Monitoring a child’s development is important in the early detection and correction of developmental problems. For example, if children have been missing their language and cognitive milestones (e.g. a 2-year old child still can’t say at least two words together), this problem should be corrected early on. Or, the cause of the problem might be something serious and this requires professional intervention. 

Monitoring a child’s development 

Proper monitoring, as well as early professional intervention if necessary, can prevent a child from being left behind. This problem is serious and can be long term because when some children are left behind in their development, the negative effects can accumulate and reinforce one another. 

For example, if children still can’t follow simple instructions, this problem can get worse in the coming months and years. When they can’t follow simple instructions from parents or early learning educators, children won’t be able to keep up with the daily activities at home or early learning centre. As a result, they won’t experience much fun and miss out on the important learning activities and experiences of the day. This can go on for the next weeks and months. 

Also, that problem might just be a sign or symptom of something more serious (e.g. problem in hearing or speech). If that problem is not spotted early on, children will be left behind further and even experience frustration and isolation (they’re clueless and helpless of what’s actually going on). 

Why developmental milestones are important 

To spot those problems early on and see if a child is being left behind, it helps to know some of the developmental milestones. These milestones are the skills often expected for a child of a certain age. 

For example, a 2-year old child is often expected to be able to do the following: 

• Can use gestures such as nodding 
• Can hold and play with more than one toy simultaneously 
• Can eat with a spoon 
• Can already recognise other people’s emotions such as being sad or upset 

This is a rough guideline because a 2-year old child might be able to do more or they’re just being left behind for a bit (might just be delayed for a few weeks or months). Children will be able to develop important capabilities sooner or later and perhaps catch up with other kids. 

But if you have concerns, it’s good to talk with the educators at the early learning centre (or they will notify you immediately once they’ve noticed an issue). They can better enlighten you about what’s going on and if further intervention is necessary.