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7: Toddlers (15 Months to 3 Years)

  • Page ID
    234018
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    Learning Objectives

    After completing Chapter Seven students will be able to:

    • Discuss physical development and growth in toddlerhood
    • Describe the importance of play
    • Summarize Piaget’s theory of toddler development
    • Describe how toddlers learn and remember
    • Discuss specific safety concerns for toddlers
    • Describe the nature of language and how it develops in toddlerhood
    • Discuss emotional and personality development in toddlerhood
    • Explain how social contexts influence the toddler’s social and emotional development
    image of a one year old toddler girl sitting in front of balloons spelling out "ONE".
    One year old toddler © Photo by TiAchen Aier on Unsplash is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license

    A child’s first birthday is a big celebration! Beyond the cake, this moment should also be savored as the calm before the storm. Once a child turns one, if they are not walking already, the child will soon be walking and then running! This is the year of independence as a child develops autonomy-a sense of self. Autonomy in early childhood means letting children know that they have control over themselves and the choices that they make. With the new independence that walking brings, there is also a tumultuous ambivalence that can be challenging for those in a child’s life. Temper tantrums emerge because of this ambivalence. Although exhausting for parents and caregivers, the life of a toddler also brings excitement and joy as they watch their rapid development and growth over the next couple of years. Welcome to toddlerhood!

    • 7.1: Physical Development for Toddlers
      This page outlines the physical and developmental milestones of toddlers, highlighting growth patterns and the influence of genetics and nutrition. It discusses bowel and bladder control, emphasizing the importance of readiness for toilet training. Safety concerns for toddlers, including car seat safety, are addressed. It also delves into the significance of immunizations, addressing parental concerns about vaccines and autism.
    • 7.2: Cognitive Development for Toddlers
      The page discusses early childhood brain development, highlighting that 80% of a child's brain develops by age three. It covers cognitive and language growth in toddlers, emphasizing Erikson's stages of trust vs. mistrust and autonomy vs. shame, and Piaget's sensorimotor stage. Toddlers learn through imitating behaviors, exploring, and pretend play, and their language skills grow significantly during this time. Joint attention between caregiver and child facilitates cognitive development.
    • 7.3: Social and Emotional Development for Toddlers
      At 18 months, toddlers achieve various developmental milestones. Socially, they begin to hand objects to others, point to show interest, exhibit fear of strangers, and display affection towards familiar people. Temper tantrums and behaviors like biting and aggression are normal as they lack language skills to express needs or feelings.


    This page titled 7: Toddlers (15 Months to 3 Years) is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Deirdre Budzyna and Doris Buckley (Remixing Open Textbooks with an Equity Lens (ROTEL)) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.