TODDLER DEVELOPMENTKatie Krentz

Foundations of Child Development

TODDLERS➤ I chose to research toddlers

because my daughter recently turned two. I am extremely interested in this age group because of the immense amount of information children learn at this stage. I love the excitement in a child’s eyes as they learn a new concept for the first time, and I love to see a toddler practice an activity over and over again until they get it just right.

Picture of toddlers in my home daycare.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLERS➤ Ossification, new bone tissue, forms around growth plates to

strengthen bones.

➤ Full set of 20 deciduous teeth come in.

➤ Myelination occurs which refines the way information is processed through the brain.

➤ Toddlers typically are three times their birth weight by 12 months. They weigh around 30 pounds by age 2. And, weigh 30-40 pounds by age 3.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT SKILLS OF TODDLERS

➤ Around the 1 year mark toddlers generally crawl, stand, walk, begin climbing stairs (on hands and knees/feet), scribble, stack up to 4 objects, throw overhand, and bring food to mouth.

➤ The 2 year mark brings running, coordinated walking, jumping with both feet, squatting, turning pages, assisting in the dressing routine, walking up stairs unassisted, grasping writing utensils with whole hand, stacking up to 6 objects, throwing underhand, and holding a cup.

➤ By 3 years most toddlers are able to balance on one foot and on tiptoes, hop from one foot to the other, walk in a straight line, climb a ladder, dress unassisted, trace objects, stack up to 10 objects, pump on a swing, and feed self with better precision.

SUPPORTING PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLER

Parents and caregivers can assist toddlers in physical development by encouraging and providing opportunities for climbing, drawing, dressing, throwing and catching, stacking, sorting, running, jumping, filling and emptying, and pushing and pulling. ➤ Take family or group walks.➤ Provide outdoor water play.➤ Create obstacle courses.➤ Dance to music.➤ Wash cars or pets.

THEORISTS ON PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT➤ Erikson’s autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage is where toddlers

master their physical environment. If they are met with positive reactions and encouragement they will develop autonomy.

➤ Piaget’s sensorimotor stage of development is how the child uses physical interaction with their environment. The preoperational stage is where the child still needs to be involved in physical situations as they are unable to use abstract conceptualization.

➤ Vygotsky’s theory sees play as an integral part of development. A child who partakes in physical play is in constant dialogue with themselves or others. Toddlers use play as a means of communicating.

➤ Bronfenbrenner created a model of the environmental influences on the life a child. The physical domain is developing through experimenting with the environment as a toddler becomes aware of their surroundings.

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLERS

➤ Toddlers are now capable of following simple directions.➤ Toddlers begin to experiment with the world around

them, such as people, animals, colors, textures, and sounds.

➤ Jean Piaget categorized much of the toddler years in the preoperational stage of cognitive development. This stage prepares children for the operational stage which consists of being able to process thoughts, understand time, and categorize multidimensionally.

➤ Toddlers are generally egocentric and focus solely on themselves and their perspective of the world.

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT SKILLS OF TODDLERS

➤ 1 year olds are able to explore their surroundings, find and name pictures and objects correctly, copy gestures, and begin using objects correctly.

➤ 2 year olds begin to sort shapes and colors, complete familiar sentences and rhymes, play pretend games, and can follow two-step directions.

➤ 3 year olds are capable of understanding number sense, can draw shapes, do puzzles, and can screw and unscrew lids.

SUPPORTING INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLERS

Parents and caregivers can provide many opportunities for intellectual development in toddlers.

➤ Activities with textures➤ Measuring activities (kitchen, clocks, or counting).➤ Labeling items to allow children to help clean up.➤ Organizing and sorting. ➤ Puzzles and shape sorters.

THEORISTS ON INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

➤ Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development refers to the conflict of autonomy vs. shame and doubt where toddlers learn the beginning skills for independence.

➤ Piaget’s stages of cognitive development place toddlers in the sensorimotor stage followed by the preoperational stage. The sensorimotor stage develops object permanence. The preoperational stage incorporates learning through pretend play.

➤ Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development focused on challenging toddlers with the zone of proximal development. This includes providing activities that are just outside of their grasp of understanding to allow for the greatest development.

➤ Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory would state that toddlers learn from the environment. Toddlers are influenced by the people and things that surround them.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLERS➤ Young toddlers generally use holophrase which is the use

of one word to display an entire idea. ➤ Toddlers then move on to telegraphic speech which

involves two-word phrases to create the context on the idea.

➤ Around age 2 children will experience word explosion where a surge of vocabulary occurs.

➤ Around 3 years children will be capable of adding more information in the speech.

➤ Along with vocabulary, children also begin to understand that tone, volume, inflection and cadence can change the meaning of their words.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT SKILLS OF TODDLERS

➤ 1 year olds are capable of responding to simple verbal requests, use gestures such as waving or shaking their head, and begin repeating words.

➤ 2 year olds can point to things that are named, can say sentences of two to four words, can follow simple instructions, can repeat words, know names of familiar people, and know names of body parts.

➤ 3 year olds can follow multistep instructions, name most familiar things, say their first name, age, and gender, talk well enough for strangers to understand, and have conversations containing multiple sentences.

SUPPORTING LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLERS

To support language development in toddlers they need to hear a vast range of vocabulary in different contexts.

➤ Read books.➤ Sing songs or nursery rhymes.➤ Ask open-ended questions. ➤ Create a running dialogue about the world around

them.➤ Repeat what the toddler says back to them so they can

continue to hear proper pronunciation of words. ➤ Do not use baby talk with children.

THEORISTS ON LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT➤ Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development focus on language

as a developmental task in the crisis of autonomy vs. shame and doubt. Erikson would say that caregivers need to promote language development by offering positive support for the child.

➤ Piaget would see little difference between toddlers thinking aloud and talking with others. Language at this stage is focused on naming objects and learning new words.

➤ Vygotsky would say that language in toddlers begins separately from thoughts. Language and thoughts would begin to merge around 3 years of age.

➤ Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory would say language in toddlers develops based on their environment, especially the microsystems and mesosystems.

EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLERS

➤ Toddlers begin to show empathy such as crying when another child is crying.

➤ Most 1 year olds partake in parallel play which involves children playing side-by-side with little interaction.

➤ 2 and 3 year olds begin to interact more with peers involving taking turns and role-playing. This type of play is termed as associative play.

EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SKILLS OF TODDLERS

➤ 1 year olds generally are shy or nervous around strangers, show separation anxiety, show preference for certain people and things, and enjoys playing games such as peek-a-boo.

➤ 2 year olds begin to copy others, show excitement around other children, gain more independence, become defiant at times, and play with other children.

➤ 3 year olds start to copy adults, show affection, take turns, show empathy, show emotions, easily separates from caregivers, and might get upset with routine or schedule changes.

SUPPORTING EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLERS

Caregivers and parents can support the emotional and social development of toddlers by responding to the child’s needs.➤ Be affectionate and nurturing.➤ Assist the child in resolving conflict in an appropriate way.➤ Make the child feel safe at all times. ➤ Promote an appreciation for all cultures.➤ Nurture differences in all people. ➤ Help children learn there is give and take to all

relationships.

THEORISTS ON EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

➤ Erikson would say toddlers in the autonomy vs. shame and doubt crisis are developing independence, self-assurance, and initiative.

➤ Piaget would say play in the life of a toddler provides the child with many opportunities to develop social competence through continuous interactions with peers.

➤ Vygotsky believed that socialization had a large impact on the development on a child. Toddlers who are placed in a care center with other children their age are more likely to develop positively as they work with their peers to learn.

➤ Bronfenbrenner would say that the way a toddler interacts with their environment is what shapes their development. The immediate people in a toddler’s microsystem and mesosystem have the biggest influence on the child’s development.

“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.”

-Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the United States

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES OF TODDLERS

➤ Around 1 year toddlers begin using gestures to represent their wants and needs, play social games such as peek-a-boo and patty cake, make sounds for beginning language, and respond to their name being called.

➤ Around 2 years toddlers show skills in pretend play, have a vocabulary of at least 50 words, combine at least two words together to make sentences, enjoy parallel play, and finds familiar objects when prompted.

➤ Around 3 years toddlers enjoy pretend play, enjoy playing with their peers, talk about the past and future, and use more words to create sentences.

DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE ACTIVITY FOR TODDLERS

DRAMATIC PLAYDevelopmental Domain Connection:

➤ Physical: Toddlers are developing fine motor skills when putting dress-up clothes on including fastening snaps or buttons and pulling pants up or shirts down.

➤ Intellectual: Toddlers are developing decision making skills when determining what scenario to play and they are developing problem solving abilities when they turn their hand into a pretend phone.

➤ Language: Toddlers are developing new vocabulary when describing their pretend play scene.

➤ Emotional: Toddlers are discovering that they can take on a new role, such as a baker, and that they are capable of being anything they want to be.

➤ Social: Toddlers are learning to share and take turns and how to play together instead of side-by-side.

THEORISTS OPINIONS OF DRAMATIC PLAY

➤ Erikson would say dramatic play is a child’s way of learning how to cope with their feelings as they act out different emotions. Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development would place the toddler ages into the autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage. This would be explained as children using dramatic play to act out their feelings of self doubt, independence, and their sense of self-control.

➤ Piaget would say dramatic play does not result in the learning of new concepts, but is a replication of concepts already learned and understood. Piaget would also say the purpose of dramatic play is solely for pleasure and the practice of things already learned. According to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development a toddler would be grouped into the sensorimotor stage and then the preoperational stage. Toddlers in the sensorimotor stage of development would be described as using their senses during dramatic play to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell what is happening in this activity. Toddlers in the preoperational stage of development would be described as egocentric in their dramatic play by seeing everything to be theirs or about them.

➤ Vygotsky would say dramatic play not only practices what a child already knows, but also facilitates intellectual development. Vygotsky would say the social aspect of dramatic play is most important to a child’s development. He would also link the zone of proximal development (ZPD) to dramatic play by discovering what the child can and cannot do independently. For example, a toddler who can put on a firefighter’s jacket but cannot fasten the buttons independently. Using ZPD the caregiver would step in and instruct and assist the toddler with the skill of fastening buttons. This scaffolding teaching technique would continue until gradually the toddler showed signs of independence for fastening buttons.

➤ Bronfenbrenner would say dramatic play is constantly effected by the child’s environment. Bronfenbrenner would see dramatic play being displayed in ways that a particular environment has shaped them. If a child is raised in an abusive home, or microsystem, their dramatic play might include inappropriate language and showing emotions of anger or frustration. A different example could be seen in a child who comes from a single parent home. This child’s dramatic play might involve just a mother or father instead of both.

DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE ACTIVITY FOR TODDLERS

MUSIC TIMEDevelopmental Domain Connection:➤ Physical: Toddlers are developing fine motor skills by manipulating

different instruments with their hands and fingers.➤ Intellectual: Toddlers are learning cause and effect when using their

hands to bang on a drum. ➤ Language: Toddlers are developing language when describing

sounds they hear, such as a tinkling bell, a squeaky horn, or a crashing cymbal.

➤ Emotional: Toddlers are discovering that they can make music and that music can make them feel emotions, such as happiness, sadness, or even anger.

➤ Social: Toddlers are learning to take turns and how to work together to create different sounds.

THEORISTS OPINIONS OF MUSIC TIME➤ Erikson would say music time is a way children can express their

emotions. In the psychosocial stages of development toddlers are said to be in the crisis of autonomy vs. shame and doubt. This stage can be represented in toddlers as they develop their independence and their capability to create music. Emotions can be expressed in music by playing loud or soft, or gently or aggressively.

➤ Piaget would say creating music is an activity which does not produce new development. Instead, this activity is based on concepts already known and developed by the child. A child may be able to blow a horn because they already know how to blow bubbles or blow candles out. Piaget’s stages of cognitive development can be seen in playing music. Toddlers in the sensorimotor stage would be using their senses to make music, such as seeing how to play a certain instrument or hearing what a new instrument sounds like. Toddlers in the preoperational stage would be influenced by their environment. They might make music by banging on furniture in their environment.

➤ Vygotsky would say music time is a healthy part of development relating to social interactions and cultural contexts. Cultures can be displayed in music by playing different instruments such as a marimba, ukulele, or zither. Vygotsky would use the zone of proximal development (ZPD) to develop a toddler’s musical ability. If a toddler is constantly playing the triangle at a loud volume the teacher might use scaffolding to assist that toddler in playing at a softer volume.

➤ Bronfenbrenner would say toddlers are influenced by their environment, especially the microsystem and mesosystem of the ecological systems theory, in regard to music. If a toddler is exposed to jazz music at home they might be interested in playing with a horn instrument. Also, if a toddler is influenced by a religious community they might show interest in playing or hearing well know tunes, such as ‘Amazing Grace’ or ‘This Little Light of Mine’. Bronfenbrenner might also say children can hear music in nature, such as the wind in the tress, the rushing of a river, or birds singing.

2 year olds engaged in parallel play (my daughter is on the right)

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