Toddler Developme nt

In the twelfth month of life, the infant can walk holding on to another‟s hand. They can sit down after standing and can build a tower of two blocks. They can turn pages in a book and can follow moving objects, even when they are moving quickly. They can say three or more words besides “dada” and “mama”. They comprehend many different words and often repeat the same words over and over again. They can imitate animal sounds and can recognize the names of objects. They follow simple commands and are affectionate with others. They develop a sense of independence and will stay close to parents when in a strange situation. They search for objects that have been lost.

Figure 2 describes infant motor skill development:

Figure 2

TODDLER DEVELOPMENT

This section is on the physical development of the toddler. The child becomes a toddler by the age of twelve months. Now, they are interested in balls and can throw and kick balls by the age of twenty-four months. They can roll balls back and forth with another person and can kick a ball. They can catch balls but often miss.

Between twelve and eighteen months, the child can walk well and like to push or drag toys. They can walk forward while looking backwards. They need toys that can be pushed or

pulled. At twelve to eighteen months, they can also squat on the ground to pick objects off the ground. They learn to climb during this period and take physical risks. They need to have objects to climb on so they can develop climbing abilities.

Between eighteen and twenty-four months, toddlers learn to run. They learn how to play tag and like chasing others or being chased by others. Between twenty-four and thirty-six months, they can be potty trained and no longer need to wear diapers during the day. They are usually big enough to get on an off the toilet but may use a toilet training chair instead.

At twenty-four to thirty-six months, the toddler learns how to jump off objects and learns to jump from a standing position. They can play games that involve jumping.

Figure 3 shows what toddler development in large motor skills looks like:

Figure 3

Toddlers develop emotional and psychological milestones as well as physical milestones. Toddlers between the ages of twelve to thirty-six months like to be read to. They like pictures and books with sounds. They learn early reading skills, such as how books work, reading from left to right, storytelling, and the fact that stories have a beginning, middle, and end. They like to play with books and pretend to read.