Ages & Stages - Toddlers Milestones

Talented Toddlers

Print of the Milestones for your toddler!

Language Growth

· Toddlers respond to simple requests

· They listen and join into rhymes and songs

· They remember and repeat rhymes and songs

· Toddlers use one-word as requests (“drink” or “water” or “more”)

· They ask for common items by name (milk, cookie, sock)

· Toddlers point and gesture to communicate

· They repeat everything they hear so make it a game

· Toddlers ability to understand and speak are developing rapidly

· They use phrases (“more drink” and “dad read”)

· Toddlers will tell you about their own activity (“eat cookie” or “go potty”)

· They understand and use sentences (“I go down.” Or “Give it to me.”)

· Toddlers will give or touch specific objects on request

· They can name things and places (animals, clothing, zoo, kitchen…)

· They answer “yes” or “no” when asked a question

· They ask and answer simple questions

· They continually ask questions to make sense of their World/Who? What? When? Where? Why?

· Toddlers can follow one step directions

· They will name familiar objects, people, pets, when asked

· Toddlers can point to at least six body parts and name them

· They love to listen to stories and ask to be read favorite stories

· They understand actions and events in simple stories

· Toddlers can tell events that happen during the day

· They will name objects on the description given

· Toddlers listen closely to conversations

· They can tell you their age and name

Knowledge Growth

· Toddlers love to be read to, they pretend to read books, and ask questions about what is being read

· They put objects into containers before removing them

· Toddlers respond to simple requests (touch your nose…)

· They can solve simple puzzles and start to solve more complex puzzles

· Toddlers demonstrate the concept of up and down (“put the spoon down”)

· They like games

· Toddlers experiment with objects to discover what they do

· They repeat actions (opening and closing)

· Toddlers show anticipation of events when a verbal cue is provided (“let’s go outside” and they go to the closet for their coat)

· They remember and find hidden objects

· Toddlers place shapes into correct slots

· Toddlers match shapes (circles, squares, triangles…)

· They use trial and error to solve problems

· Toddlers take apart and put objects back together

· Toddlers give or touch specific objects on request

· They know animal sounds

· Toddlers can find details in pictures

· They are explorers of their surroundings/cabinets and drawers

· Toddlers match objects identical to given objects (shoes, socks, mittens)

· Toddlers match big and little objects

· They love nursery rhymes they will join in and repeat them

· Toddlers can group objects by categories

· They can sort objects by size, shape, or color

· Toddlers can match colors and name colors

· They remember events and places

· Toddlers understand quantities

· They understand events happen in a certain order

· Toddlers can pick out objects when their function is described (“what do you brush your teeth with?”)

· They can point out smaller body parts (fingers, thumb, toes…)

· Toddlers will point to body parts when you describe their function (“show me what you hear with?”

· They can tell you their name and their age or hold up their fingers

· Toddlers can name 3 familiar musical instruments by their sound

Social Growth

· Toddlers love to imitate adult behaviors and activities

· They comfort others in distress and show affection

· Toddlers can play by oneself for a period of time

· They give up the bottle

· Toddlers are expanding their self-help skills; dressing and undressing, toileting

· Toddlers can wash their hands, help with their bath, and brush their teeth

· They enjoy parallel play; engage in solitary activities near other children

· They enjoy playing with other children

· Toddlers will use objects to pretend within their play

· They love to participate in simple activities of singing, clapping, and dancing

· Toddlers like routines

· They love meal times with family and have self-feeding skills

· Toddlers express a wide range of emotions

· They recognize themselves in pictures

· Toddlers love to look in the mirror and smile and make faces

· They are helpful and will put things away

· Toddlers can understand and follow simple rules

· They enjoy hearing familiar stories repeated; they will participate in story telling

· Toddlers use “please” and “thank you”

· They greet familiar people

Physical Growth

· Toddlers can throw a ball forward

· They can catch large balls

· They can walk forwards and backwards

· Toddlers love to kick large balls

· They can walk up and down stairs holding a railing

· Toddlers love to climb!

· They can run and run and run

· Toddlers can walk on their tiptoes

· Toddlers ride on push toys

· They love to scribble

· Toddlers hold their cup independently while drinking

· They can feed themselves with a spoon

· Toddlers can remove socks, hat, coat, pants and shoes independently

· They can zip a zipper

· Toddlers can jump in place with both feet

· They can stand on one foot

· Toddlers like to walk on a straight line

· They can pedal tricycle

· Toddlers can somersault forward

· They can climb toddler slide, jungle gym, and ladders

Fine Motor Growth

· Toddlers can manipulates objects with many moving parts

· They can remove rings from pegs or pegs from a board or pound pegs with a hammer

· Toddlers can pull apart and put together pop-beads

· They can turn pages of a book (thicker books are ideal)

· Toddlers can stack blocks

· They love to scribble with crayon

· Toddlers use mechanical means to activate a toy (pulls ring or turns know of music box)

· They can places objects through small opening/hole in lid of bottle or box

· Toddlers can completes puzzle with circle, square, and triangle

· They love to put together nesting toy

· Toddlers can string beads and lace objects

· They can hold crayons, markers, and paint brush with thumb and finger instead of fist

· Toddlers can draw and paint with wrist action, making circles, dots, and lines

· They love to roll, pound, and squeeze play dough

· Toddlers draw lines and circles

· They begin to use scissors

· Toddlers hold a spoon with adult grasp and pierce food with fork and bring to mouth

· They snap and unsnap snaps and button buttons

· Toddlers can turn pages of a book one at a time

· They can put fitted lids on bowls and pans/put screw lids on jars

· Toddlers can unwrap small objects and tear paper into strips

· They can hold a pencil with thumb and finger in adult grasp

Creative Growth

· Toddlers love to dance freely to songs

· They love to use and explore color

· Toddlers will make their own creations

· They hum and sing along to favorite songs

· Toddlers have great imaginations and like to tell their own stories

· They love to create with finger paints, clay, markers, crayons, and paint

· They like to play with water and sand

· Toddlers enjoy quite a fantasy life

· They love to dress up