How do you know if your baby, toddler or preschooler is on track to be a successful reader and writer? To do that, you need to know what typically developing children know and are able to do at certain ages and stages. Your child’s pediatrician has developmental checklists to track height, weight, vision, hearing, etc. which they assess during your visits. However, if you want to have an idea how your child is progressing on skills that will lead to successful academic development, a developmental checklist will help you know what to watch for, and then you can work on the things that will help your child’s skills move along.