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Physical Development of The Toddler

Chapter 11Page 290

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Body Growth & Development

• Babies continue to grow quickly but not as quick as the first year

• Height & Weight• Toddler grow at different rates

• Due to environment & heredity

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• Environment• Diet• Exercise• Health• Even emotions

• Heredity• Genes determine

height• Weight

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Years One and Two

• Growth slows after first year• Most girls reach 53% of their adult height

by age 2• Boys usually reach 50% of their adult

height by 2

• Often true that a tall 2 year old will be a tall adult and vice versa

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Age 2

• Slow and steady growth rate• Gain 2 – 3 inches and 6 pounds per year

• Girls continue until about 11• Boys until 13

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Other Body Changes

• 24 months, head is ¼ of total height• Adult’s head is 1/10th.

• See charts on page 292 Figure 11-2

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Bones & Teeth• Bones continue to become harder• Degree of ossification not the same throughout

the body• Due to cartilage, bones are more flexible and less

likely to break than an adult’s

• Fontanels (gap between skull bones, soft spots) are closed or almost closed

• Full set of deciduous teeth• See page 294 Figure 11-5

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Fat & Muscle Tissue

• Fat deposits under skin decreases rapidly between 9 and 30 months

• Chubby baby becomes more slender

• Muscle development (the lengthening and thickening of muscles is slow during the toddler stage)

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Motor Development

• Large muscle development (refers to the development of trunk, arm and leg– Crawling, walking, jumping, running

• (gross motor skills)

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Walking

• Around 1st birthday may start walking unassisted

• Often girls walk before boys

• Pushing a baby to walk may not help and may hinder

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Beginning Walkers

• Stand with feet wide apart• Turn their feet outward and flex knees• Walk on tiptoes• Irregular steps, lurches, and weaves• Tilted spine lead them to lean forward

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Walking at Two Years

• May look like a run but it isn’t

• Rarely go around obstacles but over them

• Distraction leads to toddler falls

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Running

• True running begins at 2 years of age

• Not skillful runners

• Tends to be awkward

• Can’t stop or start quickly

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Jumping

• Moves arms backwards instead of using them to help the jump

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Climbing

• As soon as they crawl or creep• Between 15 to 18 months

• Hold to railing or hands

• Don’t change feet until after 2nd birthday

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Throwing & Catching

• Begin throwing by accident• Forget to hold on to object• Enjoy seeing object move through air

• Then start to throw on purpose• Begins at age 1• Throw from sitting position first and then

from standing position

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Small-Muscle Development

• Hands, fingers (fine motor skills)

• Eye-hand coordination—what they see with the way they move their hands

• With time and experience, clumsy becomes more adept

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• By end of first year, babies can hold objects between thumb and index finger

• 12 – 18 months holds spoon• Feed themselves and drink for themselves

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12 – 18 Months

• Toddlers can:• Remove hat and socks• Insert large objects into holes• Turn pages of a book several at a time• Begin to fit objects together• Build a tower of 2 to 3 soft blocks

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2 years

• Hit pegs with a hammer• Hold crayons and pencils• Cannot hold or write with a crayon or

pencil like an adult• By this age shows definite hand deference

(left vs right)

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Summary

• Grow more slowly in second year than in first

• Toddler’s bones continue to harden• Fat deposits under skin decrease• Brain matures at a faster rate than other

body organs• Full set of baby teeth present shortly after

2 years

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• Toddlers refine gross-motor skills (walking, climbing, and throwing)

• New skills emerge (running, jumping off objects, catching)

• Fine-motor skills depend on child’s level of eye-hand coordination

• Show definite hand deference by 2nd year

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Activity

• Page 302• Do the questions 1 – 10• Put your name on the paper and turn them

in

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Brochure

• Develop a brochure explaining toddlers’ motor skills

• Include information on the order of learning

• Explain actions used in walking, running, and jumping

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Find Equipment

• Visit websites and find toys and equipment which will provide activities a toddler could manipulate and enjoy safely

• Print out product information and photos to share with the class

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