Skip to content

Tag Archives: development

TODDLER DEVELOPMENT

Cathy Malley
Cooperative Extension Educator, Child Development
University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension

YOU WILL LEARN:

 

what to expect from toddlers.
that toddlers grow and develop at their own rate.
some activities that toddlers enjoy and that help them grow and develop.

TODDLERS

When children learn to walk, they are called toddlers. Usually this term is applied to one and two-year-old children. This is a stage in the growth of a child and not a specific age.

The toddler stage is very important in a child’s life. It is the time between infancy and childhood when a child learns and grows in many ways. Everything that happens to the toddler is meaningful. With each stage or skill the child masters, a new stage begins. This growth is unique to each child.

Children have their own time-table. During the toddler stage, most children learn to walk, talk, solve problems, relate to others, and more. One major task for the toddler is to learn to be independent. That is why toddlers want to do things for themselves, have their own ideas about how things should happen, and use “no” many times each day.

The toddler stage is characterized by much growth and change, mood swings, and some negativity. Toddlers are long on will and short on skill. This is why they are often frustrated and “misbehave.” Some adults call the toddler stage “the terrible twos.”

Toddlers, bursting with energy and ideas, need to explore their environment and begin defining themselves as separate people.

They want to be independent and yet they are still very dependent. One of the family day care provider’s greatest challenges is to balance toddlers’ need for in-dependence with their need for discipline. Toddlers are very concerned with their own needs and ideas. This is why we cannot expect them to share.

Toddlers sometimes get frustrated because they do not have the language skills to express themselves. Often they have difficulty separating themselves from their parents and other people who are important to them. Adults who work with toddlers often find it helpful to appreciate toddlers’ need to do things their way.

Usually between two and one half and three years of age, children begin to take an interest in being toilet trained, and by age three they are ready to be known as preschoolers. By this age, most children are toilet trained, have developed verbal skills, are continuing to be more independent, and
are taking an active interest in the world around them.

The toddler stage can be a difficult for adults and toddlers. An understanding of this stage of development can make it more fun for everyone. This fact sheet lists some of the characteristics of toddlers. These characteristics are listed for three main areas: physical (body), social (getting along with others) and emotional (feelings), and intellectual (thinking and language) development. Remember that all toddlers are different and reach the various stages at different times.

 

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

ONE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

– They may grow less quickly than during infancy.

– They may eat less, but they tend to eat frequently throughout the day.

– Most walk without support by 14 months.

– Most walk backward and up steps by 22 months.

– They get better at feeding themselves, although spills should still be expected.

– They drink from a cup with help.

– They can stack blocks.

– They can scribble.

TWO-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

– Children are generally more active than at any other point in their lives.

– They walk, run, climb, walk up and down stairs alone, and dig.

– They throw balls and kick them forward.

– They jump with two feet together.

– They stand on tip toes.

– They take things apart and put them back together. They like to screw and unscrew lids.

– They feel discomfort with wet or soiled diapers.

– They start to show an interest in toilet training.

 

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ONE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

– They want to do things independently.

– Temper tantrums are common.

– They enjoy playing by themselves or beside (not with) other children.

– They have difficulty sharing toys. They may be possessive.

– They cannot remember rules.

– They view themselves as the center of the world.

– They become increasingly more self-aware. They begin to express new emotions such as jealousy, affection, pride, and shame.

– They show increasing fears.

– They may continuously ask for their parents.

– They have rapid mood shifts. Their emotions are usually very intense but short-lived.

– Routines are very important.

TWO-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

– They begin to play simple pretend games. Their fantasy play is very short and simple. It does not involve others.

– They are generally very self-centered and sharing is still difficult. They enjoy playing near other children.

– They try to assert themselves by saying “no.”

– They sometimes do the opposite of what is asked.

– They like to imitate the behavior of adults and others. They want to help with household tasks.

– They become frustrated easily.

– They refuse help.

– They still need security.

– They are more sure of themselves than one-year-old children.

 

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

ONE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

– They are curious.

– They point to objects that they want.

– They imitate animal sounds.

– They name familiar people and objects.

– They combine two words to form a basic sentence.

– They use the pronouns me and mine.

– They use “no” frequently.

– They name body parts and familiar pictures.

– They use objects for their intended purpose.

– They begin to include a second person in pretend play.

– Their attention span is short.

– They can hold a pencil and scribble.

– They are very active.

– Because of their developing imagination, they have trouble knowing what is real and what is pretend.

TWO-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

– They follow simple directions.

– They use three or more words in combination.

– They express their feelings and wishes.

– They use objects to represent other objects.

– They still have a very limited attention span.

– They can memorize short rhymes.

– They join in simple songs.

– They begin to think about doing something before doing it.

– They have trouble making choices, but they want to make choices.

ACTIVITIES TO TRY

1. Take some time to watch your toddlers playing. Notice the differences in their physical development: height, weight, how they relate to you and to other children, and their energy levels. Some children seem to never sit still, while others seem happy to sit down with a book.

2. Toddlers learn by exploring and experimenting. They love to do things over and over. Some activities that toddlers enjoy are listed below.

ONE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

– Roll a ball to them to catch.

– Provide blocks for them to build with.

– Provide safe mirrors for them to look at themselves in. Talk with them about their reflections in the mirror.

– Let them fill containers over and over again.

– Have them listen and move to music.

– Play hide and seek.

– Let them push or pull a favorite toy.

– Provide wheeled toys without pedals.

– Look at picture books with them and talk about the pictures.

– Talk about the size, shape, and texture of everyday objects.

– Make comparisons such as “this ball is bigger than that ball.”

– Talk about cause-and-effect relationships such as “if you push this block, the whole pile of blocks will fall over.”

TWO-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

– Encourage toddlers to run, jump, and climb outside.

– Sing simple songs with them.

– Sing and act out songs with simple movements.

– Play pat-a-cake.

– Teach them simple finger plays.

– Tell them simple, short stories (especially those about themselves or other two-year-old children).

– Let them pound a toy workbench.

– Let them play in a sandbox. Give them water to measure and pour.

– Let them stack blocks and other objects.

– Provide things that can be taken apart and put back together (such as pop beads).

– Ask children to name things in the pictures of picture books. Give them the correct word if they cannot think of it.

– Give them simple directions to follow.

– Play matching games and use simple puzzles with them.

– Encourage pretending by providing dolls, housekeeping toys, dress-up clothes, and toy telephones.

– Introduce art activities such as scribbling and/or painting with crayons, chalk, and paint.

– Provide play dough and finger paint.

– Begin toilet training when the toddler is ready. Also, begin teaching hand washing and tooth brushing.

– Encourage the development of routines.

 

RESOURCES TO EXPLORE

*1 2 3 Grow!*, a newsletter for parents of toddlers, Cooperative Extension
Service, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.

*Discipline For Young Children Series* by Elaine Wilson, Cooperative
Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078.

 

 

DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care – NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension Service Children Youth and Family Educational Research Network. Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only(not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care – NNCC.
Malley, C. (1991). *Toddler development*. (Family Day Care Facts series).
Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts.

Any additions or changes to these materials must be preapproved by the author (see ACCESS Information below).

COPYRIGHT PERMISSION ACCESS
Gretchen May
Tillson House
University of Massachusetts
Box 37605
Amherst, MA 01003-7605
PHONE:: (413) 549-8800
FAX:: (413) 549-6337
E-MAIL:: gmay@coopext.umass.edu

Some humanity generally old who are facing sundry health problem, such persons can get drugs from the Web without any problem. There are a number of reliable internet drugstores that will offer legitimate discounts. Finasteride is one of the perfect treatment options of all season. If you’re concerned about Finasteride, you have to learn about propecia price and propecia cost. How you can get detailed information about finasteride price? Here are few key points about Finasteride and finasteride cost. Alopecia is the general medical term for hair loss. By the way, there are some of possible explanations and pharmacists are commonly able to pinpoint your problem through tests. Of course, take Finasteride exactly as set by your health care provider. Remember that purchasing medicines without a recipe humanity usually get false generics.

Child development chart: Preschool milestones

By Mayo Clinic staff

Every child grows and develops at his or her own pace. Still, child development tends to follow a fairly predictable path. Check out these general child development milestones for ages 2 to 5. If your child’s development seems to be lagging behind in certain areas, share your concerns with your child’s doctor.

Age 2 Age 3 Age 4 Age 5
Language skills
Links two words together Identifies most common objects Describes the uses of common objects Uses compound and complex sentences
Speaks clearly enough for parents to understand about half the words Says first name and age Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand Says full name and address
Knows some adjectives (big, happy) Uses pronouns (I, you, we, they) and some plurals Uses verbs that end in “ing” and some irregular past tense verbs, such as ran and fell Uses future tense
Speaks about 50 words Answers simple questions Tells simple stories Understands rhyming
Social skills
Becomes aware of his or her identity as a separate individual Imitates parents and playmates Cooperates with playmates Wants to be like friends
May become defiant Takes turns Tries to solve problems Follows rules
Becomes interested in playing with other children Expresses affection openly Becomes interested in new experiences Understands gender
Separation anxiety begins to fade Easily separates from parents Becomes more independent Wants to do things alone
Cognitive skills
Begins to play make-believe Plays make-believe Becomes involved in more complex imaginary play Uses imagination to create stories
Begins to sort objects by shape and color More confidently sorts objects by shape and color Prints some capital letters and names some colors Correctly names at least four colors and counts at least 10 objects
Understands some spatial concepts (in, on) Understands more spatial concepts (over, under) Understands more complex spatial concepts (behind, next to) Distinguishes between fantasy and reality
Scribbles Copies a circle Draws a person with two to four body parts Copies a triangle and other geometric patterns
Finds hidden objects Understands the concept of two Understands the concepts of same and different Understands the concepts of time and sequential order
Physical skills
Walks alone and stands on tiptoe Walks up and down stairs, alternating feet Stands on one foot for at least five seconds Stands on one foot for at least 10 seconds
Climbs on furniture and begins to run Kicks, climbs, runs and pedals tricycle Throws ball overhand, kicks ball forward and catches bounced ball most of the time Hops, swings and somersaults
Builds a tower of four blocks or more Builds a tower of more than six blocks Dresses and undresses May learn to skip, ride a bike and swim
Empties objects from a container Manipulates small objects and turns book pages one at a time Uses scissors Brushes own teeth and cares for other personal needs

Some people generally old who are facing sundry soundness problem, such persons can get drugs from the Web without any problem. There are a number of reliable internet drugstores that will offer legitimate discounts. Finasteride is one of the unimprovable treatment options of all season. If you’re concerned about Finasteride, you have to learn about propecia price and propecia cost. How you can get detailed information about finasteride price? Here are few key points about Finasteride and finasteride cost. Alopecia is the general medical term for hair loss. By the way, there are some of possible explanations and pharmacists are commonly able to pinpoint your problem through tests. Of course, take Finasteride exactly as preassigned by your health care provider. Remember that purchasing medicines without a prescription humanity usually get false generics.