Understanding how crawling builds the foundation for reading, focus, and coordination
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Picture your baby taking those first wobbly steps—arms outstretched, face lit up with determination and joy, maybe even a squeal of excitement as they realize, “I’m doing it!”
It might seem like just a small moment. A cute milestone to capture on video and text to the grandparents.
But here’s what’s really happening: behind those wobbly knees and excited squeals is a massive transformation taking place in your baby’s brain.
Crawling, standing, and walking aren’t just adorable milestones to check off a list—they’re literally building your baby’s brain for balance, focus, coordination, and even future learning.
As a pediatric occupational therapist and mom of three, I’m passionate about this topic because I’ve lived it. Today, we’re diving into phases 4 through 6 of motor development—from that first belly scoot all the way to independent walking—and I’m going to show you what’s really happening beneath those tiny feet.
The 2022 Controversy: Why the CDC Removed Crawling
Before we dive into the phases, we need to talk about something controversial that happened in 2022.
The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics made a decision that sent shockwaves through the therapy community: they removed crawling from their developmental milestone checklist.
And almost immediately, parents started hearing things like:
- “Crawling isn’t important anymore.”
- “Don’t worry if your baby skips it.”
- “As long as they’re moving somehow, it’s fine.”
But here’s what most parents don’t know: the therapy community—occupational therapists, physical therapists, and developmental specialists—strongly disagrees with this decision.
In fact, a recent survey found that 92% of pediatric physical therapists believed crawling was important, and 79% disagreed with the removal of crawling from the CDC checklists.
So if 92% of the experts who specialize in infant motor development think crawling matters… why did the CDC remove it?
The main reason was that they were unable to accurately determine when 75% of babies should begin crawling. There’s so much variation—some start at 6 months, others at 10 months.
Many of us in the therapy community believe that intentional research studies could have established an appropriate age range. But here’s the hard question: Who would fund such an expensive study? There’s no pharmaceutical company that benefits from babies crawling, so the research funding just isn’t there.
And as a result, parents are being told that crawling doesn’t matter—when the reality is far more complex.
Phase 4: Pre-Crawling and Crawling (7–11 Months)
What’s Happening
This is such an exciting stage because your baby is finally on the move—and their brain is firing on all cylinders!
If you haven’t already, it’s time to completely baby-proof everything. Because once your baby figures out how to crawl, there’s no stopping them.
The Crawling Journey
Your baby is going to experiment with all kinds of creative ways to move across the floor:
- The inchworm — where they scrunch up and push forward
- The “homologous” crawl — where the right arm moves with the right leg, and the left arm moves with the left leg (it looks a little like a bunny hop!)
- The army crawl — belly on the ground, pulling themselves forward with their arms
All of these variations are totally normal—and actually really important. Your baby is problem-solving, experimenting, and building strength.
So if your baby is doing some funky-looking crawl that doesn’t look like the “textbook” version, don’t worry. They’re doing exactly what they need to do.
The Big Transition: Hands-and-Knees Crawling
Then comes the big milestone: moving from sitting into quadruped (hands and knees on the floor, belly off the floor).
This position requires core strength, shoulder stability, and hip control. Once your baby has mastered quadruped, the magic happens—hands-and-knees crawling!
What’s Happening in the Brain
When your baby crawls on their hands and knees, they’re strengthening the corpus callosum—the bridge that connects both hemispheres of the brain.
This bridge is essential for:
- Coordination
- Reading
- Attention
- Future learning
Crawling is also refining the balance systems in the cerebellum and activating sensory pathways through the vestibular (balance) and proprioceptive (body awareness) systems.
In other words, crawling is doing SO much more than just helping your baby get from point A to point B. It’s wiring their brain for future learning and coordination.
Fine Motor Skills During This Phase
You’ll also start noticing some really cool fine motor skills developing:
✋ Pointing or poking objects with the index finger — this is called “isolated index finger use,” and it’s a precursor to writing
✋ Grasping and pulling the string on a toy
✋ Using a pincer grasp to pick up small items — like Cheerios or tiny toys
✋ Trying to hand you a toy — but not quite able to release it intentionally yet (that’s coming soon!)
OT Pro Tip: Helping Your Baby Transition to Hands-and-Knees Crawling
If your baby is having a hard time transitioning from army crawling (belly on the floor) to hands-and-knees crawling (belly off the floor), here’s one of my favorite tricks:
Place pillows as obstacles on the ground.
Your baby will have to activate their core and hips to maneuver over the pillow—and that’s exactly the skill needed for hands-and-knees crawling.
It’s simple, it’s playful, and it works beautifully.
Phase 5: Pre-Standing and Standing (8–12 Months)
What’s Happening
Now your baby is ready to defy gravity in a whole new way—standing!
But here’s the thing: before babies can stand, they must first master quadruped—that strong, stable base they built during crawling.
See how beautifully each milestone builds on the one before? This is why skipping steps can make the next phase so much harder.
The Standing Progression
From quadruped, you’ll start noticing new transitions:
- Tall kneeling — both knees on the ground, hands on a couch or table for support
- Half kneeling — one knee down, one foot planted on the ground (this looks like they’re proposing!)
- Pull to standing — that big, wobbly pull up to standing position!
The first time your baby pulls themselves up, you’ll probably grab your phone to capture it. It’s a huge moment—and for good reason.
Why These Transitions Matter
These transitions are strengthening the hips, core, and postural control systems that support walking and balance.
Every time your baby practices moving from quadruped to kneeling to standing, they’re building the strength and coordination needed for independent walking.
Fine Motor Skills Become More Refined
During this phase, fine motor skills are also leveling up:
✋ A mature pincer grasp to pick up tiny objects (watch out for crumbs on the floor!)
✋ Holding two toys and banging them together — that’s bilateral coordination in action!
When your baby bangs two toys together, they’re essentially saying, “Look, I can use both sides of my body together!” It might seem simple, but it’s a really important developmental skill.
Phase 6: Pre-Walking and Walking (12–18 Months)
What’s Happening
Now comes the phase every parent looks forward to—those first, wobbly, wonderful steps.
I remember when each of my boys took their first steps. You hold your breath, you reach out your arms, and you watch them take one step… then two… and then they plop down on their bottom with the biggest smile.
It’s pure magic.
But here’s what you need to know: walking doesn’t happen overnight.
The Walking Progression
Walking begins with:
- Cruising along furniture for support — moving sideways while holding onto the couch or coffee table
- Standing independently without holding on — just for a few seconds at first
- Taking that first confident step!
Walking is the culmination of everything your baby has been working toward—strength, balance, coordination, and sensory integration.
All those months of tummy time, rolling, crawling, and standing? This is what they’ve been building toward.
What’s Happening in the Brain
When your baby walks, their brain is activating deep neural pathways for balance, coordination, and spatial awareness.
The cerebellum, the brainstem, and the sensory systems are all working together in perfect harmony.
It’s like a symphony—and every instrument has been practicing for months to get to this moment.
Fine Motor Skills During This Phase
You’ll also notice fine motor skills continuing to develop:
✋ Building a small tower with blocks after you demonstrate
✋ Using both hands freely — with a hint of hand preference starting to emerge
✋ Releasing objects gently into your hand — intentionally this time!
Remember back in Phase 4 when they tried to hand you a toy but couldn’t quite let go? Now they’ve mastered that skill. It’s such a beautiful example of how development unfolds over time.
OT Pro Tip: Mealtime Support
Here’s a quick tip to help your baby during mealtime at this stage:
Purchase a low-profile bowl that suctions to the high chair tray. This allows your baby to focus on scooping foods like oatmeal with a spoon, and the bowl won’t slide across the tray as they’re trying to scoop and scrape.
The key is to make sure the edges of the bowl aren’t too high—you want them to be able to easily get the spoon in and out.
My Personal Story: Why Going Back to Crawling Changed Everything
Let me share why this topic is so deeply personal to me.
As I’ve mentioned in previous episodes, our son August experienced a severe GI inflammatory condition when he was just 3 months old. He had a feeding tube, constant reflux, and was labeled “failure to thrive.” He absolutely hated being on his tummy.
So as a result, he didn’t crawl.
After months of advocating for early intervention therapy services, his therapist suggested that we skip crawling and work instead on stationary standing and walking.
And we did. August started walking. But it was a disaster.
He didn’t know where his body was in space. He would constantly fall and get head injuries. His speech was delayed. His fine motor skills—like riding a strider bike, running, and jumping—were all behind.
I remember watching him struggle and thinking, “Something isn’t right. This doesn’t make sense.”
It wasn’t until we went back to crawling—back to those early developmental milestones he had missed—that we were able to make significant progress in all developmental areas.
His balance improved. His speech took off. His coordination transformed.
My personal experiences as both a mother and a therapist have made me so passionate about spreading knowledge about the importance of crawling. Because it made all the difference for our son.
And I know it can make a difference for yours too.
What to Do If Your Baby Is Delayed
Now that you know the major infant motor milestones from crawling to walking, you might be thinking one of two things:
“My baby seems to be a little behind—he’s almost 10 months old and isn’t sitting independently yet.”
Or:
“My baby is almost 11 months old and can’t seem to figure out how to crawl on her hands and knees.”
If that’s you, take a deep breath. You haven’t failed. And there is a path forward.
The Pediatrician Dilemma
Typically, when caregivers are concerned about their baby’s development, they go to their pediatrician. And that makes sense—your pediatrician is your baby’s healthcare partner.
But here’s what often happens: when parents bring their developmental concerns to the pediatrician, many doctors will tell caregivers not to worry and write off their concerns.
We often hear things like, “Don’t worry if your baby skips crawling—your baby will find another way to get from point A to point B.”
Now, I need to be really clear about something: I am not telling you not to trust your pediatrician. Pediatricians are experts in your baby’s health and wellness. They’re incredible at what they do.
But here’s the reality: they are not experts in motor development and the long-term repercussions of missing milestones.
That’s not their specialty. And that’s okay—we all have different areas of expertise.
The Early Intervention Process Is Too Slow
To make matters worse, once parents notice delays and seek help, the early intervention process can take months and months—from referrals to evaluations to therapy actually starting.
By then, we’ve missed a crucial window of opportunity for development and brain growth.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. When August was experiencing delays, I had to advocate hard—even as an occupational therapist—just to get him evaluated. The process took months.
And I remember thinking, “If this is difficult for me—someone who knows the system, who has the credentials, who speaks the language—how are other parents navigating this?”
Why WeeThrive Exists
That’s exactly why I started WeeThrive.
I wanted to make this knowledge accessible before families reach that point of desperation. Before months have gone by. Before critical developmental windows have closed.
WeeThrive gives you the therapy tools to help your baby right where they are in their developmental journey—so you don’t have to wait for months to see gains.
You don’t have to wait for permission. You don’t have to wait for a referral. You can start helping your baby today.
Listen to The WeeThrive Peds Podcast for the latest information and child development tips. Also, sign up for The WeeThrive Weekly to hear about the latest WeeThrive workshops and courses.
Key Takeaways: What You Need to Remember
Let’s recap what we covered today:
✅ In 2022, the CDC removed crawling from milestone checklists—but 92% of pediatric PTs disagree with this decision
✅ Phase 4: Crawling (7–11 months) — Strengthens the corpus callosum, activates the cerebellum, builds coordination for future reading and attention
✅ Phase 5: Standing (8–12 months) — Requires mastering quadruped first, builds hip and core strength
✅ Phase 6: Walking (12–18 months) — The culmination of everything: strength, balance, coordination, sensory integration
✅ Crawling is NOT just about mobility—it’s wiring the brain for coordination, reading, attention, and emotional regulation
✅ When we skip steps, we miss critical developmental windows
✅ The early intervention process takes too long—parents need tools NOW
What’s Next: Tummy Time Deep Dive
In Episode 4, we’re diving deep into tummy time—why it matters, how to make your baby love it (not just tolerate it), and all my best OT tips for success.
You won’t want to miss it!
Free Resource: Download Your Baby Motor Milestone Checklist
Want a simple, visual guide to track your baby’s progress through all six phases of motor development—including crawling variations?
📥 Download your FREE Ultimate Baby Motor Milestone Checklist here
Listen to the Full Episode
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About Sarah Cook, MOTR/L
Sarah is a licensed pediatric occupational therapist and mom of three boys—including one with Down syndrome who is now her strongest, most coordinated crawler. She created WeeThrive to empower parents with evidence-based tools to help their children thrive—especially when the medical system says “wait and see.”
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