Age TWO Development
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Age TWO Development
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Vanessa Family Day Care
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Language
skills--which include listening, comprehension, speech, reading, and writing--enable
your child to communicate, while laying the foundation for all of your childs future learning. Keep in mind that language
skills vary tremendously among preschoolers, more so than any other developmental area. Some children are naturally more talkative
than others, but it doesnt mean they are necessarily more advanced. At age 2, a child understands most of what you say. During
this year, his vocabulary may reach 500 words. He may be able to use two- to three-word sentences, and will start to use plural
and past-tense words. Many 2-year-olds can follow a storys plot and will understand and remember ideas they hear in books.
These activities will encourage language skills in your 2-year-old child:
Listening and talking
Listening to books that encourage interaction by touching, pointing, naming objects, or repeating certain phrases Playing copy-cat games in which the adult copies Babys sound & vice versa Chanting nursery rhymes Playing word & finger games like This Little Piggy & Open, Shut Them Using adjectives to describe objects (e.g., a towel might be big, blue, & fluffy) Physical - Children with well-developed physical coordination
feel better about themselves & their bodies, making them better prepared to learn
& take on new challenges. Running, jumping, hopping, skipping, and climbing are examples
of activities that develop a child's physical, or large-muscle, skills (also known as gross motor skills). At age 2, you may
find that your child has endless energy--she runs, climbs, jumps, kicks, and much more. Over the course of the year, she will
figure out how to throw and kick a ball, jump with two feet together, & stand on tiptoes.
These activities encourage physical skills in your 2-year-old child:
Climbing and sliding on playground
equipment
Running, jumping, and climbing outside Acting out songs with simple movements Digging in sandbox Going for a walk Playing chase games & hide-and-seek Playing kicking & throwing games Playing copycat games with tiptoeing, walking backwards, jumping, & hopping Going through a simple obstacle course Social & Emotional skills have to do with awareness of and understanding ones feelings. Social skills include the ability to communicate & have relationships with others. Children with strong emotional & social skills have a positive self-image, are confident, sociable, and independent. At age 2, your child is developing a stronger sense of himself & may be quite self-centered. Hes aware of his gender, can help get himself dressed & undressed, & may even begin using the toilet. He is becoming aware of his own feelings & those of others, & may talk about his feelings. He makes it clear what he wants, & uses the word no frequently. Two-year-olds are not able to share, but they do enjoy playing near other children. Your child may enjoy pretend-play games that involve imitating those around him. These activities will help develop social & emotional skills in your 2-year-old child: Playing
pretend-play games, including dress-up, super-hero, telephone, & dolls
Helping with simple chores such as picking up toys and putting clothes away Choosing a favorite picture from a book or the computer and telling a story about it Listening to simple picture books with repetition read aloud Playing simple computer games, such as rolling over an object and predicting how it will change Singing, clapping, playing, & dancing with other children Mathematical (Math) skills include more than identifying numbers & counting, they also include an understanding
of mathematical language (e.g., more than, less than, circle, square) and concepts (e.g., shapes, patterns, comparisons).
Thinking & reasoning are also important math skills. At age 2, your child is learning about quantity through her everyday
activities & play. For example, she probably understands the concept of more and less. If she has one cookie
& her brother has two, she recognizes that her brother has more cookies & that she has less. During this year, your
child may learn to match shapes, colors, & identical pictures of objects, as well as line things up from smallest to biggest.
These activities encourage the development of mathematical skills in your 2-year-old child:
Playing with stacking rings & other stacking toys Fitting shapes into a shape sorter Playing games using spatial concepts, such as finding objects under the table, on the chair, beside the bed, etc. Sorting objects based on attributes such as color, shape, size, etc. Listening to number songs & nursery rhymes (Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed; "One, Two Tie My Shoe; Ten in the Bed) Counting buttons, snaps, & more Counting objects in your everyday life, such as cookies, books, crayons, blocks, etc. Listening to stories read aloud & then answering questions about the stories. For example, In The Three Billy Goats Gruff, which goat is biggest? Or, how many cats does the boy see in Eric Carles Have You Seen My Cat? Discussing what happened during the day to start to recognize sequence Assembling jigsaw puzzles with three to four pieces Creative Arts - Creativity is the ability to use your imagination to create new and original things. Children express creativity through
art, music, imaginary play, cooking, & more. One way to encourage creativity is through
art activities, including drawing, painting, cutting with scissors, gluing, molding clay, &
using other craft materials. At age 2, your toddler has entered the scribbling stage. He is amazed at his ability to make
marks. Though his pictures may not look like anything recognizable, he is discovering the process of creating something, & practicing important motor skills. These activities encourage artistic development in
your 2-year-old child:
Scribbling with crayons, chalk, or markers Painting with a large paintbrush Finger painting Playing with play dough & clay Talking about pictures in books & magazines Pretend Play is a form of creativity that allows children to express ideas & feelings, as well as think & solve problems through fantastical
situations. Pretend play includes make-believe games, daydreaming, imaginary friends, &
fantasy books. At age 2, your child may engage in pretend play with dolls & stuffed
animals. Imitation plays a big role in her make-believe play. For example, as she feeds her baby doll & puts her to bed, she may use the same words and tone of voice as you. Pretend play is important because
it gives your child an opportunity to see the world from someone elses point of view. Pretend play activities that 2-year-old
children engage in include:
Using housekeeping toys or household materials to make a pretend meal or to do a pretend cleanup
Acting out different scenarios with stuffed animals or dolls Having conversations on a toy telephone Using props for pretend play, such as a fire hat, toy horse, tutu, box, etc. Acting out different animals Listening to stories read aloud about people, places, & things that inspire imagination, such as folktales and fairy tales Music - Early exposure to music helps enhance reading, math, & creative skills later in a child's life. When children learn to read, they listen to the rhythmic pattern of words, just as they listen to the rhythm of a drum. When they identify the patterns in songs and in the sounds that instruments make, they are learning a basic math skill. Music also encourages creative movement, which in turn expands your childs imagination. By age 2, your child will likely learn the words to songs, like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baa Black Sheep. Singing songs together encourages your childs developing verbal skills. These activities also encourage musical development in your 2-year-old child: Singing simple songs
Singing & acting out songs with simple movements, such as jumping, hopping, & standing on one foot Playing simple instruments, including drums and shakers Dancing & moving to music Listening to a wide variety of music on a CD or on the radio Listening to songs or nursery rhymes Thinking
/ Problem Solving - The ability to think and problem solve is what
helps children make sense of their world. When children think through and solve problems, they are developing intelligence.
Thinking skills involve language, mental imagery, reasoning, and memory development. At age 2, your child is learning a lot
about the world through her explorations, as well as through imitation & observation. She can probably group objects
that are the same (all red things in one group and blue in another) & stack things in size order, such as stacking rings.
She may respond to simple directions and tell you what she is doing using new words she is learning. She enjoys choosing books
to look at by herself and naming pictures she sees. In her play, she may use objects to represent other objects (e.g., pretending
a block is a horse and another block is a farmer). These activities encourage the development of thinking skills in your 2-year-old
child:
Observing & imitating others Sorting objects by size, shape, color, or use Memorizing simple nursery rhymes by repeating them with an adult Listening to storybooks read aloud, especially predictable ones (e.g., Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle) Creating pictures and talking about them Counting objects with help from an adult Playing with stacking toys Constructing simple puzzles with knobs Playing picture matching games Playing simple counting games |
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