Toddler Learning and Development Introduction Unlike adolescents and adults, growth and development is different in infants and toddlers. Observations from the physical, cognitive and perceptual development show that toddlers and infants grow and develop at a faster rate than adults. The physical, cognitive and motor development in infants and toddlers is higher than the same development in adults. This paper is an analysis and interpretation of an observation conducted with an aim to understand the growth and development of toddlers and infants. It explains an observation of an infant boy named Taylor who is 8 months old. Taylor was born in North Carolina and has been living with his parents since he was born. In this observation, which …show more content…
After the first two 20 minute sessions observing Taylor’s physical development, the following two 20-minute sessions were on Taylor’s cognitive aspects of development. At first, Taylor didn’t show any interest in me. He seemed puzzled by my appearance and would frequently look at me. However, he seemed to have a good understanding of his mother. He would smile at her and was seen frequently lifting his hands when his mother came towards him. After some time, his mother gave him a piece of an apple. However, instead of putting it in his mouth as could be expected, he took some time to observe this new object that his mother gave him. He actually did not eat the fruit until his mother directed his hand towards his mouth. Once he tasted it, his mother left and he continued eating on his …show more content…
Cognitive abilities enable children to process the sensory information that they collect from the environment. According to Wood, Smith and Grossniklaus (2012), Piaget defined cognitive development as the progressive reorganization of the mental processes that results in biological experience and maturation. As numerous researchers have explained, children normally undergo many changes from birth to adolescents, most of them being growth related. According to Cook (2005), the changes in thinking is what researchers call cognitive development. In toddlers, cognitive development is observed through the early use of tools and objects, the child’s behavior when objects are moved in front of them and their understanding when objects and when people are in their environment. As observed with Taylor, he could easily tell that someone new had come in his house and he did not respond to me the way he responded to his mother. Cognitive development during childhood plays a vital role in their future abilities and
Statements made about a child that are inaccurate can lead to harming the child’s development, especially if it can lead to adults underestimating a child’s potential. This is why it is important to consider the reliability of the information that we gather and also the limitations of any observation methods that are used. • Avoiding bias It is really important at all stages of observing and assessing a child to be completely objective. Two people can record the same child doing the same activity and they can produce two very different observations, for example one person might decide that a smile is important and so they will record it but another person might decide otherwise.
Physical Science Physical Development D. Fine Motor Development 1. Demonstrates increasing control of small muscles Social and Emotional Development A. Pro-social Behaviors 3. Joins in group activities and experiences within early learning environments Language, communication, and emergent literacy C. Vocabulary 1. Shows an understanding of words and their meanings Cognitive A. Mathematical thinking f. Measurement 3.
This activity is appropriate for the toddler age group. The toddlers will create their own sun catchers. Provide different colors of tissue paper and show them how we tear the paper. Then provide contact paper with the sticky side up. The toddlers will place the paper they tore to the sticky side.
In Chapter 8, Dr. Ross Greene focuses on understanding when children try to meet expectations, they will encounter the different difficulties at different times (p.111). In infancy, the baby will not use words to convey their ideas. Feeding, sleeping, self-soothing, and development of social abilities are the main expectations. Infants are constantly evolving to reactions and abilities to meet these expectations. After children become toddlers, they have significant progress in the field of communication and movement.
Ethan is a 3-year-old baby boy, who spend most of his day at the Sea of Joy Daycare center, in the far North Side of the city. Roughly, there are twenty-five infants and toddlers in this daycare center. The Sea of Joy is a well-organized and safe daycare center. It has a great facility with multiple playgrounds and well-informed staffs. As I observed each child has unique behavior, some were easy going, shy, playful, and difficult.
I did my observation after the children had a recess period and came inside for a snack and play time. While observing the male child it was obvious to see where he was in cognitive, moral, psychosocial, and physical development. In the first ten minute of observation, the children had just come back from recess to have a snack. The five year old male child proceeded to the sink and washed his hands.
Within these months, Oliver experienced one of his good friends moving away, partial toilet training, simple phrases in the Spanish language, increased independence, and a more secure attachment. At 19 months, Oliver is able to imitate actions or words that he has seen or heard days before. He began to sort his toys according to basic colors and size – indicating an expansion of his categorical skills. In a developmental assessment at 19 months, Oliver’s results indicated an advanced skill-set in gross motor skills and concentration, and was age-appropriate in spatial ability and language comprehension. At 2 years, Oliver’s communication skills had grown tremendously, with telegraphic sentences forming the basis of his language development.
This theme addresses the question of whether or not children shape their own development. It is evident that the active child theme applies to the subject of infant cognitive development, as infants contribute to their development through the use of visual preferences and observation, interaction with the environment, and through the use of play. The bountiful research in the field of infant cognitive development serves as a confirmation that infants are not as inactive as they were once thought to be. Infants are the pioneers of their minds and they are able to gain a great deal of knowledge through their observation of the world
Well, becoming new to this world toddler want to soak up everything and as much as possible. That is why in this phase, toddlers are called “little sponges”. But once this is profound, they grow into “little investigators”. On this journey, children tend to learn about emotions and psychology, then can enhance their emotions and characteristics. When toddlers hit age two they understand and observe certain behaviors.
In part 4 we talk about the physical development and advancement in outset. Examining the example of development or the cephalocaudal design which is the grouping in which development continues through and through and the proximodistal design is the arrangement in which development begins at the focal point of the body and moves towards the furthest points. Moving into stature and weight it is said that the normal infant is 20 inches long and measures 7 pounds.newborns grown an inch each month in the principal year and triple their weight by their birthday. The most emotional change that an infant experiences is the adjustment in the cerebrum in the initial two years of life. After birth, the inflowing stream of sight, sounds, smells, touches,
Milestones Of Cognitive Development Cognitive Development Language and Literacy Development Infants - Explores the world with senses by looking, mouthing, and grasping - Initial reflexive actions become purposeful by four months - As a new born scans faces - Shows preference for contrast in visual display during first six month. - Begins to focus attention and make choices after many interactions with people and things - Cries, coos, and responds to human language from birth - Discriminate various speech sounds from as young as one month - Participates in a “dialogue” of sound and gesture - Beginning about four or five months, babbles strings of consonants and vowels, which finally shorten to one or two repetitions - Imitates the behavior of others,
Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist well recognised for his work in child development created a theory on the cognitive development in children which to this day still influences many educators, schools and communities. His theory explored the nature and development of human intelligence and in particular how children construct an understanding based on the world around them. Piaget’s theory is more commonly known as the “developmental stage theory” and he has distinguished nature of intelligence based on four stages in which children are assembled into based on age and ability. Additionally, Piaget believed that language, knowledge and understanding are all associated and acquired through cognitive development. This essay will explore the stages
The way a child is raised will have strong implications on how he will be during adulthood. Babies that have anxious ambivalent attachment cry when their moms left them in a strange situation. But when the mom returned they did not know whether to hug or avoid their mom when she returns (Ainsworth 1978 cited in Dixon,2003). Later in life this child will have trouble exploring the world because he doesn’t have a strong base with his mom. This is a certain example sensitive periods of time in a Childs life that is needed to happen to have him or her advance cognitive.
A child must be hindered and guided on the right path in order to develop to be an adult skilled enough to go to college or work in order to maintain him or herself. As an infant Alina displayed clear hormonal connection with my partner. Which shows neural connections within Alina that tell “what is mom” and “what is a stranger”, therefore helping strengthen her reflexes and senses. As early as 3 weeks Alina displays curiosity to the world around her, I decide to stimulate her senses by talking to her singing and playing music.
Piaget believed that the sensorimotor stage was in the two first years of life and that the child thinks with their senses using their eyes, ears, and hands (Berk, 2016). The infant I observed studied the toys she held feeling them with her hands pressing buttons and making chimes with the train. The infants and toddler that I observed had a great amount of cognitive development examples while watching the boy. The infants both had a good concept of the world around them and seemed to enjoy exploring it.