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Understanding Children Two and Three Year Olds

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2 year olds

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Physical Development Gross motor development Improved coordination and body control Can walk up and down stairs if they place both feet on each stair Can jump several inches off the floor Can sit on a riding toy and move it by pushing with their feet

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Physical Development Fine motor development Can insert keys into a lock and turn pages in a book one at a time Can hold scissors properly Hand preference is fairly developed At 24 months, kids can scribble Hold the crayon or pencil in their fist Can build with blocks

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Physical Development Self help skills Undress self Dress self by pulling on simple garments Zipper usage Drink from a cup or glass Can use a spoon Potty training

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Cognitive Development Language Comprehension Skills Understanding of language 2 year olds can understand and answer routine questions (e.g. What is that?) Can tell difference between soft/heavy, big/tall

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Cognitive Development Expressive Language Skills The ability to produce language forms The childs experiences affect the rate and content Important to provide an environment that stimulates language development Two language strategies Feeding in: you provide childs language Expansion: reframing childs word into a sentence

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Cognitive Development Express language skills 50 to 200 word vocabulary Girls generally develop language skills faster than boys Often use the word no

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Cognitive Development Math Readiness Skills Developed as children interact with others and with objects Begin to sort objects by shape and color

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Social Emotional Development Social development Children play next to each other, but not with each other More interested in adults than other kids Act out adult experiences as they play (driving, talking on the phone) Possessive; do not want to share Affectionate

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Social Emotional Development Emotional development 2 year olds like to be able to control their surroundings Doing a task too difficult for them may cause anger Commonly develop fears (most often of being harmed or hurt, or stem from their imagination) Need regular routines to build trust and security Need love and caring, despite their temper

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When teaching 2 year olds be prepared for: The word no A LOT Egocentricity they think you feel the same way they do Dawdling they go at their own pace Curiosity especially with toys. Add new items a few at a time. Temper tantrums be calm and composed.

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3 year olds

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Physical Development Gross motor development Throwing, jumping and hopping improve due to better coordination Can climb and descend stairs easily Can ride and steer tricycle Fine motor skills Cutting skills more refined Can reproduce simple shapes as they draw Can trace Enjoy drawing faces that include a mouth, eyes, nose and ears that are not proportional

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Physical Development Self help skills Daily care routines require little assistance from adults Open buckles on clothes Put on shoes (without strings) Have trouble telling front from back of clothing Most have almost full control of toilet routines

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Cognitive Development Able to solve simple problems Still egocentric Learn quickly Language comprehension, expressive language, and math readiness skills continue to improve

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Cognitive Development Language comprehension skills Can remember and follow 3-part instructions Understand pronouns such as you, they Space concepts become clearer

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Cognitive Development Expressive language skills Children may use more than 900 words Start to use question words (why/when) As children play, they frequently talk out loud to themselves

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Cognitive Development Math Readiness Skills Understand more/less/smaller/empty Like to compare objects Counting skills begin at this age Distinguish between one and many

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Social Emotional Development Social development Eager to help others, especially adults Adjust to new people more easily Begin to play with other children Will share some Begin to learn gender roles Behaviors that are expected of girls and boys

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Social Emotional Development Emotional development Strong, visible emotions Eager to act in ways that please others Likely to become angry when things do not go their way, but direct anger toward object instead of person Developing a self concept: the way they see themselves Not as frightened by objects that they know, but afraid of imagined dangers (dark) Fearful of pain Affectionate

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Teaching 3 year olds: Eager to please Enjoy playing alone and in groups of 2 or 3 Enjoy pretending to cook, shop Become increasingly independent Need encouragement to be independent