Intellectual Development of Toddlers (1-3)

Brain Development

• Children learn about concepts & these concepts are placed into general categories of information- Adaptation, (new) assimilation

• Children adjust what they know with new information. They categorize & organize by color, shape, and size - accommodation

Examples: “balls are round and so are cookies”“grass & leaves are both green”

Brain Development

• Windows of Opportunity- time span for normal development of an area

Brain Function Window of Opportunity

Vocabulary & Speech 0-3 years old

Math & Logic 1-4 years old

Areas of Intellect

Attention• 1-3 have short attention

span due to sensory in the environment

• 1-3 easily distracted• By 3 able to focus on 1 task

for a longer period of time

Reasoning• Ability to solve problems,

make decisions, & recognize relationships

• Provide opportunities for decisions

Areas of Intellect

Perception• Information learned from

using the 5 senses• Sensory information

reinforces connections in the brain and sparks new ones

• Asks many questions

Memory• As children develop they are

able to react to a situation by remembering an experience

• Long term memory develops by age 3 (retain facts)

Areas of Intellect

Imagination• Uses imagination to connect

what they see and hear with themselves

• Respond carefully to imagination

• May help children cope with anxiety or scary concepts

Curiosity• Curiosity is what makes a

child wonder “why & how”• Parents must learn to

encourage curiosity and not stifle it

Types of Learning

Incidental • Unplanned Learning• Usually occurs when

children happen to so something and they learn from the experience

Trial & Error• A child will try several

different ways or solutions and then the activity, task, or item will work

Areas of Intellect Ways to Encourage Creativity1. Provide multipurpose toys2. Don’t criticize3. Give rewards4. Encourage exploration5. Provide uninterrupted

time

Creativity- imagination is used to produce original ideasDeveloped in early childhood

Types of Learning

Directed • Learning that is

the result of being taught by a parent, caregiver, or older sibling

Imitation• Learning by

watching others and then doing what they do

Readiness to Learn

• Children will learn new skills when they are physically and intellectually able to.

• Child cannot be pushed into learning something that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate

Readiness to Learn

Reading Readiness• Involves learning the

necessary skills needed for reading

• Focus on excitement• Teach children how to

handle books• During read aloud, point to

words• Let children choose what

they read

Math Readiness• Depends on the interest

level in learning math• Provide blocks & puzzles• Undirected play• Count and make games for

number recognition

How to Promote Learning

• Allow time to think• Model problem solving• Keep explanations simple• Exploration & Discovery• Think & Draw Conclusions• Provide lots of time & attention

Speech Development

• Language ability grows quickly• Inborn ability to decipher words &

sounds• Articulation (ability to speak clearly)

is not clear until age 3 or 4

Speech Development

12 months• Speaks 2 to 8 words• Children use 1-2 words

rather than sentences• Telegraphic speech

2 years old• Vocabulary is about 200 -

500 words• Start combining some

words to make sentences• Uses pronouns (I, we, you,

they)• Expressive language

Speech Development

2 1/2 years old• Begins to make words plural

by adding an s to the end of words

• Then starts to add s to the end of all words

3 years old• Say their name• Make all vowel sounds• 4 word sentences• P, B, M, W, H, D, T, N• Answer “what & when”

questions• Speak without repeating

words and syllables• 900 words

Intellectual Developmental Milestones of Toddlers

Year Milestone

One Finds hidden objectsVocabulary of 4-10 words

TwoFollows simple directionsIdentifies colorsPoints to objects and words in a bookRecognizes self in mirror

Three Sorts by color and shapeCan give 1 on commandSpatial conceptsCount & point to 3 objects

Word History Game

• Write the word neuroscience on your paper.• Fill in the following sentences1. Neuro is the Greek name for __________.2. The _______ was not always believed to be

________.3. Aristotle taught his students that _________

was stored in the heart.

Word History Game

4. Egyptians are credited with the oldest written document using the term _____________.5. Egyptians removed the ____________ through the nostrils.6. A document concerning _______________ was written in 1700 BC.