Birth to Age 3 - Social Development Guidelines

Babies’ interest in other people is clear to see in the early months of life, and grows into their interest in other children and shapes the foundation of relationships with peers.

By six months of age, infants can communicate with other infants by smiling, touching, and babbling. Early reactions such as crying in response to other babies crying are the signs that infants are developing empathy toward peers.

To develop these early behaviors into social skills, infants and toddlers should be guided in their interactions with peers and taught the social rules of these interactions. Caregivers and parents need to pay attention to the cultural differences in the rules of social interactions between children and between children and adults.

In addition, special attention should be paid to children with developmental delays or disabilities who may show challenges related to attention and imitation skills. Children with less knowledge of words may also find it difficult to establish relationships with peers and will need more support to be successful at communicating.

The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines

Are you interested in learning about the expectations for your child's development based on their age? The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines describe the path of children’s learning and development from birth to 8 years old. Broken down by age and major milestones, the guidelines are a sort of map, helping parents and caregivers navigate their child's early years. Experts from across Colorado developed these guidelines to create a shared understanding and a coordinated approach to learning and development.

Curious about what your little one is thinking at this age? Wondering what you can do to help them thrive and reach their developmental milestones? Check out the guidelines using the link below.

Browse the Guidelines

Download the Guidelines Document

Spanish version

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