When your child is between two and two and a half, you'll be offered an appointment with the health visiting team at a family hub or at your home. This is an important review looking at the health and development of your child and your family. This will help you and your child as you start thinking about getting ready for school.
You'll talk about;
- Communication: the words your child is saying and how well they understand instructions.
- Gross motor skills: the big movements your child does like walking, running and throwing a ball.
- Fine motor skills: the careful hand movements your child makes like turning a page or picking up food.
- Problem solving: the way your child plays and how they try different ways to make something work.
- Personal and social skills: how your child plays alongside other children and becoming more independent.
- Family life including sleep, toilet training, immunisations, healthy eating, physical activity, tooth brushing and more.
If your child is in a childcare setting, they might have a review at a similar age. It's important to have both reviews, as they cover different areas of your child's health and development.
Supporting your child
There are lots of groups and activities that can help your child get ready for school. Your health visitor can also connect you to specialist services if your child needs support from a different team.
All children grow and develop differently. If you have any questions about child development before or after the two year assessment, call the health visiting team on 0191 282 3319. You can also call the team to reschedule your appointment.