Intellectual Development of
Toddlers
Godbey – Unit 3
How Toddlers Learn
According to Piaget
• Children learn by discovering new
ways to solve problems.
• Beginning of thought occurs from 18
to 24 months
Should a caregiver do
everything for a toddler,
such as dressing him or
her, because it saves
time?
Discovering New Ways to
Solve Problems
• From 12-18 months, children are busy
exploring
• Piaget called them “little scientist”
– Active Explores and Experimenters
• Curious about EVERYTHING!
Working Towards a Goal
• Toddlers can begin to solve common
problems
– Open Doors
– Feed themselves
– Dress themselves
Beginning of Thought
• Around 18 to 24 months, toddlers
think about what they do before they
do it!
• For example, a two-year-old will
discover in thought that a large
object will not fit though a small
opening in a container
Thinking and Imitation
• Deferred Imitation – The ability to
recall an observed behavior and later
imitate.
• Used in:
– Pretend Play
– Language
Thinking and Goals
• Shows in reaching goals
– What goals would toddlers have?
• Reach a toy on a high shelf
• Learn how a toy works
Thinking and Shape, Size,
Color and Texture
• Toddlers continue to use their sense
to learn about their world.
– Red Ball
– Big Dog
– Smooth Shirt
• How would a toddler describe the
following objects?
Thinking and Object
Exploration
• Toddlers also learn more about what
will happen as they handle objects.
–
–
–
–
Throwing
Rolling
Shaking
Moving Objects
Thinking and Language
• Learning Language
– Associate the word with the person or
object to which it refers
• Milk is a certain liquid, but different than
water or juice
– Children must recall the word and its
meaning when they hear the word or
want to say it.
Balloon
Cookie
Shoe
Teddy Bear
Language Abilities
• Begins with PARENTESE
– When parents speak in a high-pitched
style!
Learning Spoken Language
• Age 1 to 3 = Develops at a faster
rate than at any other time in a
person’s life
Learning to Articulate –
(making the sounds of language)
• Children who cannot make one sound
will substitute another.
– For example:
• D for th (dat for that)
• “per-slip” for “slipper”
• “seepy” for “sleepy”
• A few children articulate most
sounds correctly from the beginning
Learning Meanings: A Major
Brain Development Activity
• Wiring for language is very active in
the toddler years
• How many words a child understands
is related to how much a parents and
other caregivers talk to him/her.
– Parents/Caregivers who use complex
sentences have children who use them,
too.
Meanings of Words
• Cows may be called “moo”
• Stove may be called “hot”
Vocabulary
• Most children’s vocab grow slowly
until 18 months to two years of age.
• The fastest growth occurs around 30
months of age.
Single-Words
• First Words are usually nouns
• For toddlers, actions verbs may
include hi, bye-bye, run, fly
• Next a child learns descriptive
words (adjectives and adverbs) such
as big, hot, pretty, loud and fast.
Two or More Words
• After 19 months = 2-3 word sentences
• 24-30 months = 3+ word sentences
– “All Gone”… becomes “Milk is gone.”
– “Fly Bird”… becomes “Bird is flying.”
Foldable Time!
• Page 314
• Factors for Language Development