Development & Learning Bundle
A strengths-based learning and development set for play, communication, milestones, concerns and early support pathways.
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Development Guide
Preview the opening pages on the website before buying the downloadable PDF. The full guide includes 45 pages, printable tools, references and clear professional-help pathways.
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Calm, evidence-informed support for Australian families
Development Guide
A practical companion for parents and carers — milestones, play, movement, communication, feelings, learning and getting help, from birth to 5 years.
A warm welcome
How to use this guide
This guide is a companion for the busy, curious, sometimes worried work of raising a young child in Australia. It is written to be calm, practical and easy to dip into. There is no need to read it from cover to cover.
If you have a few minutes
- Read the Quick summary for the calm version of what matters most.
- Skim the Milestone map for your child's age.
- Bookmark the Getting help pathway for when you need it.
If you are worried
- Look at When to seek help for your child's stage.
- Use the Usually normal vs seek help tables.
- Bring the Before a check-up checklist to your GP or nurse.
Who this guide is for
Mums, dads, partners, grandparents, foster and kinship carers, single parents, same-sex parents, breastfeeding and formula-feeding families, culturally and linguistically diverse families, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, families raising neurodivergent children, families of children with developmental delay or disability, and any caregiver who loves a child from birth to 5 years.
A few gentle promises
- We will not pretend every child is the same.
- We will not blame you for variation in development.
- We will name when something is worth checking, kindly and clearly.
- We will point to trusted Australian services, free where possible.
Australian sources
Plain language
Evidence-informed
Strengths-based
Neurodiversity-affirming
Start here
The calm version
Development is the everyday way children grow, move, communicate, think, play, relate and manage feelings. The first five years matter because warm, responsive relationships and small daily experiences shape a child's brain, learning, health and behaviour for years to come. Children develop at different rates. Milestones are guideposts, not a parenting scorecard. [1][2][9]
Moverolling, crawling, walking, climbing
Handsgrasping, stacking, drawing, dressing
Talksounds, gestures, words, stories
Thinkcuriosity, memory, problem-solving
Relatebonding, play, feelings, confidence
What matters most
- Warm, responsive relationships and being known by safe adults.
- Everyday play, talk, songs, books and shared attention.
- Plenty of movement, outdoor time and active floor play.
- Enough sleep, food and gentle routines.
- Limited passive screen time and lots of live conversation.
- Regular child health checks and listening to parent worry. [1][4][9][10][14]
Why early support helps
- The first 5 years are a sensitive time for brain development.
- Small targeted help often works better than waiting for years.
- Support does not need a diagnosis — concern is enough.
- If your child loses skills they once had, ask for advice promptly.
- If you feel something is not right, you can ask a professional now. [2][6][11][12]
Variation is normal — and so is asking
Some children walk early, some talk late, some are quieter, some are louder. Variation is part of childhood. But if a milestone is well outside the usual range, if concerns sit across more than one area, or if your child loses a skill, asking your GP or child and family health nurse is a kind, sensible next step.
Unlock the full PDF
The full guide includes 45 pages, printable tools including observation sheets, development questions, appointment notes, support pathways, trusted resource links and safety guidance. It is part of the First Years first 2000 days library.
Also available in bundles
Bundle options keep related guides together and reduce the total price.
Complete First Years Library
The complete First Years guide library: every premium guide plus the two free guide PDFs in one organised early-years resource set.
$99 AUD Save $141
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