Space – running, walking and safety
Room to run around might not always be available but having occasional access to space is necessary for your toddler’s physical development. Although space can be wonderful, it can also raise worries about your toddler's safety. Here are a few things to think about to help keep them safe.
Life has just become that much more thrilling for them now they are beginning to run. Not only that, they are also learning how to vary their speed from a walk to a run.
Your toddler learns verbs better when doing – pun intended
When learning verbs, involving your toddler by showing them what the actions mean hugely supports their understanding. Verbs can’t be linked to an object, like nouns, so when we are talking about cooking, running or, say, throwing, toddlers need to see the verb in action.
When your toddler hears a verb for the first time their brain processes its meaning and association to the world.[1]
Words just keep coming and coming...
Babies, toddlers and children need to hear and interact with language to help them learn.[1] Language is necessary for neuronal development. We know that children understand and learn words better when they talk with you and others and when they listen to familiar voices, so let’s delve into why it’s good to reflect on how children learn words.
During the early years, children learn lots of words, and language is important for brain development.
Fast mapping and fast learning – your toddler’s motoring when it comes to words
In the late 1970s, a research study into how children learn words became a lead paper within the field of psychology. According to the study done by psychologists Susan Carey and Elsa Bartlet, children can pick up words and their meanings even after hearing them just once. Yes, you know some of the words this covers! This process of learning was referred to as "fast mapping." The study holds weight today, with many studies stemming from the original paper.
Fast mapping means when a child hears a word, they’ll pick it up quickly, even if they are not familiar with its meaning.[1]
Oh no! There goes the cup again!
Being aware of our body and its size is important in many aspects of life; it helps us judge things like how close to get to people when chatting and how far to reach when picking things up. Now that your toddler is becoming aware of their body size, they may realise they are too small to reach the kitchen surface, or their arms are longer than they realise when they go to pick up their drink, or they are too big for their doll’s buggy.
To gain awareness of body position your toddler relies on sensory information received from muscles, joints and limbs.
Stepping out – the challenges and benefits of outside stairs and surfaces
Spending time outside is remarkably beneficial for you and your toddler. Some of the skills they are working towards right now are far more easily achieved in the great outdoors; it can offer a freedom that being inside just can't quite match.
Now that your toddler is walking downstairs with more confidence, getting outdoors to practise this skill can be much more exciting.
Can thinking about actions now help future decision-making?
Your toddler is beginning to understand and learn more about how their actions affect what happens next. The more they play and explore in this way, the better they will become at thinking how to do things.
Cause and effect will always be an exciting phase of learning; as your toddler grows, they constantly learn more about how their actions can cause something else to happen.
Look! The world is full of similarities and differences
Your toddler's world is an ever-growing array of colours, shapes, smells and tastes – some similar, some different. As they become more aware of what's around them, and show interest in particular things, they can make connections between what they see and how these look like the things that really spark their interest.
Your toddler has been learning about items and objects since they were a baby, and now they are beginning to extend their early sorting and classification of objects.
Parent or climbing frame? Why physical play is great and what to do when you need a break
Your toddler loves you, and might have their own way of showing it – so as well as hugs and kisses (great) you might feel your toddler is using you as a climbing frame (fun sometimes... maybe?)!
Your toddler wanting to climb, bounce and swing on you might not feel like a good thing (and we will get to why it’s ok to say, ‘No,’ sometimes, too) but we think it can be great – at the right moment and in the right way.
How progressive – your toddler's using grammar while talking!
Talking about toddlers and grammar in the same sentence might conjure up the old adage of running before you can walk. But, believe it or not, very soon your toddler will be getting to grips with the 'present progressive tense' (and yes, grammatical terms usually have a knack for sounding more complicated than they are!)
Why does grammar matter?
