turns pages one at a time; stacks 6+ blocks
30–36 Months
(3 Years)		 3–4 word sentences; uses pronouns (I, me, you); asks “what” and “where” questions; strangers understand ~75% Pretend play becomes rich and narrative; plays co-operatively; follows 3-step instructions; understands turn-taking Jumps with both feet; pedals a tricycle; draws circles; uses scissors with help

Developmental Red Flags: When to Stop Watching
and Start Acting

Developmental Red Flags: When to Stop Watching and Start Acting

Paediatricians and developmental specialists often say: “Wait and see” has an expiry date. If you notice any of the following, don’t wait for the next well-child visit — bring it up with your doctor or request a referral for assessment.

By This Age Red Flag (Seek Assessment If…) Domain
2 months Does not smile socially or respond to faces Social-Emotional
4 months Does not coo or make sounds; does not follow objects with eyes Communication / Vision
6 months Does not laugh or squeal; does not reach for objects Social / Fine Motor
9 months Does not respond to name; no babbling; no back-and-forth vocal play Communication / Social
12 months No babbling; no gestures (waving, pointing); not pulling to stand Communication / Motor
16 months No single meaningful words Language
18 months Not using 6–10 words; does not point to share interest; limited pretend play Language / Social
24 months No two-word spontaneous phrases; not understood by family 50% of the time Language
Any Age Loss of skills previously acquired (regression) All domains — urgent

🇸🇬 In Singapore, children are assessed at birth, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 24 months, and 36 months through the Ministry of Health’s well-child surveillance programme.

If you miss a visit or if concerns arise between visits, your family doctor (GP) or polyclinic can refer you to a developmental paediatrician or an early intervention centre like BtG.

FAQs from Singaporean Parents

Bilingualism does not cause speech delay. While bilingual children may have a slightly different vocabulary distribution across their languages, their total vocabulary (across all languages combined) should still meet developmental milestones. Research from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and local studies confirm this. If your child’s combined word count across both languages is low, it’s worth getting a proper assessment.

“Wait and see” can be appropriate — but only with a clear plan and a set review date. The brain is most receptive to learning in the first three years of life. If your instinct says something is off, trust it. 

Getting an assessment doesn’t mean labelling your child. It means getting clarity. And if everything is fine, you’ll have peace of mind. If something does need support, early intervention can make a profound difference.

Excessive screen time can reduce the quality and quantity of face-to-face interaction, which is the primary driver of language development. The Singapore Health Hub guidelines recommend no screen time before 18 months (except video calls) and limited supervised time from 18–24 months.

If screen time has been high, reducing it and increasing interactive play is a good starting point — but it doesn’t replace a professional assessment if you have concerns.

Global Developmental Delay (GDD) refers to when a child is significantly below expected milestones in two or more developmental domains — it’s a descriptive term used before age 5 while the cause is still being established./span>

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by differences in social communication and the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviours.

A child can have GDD without ASD, ASD without significant GDD, or both. A multidisciplinary assessment is the only reliable way to distinguish these.

BtG’s team works with both, and with many other diagnoses too — every child’s profile is different.

In Singapore, the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) is a government-funded programme for children aged 0–6 with developmental needs, administered by SG Enable. Children are referred by a developmental paediatrician, polyclinic doctor, or hospital after a formal assessment. Subsidies are income-tiered. At Bridging the Gap, we work alongside the EIPIC framework and support families through the referral process. Contact us to find out more.

What Are Your Next Steps If You’re Concerned?

Here’s the thing about developmental concerns: your instinct as a parent is data. You know your child better than anyone else in the room.

If something doesn’t feel right — a quiet nagging feeling, a gap you’ve noticed, a comparison that won’t leave your mind — that is worth taking seriously.

  • Document what you’re observing — note specific behaviours with dates, and share these with your child’s doctor

  • Raise it at your next well-child visit — or make an earlier appointment if concerns feel urgent

  • Ask for a referral for a developmental assessment — most polyclinics and private paediatricians can facilitate this

  • Reach out to Bridging the Gap for an initial consultation — our team can help you make sense of what you’re seeing

  • Don’t wait for the “right time” — in early intervention, earlier always is better

Every unpolished gem contains brilliance waiting to be revealed. Sometimes all it takes is the right support — at the right time — to begin to bring it out.

Every milestone starts with a first step.

If you’d like to talk through your child’s development with our team, we’re here.

No pressure. Just a conversation.

Sources & Further Reading

  1. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – CDC’s Developmental Milestones
  2. World Health Organization (WHO) – Child Growth Standards
  3. KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) – Department of Child Development
  4. National University Hospital (NUH) – Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics
  5. Ministry of Health – Homepage
  6. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association – Homepage
  7. Singapore Health Hub – Homepage
  8. SG Enable – Homepage
The BtG Clinical Team

Bridging the Gap Team

Early Intervention Specialists & Multidisciplinary Therapists · Est. 2017

This article was written and reviewed by Bridging the Gap’s clinical team — comprising speech therapists, occupational therapists, and developmental educators with over 30 years of combined experience supporting specially-abled children and their families in Singapore. Bridging the Gap has supported over 1,000 families across Singapore since its founding.

The BtG Clinical Team

Bridging the Gap Team

Early Intervention Specialists & Multidisciplinary Therapists · Est. 2017

This article was written and reviewed by Bridging the Gap’s clinical team — comprising speech therapists, occupational therapists, and developmental educators with over 30 years of combined experience supporting specially-abled children and their families in Singapore. Bridging the Gap has supported over 1,000 families across Singapore since its founding.

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