Cognitive
Development
Toddler Years: One to Three
Role of Intelligence
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INTELLIGENCE:
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the ability to interpret and understand everyday
situations
To use prior experience when faced with new
situations or problems
The capacity to learn
We are all born with certain limits of possible
intellectual development
Heredity AND environment shape intelligence
Methods of Learning
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Four methods used for learning:
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Incidental - learning is unplanned
Trial and Error – tries several solutions before
finding one that works
Imitation – watching and copying others. Uses
the behavior of others as a model
Directed Learning – someone teaches you
results (usually a parent or care-giver at this age)
Concept Development
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Concepts are the general categories of
objects and information
Toddlers use broad generalizations that
often need to be sorted out
Young children often over-apply labels
Learn to categorize by color, shape and
size
Concept Development
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Relationships between things begin to be
recognized
Either/Or (“Big vs Little”) is understood as
early as 18 months
“middle sized” isn’t realized until approx. age
3
Alive vs not alive takes longer to understand
Concept Development
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Concept of time improves during the 2nd
and 3rd years
Begin to understand what “soon” means
Understands the difference between before
and after, but don’t understand yesterday,
today, and tomorrow
Minds at Work
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Intellectual Activity can be divided into 7
areas:
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Attention
Memory
Perception
Reasoning
Imagination
Creativity
Curiosity
Intellectual Activity: Attention
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Unable to block out all of the stimulants of the
senses around them
Results in being easily distracted
Toddlers act on those distractions and find it difficult
to stay focused on one thing for an extended amount
of time
As children mature, they develop the ability to ignore
the sensory interest
Memory
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Memory is necessary in order to learn
Short term memory is brief
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allows people to accomplish everyday tasks
without burdening the brain to store
unimportant information indefinitely
Long term memory is for more important
dates and information
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data enters short term memory first; if judged
to be important enough, it will be stored in
long term
Intellectual Activity: Memory in
Infants and Toddlers
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Babies begin to demonstrate memory early
Recognition of faces and voices
Most memory has to do with faces and food
Between 6 months and 1 year, babies
develop recall memory – ability to remember
for longer periods of time, especially things
with a strong emotional impact
Around 3 years, long term memory begins to
be developed.
Perception
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Information learned through the senses
Typical children’s questions “Why” and
“How Come” help to build a child’s
perception
Questions can seem endless, but they help
children learn
Reasoning
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Necessary to gain the ability to solve problems and make
decisions
Begin with simple problem solving and develop more
sophisticated reasoning skills
Need to give children opportunities to explore and make
decisions on their own
Start with decisions that have two options like choosing
between 2 books
Begin to gradually make decisions with more substance – like
what to wear and what to eat
When helping a toddler learn to make decisions, be sure to
provide them with options to choose from, rather than yes or no
questions
Imagination
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Imagination becomes apparent around age 2
Active imagination enhances learning because it
encourages children to try new things and act out a
variety of roles
Begin using household items to create play situations
Imagination can also help to cope with fear and anxieties
Important to recognize the difference between imagination
and lying.
Until age 5, children sometimes have trouble
distinguishing between what is real and what is imagined
Creativity
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Imagination is used to produce original
ideas
Often displayed in a way that others can
see – drawings, paintings, story, etc.
Can also be an abstract idea like a
daydream, rhyme, or song
Becomes an asset
throughout life
Curiosity
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Helps brain development and learning
Main cause for a child to ask “why” or “how”
Allows kids to want to try new activities
Parents can stifle creativity if they are too
overprotective
While kids need to be safe, they need to be
allowed to explore
Readiness to Learn
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Can only learn a new skill when they are
physically and intellectually ready
Being pushed to learn things they are not
capable of can cognitively harm a child
because of feelings of frustration and
failure
Make sure “helping” isn’t hindering
Reading Readiness
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Though children are not ready to read at this age,
they can begin to understand reading and enjoying it
Need to learn to enjoy books by being read to at a
young age
Allow the child to get involved by pointing to pictures,
turning pages, and guessing what comes next
Allow children to tell stories based on pictures
Work on letter recognition
Math Readiness
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Adults need to be conscious of how often
math is used and share those opportunities
with children
Math begins with exploring sizes, shapes,
amounts, and proportions
Work on number recognition and counting
using daily activities
Guide Learning
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Give your time and attention
Allow time for thinking and processing
Give only as much help as the child needs
Demonstrate how to solve problems
Keep explanations simple and on the level
of the child
Encourage children to explore, discover,
and draw their own conclusions
Evaluating Toys
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Is the toy safe?
Is it well made and durable?
Will it be easy to care for?
Does it encourage the use of imagination?
Is it colorful?
Is it easy for the child to handle?
Age Appropriate Toys
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1-2 years:
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2-3 years:
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Practices motor control – gross and fine
Coordination and understanding are improving
Desire to imitate and role play
3-4 years:
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Play becomes more complex
Balance and coordination are better
Speech Development
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Speech Pathologists are trained specialists who identify
and correct speech issues
Issues may be:
 not understanding what is said,
 not speaking at all,
 or speaks very little
Speech issues can begin being treated around the age
of 3, though sometimes sooner depending on the issue
Hearing issues, learning disabilities and mood disorders
can all contribute to speech difficulties
Speech: Articulation
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Articulation is the ability to use clear, distinct
speech
It is common for children to have difficulty with
articulation until 3 or 4
Problems usually correct themselves over time
If it is not self-corrected, speech therapy may
help
Speech: Stuttering
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Stuttering is a more serious speech difficulty
Occurs when a person speaks with sporadic
repetition or prolonged sounds
Different from hesitation or rushing to get a thought
out
Causes of stuttering are not fully understood
Experts recommend not finishing a word or sentence
for someone who stutters
All children with speech difficulties need to feel
encouragement from those around them