Jan/Feb/Mar 2007
Cover Articles:
Health & Development
Growth & Nutrition
Safety
Just for You
In Every Issue:
A Moment of Consciousness
|
Stages of Development 
(Courtesy of "Sunrise Skill Builders" published by the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Partnership for School Readiness and the Florida Education Foundation.)
Birth - 6 months | 6 months - 1 yr | 1 - 2 yrs | 2 - 3 yrs | 3 - 4 yrs | 4 - 5 yrs
Birth to 6 months
Physical Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Place your baby in different positions when he is awake and has an adult watching - back, stomach, and sitting with support - to help develop different skills
- Help strengthen neck muscles during play time with lots of games that involve moving eyes or placing him on his stomach and encouraging him to lift his head.
- Offer your baby lots of safe things to grab, hold, poke, and wave.
- Talk and sing to your baby from various distances and locations.
- Use a happy and friendly voice.
- Put your baby on his back and pedal his legs gently like a bicycle.
Typical Milestones:
- Sits up with a little support
- Begins to crawl
- Picks up objects with one hand
- Turns his head at the sound of your voice and watches you move
- Examines his fingers or the toy he's holding
- Smiles spontaneously
Language and Intellectual Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Show and tell your baby what makes the sounds he hears: the doorbell, a music box, or even banging a spoon on a plate.
- Talk to your baby face to face so he can see your expressions change.
- Talk and sing to your baby during diapering, dressing, feeding, and other regular routines. Tell him what you are doing: "Now I'm going to put you in your car seat."
- Pay attention to the rhythm of your baby's babbles. When he pauses, you respond and then pause for him to respond. Repeat sounds and words.
- Listen to your baby's cries remembering that it is the only way he can talk to you. Try to figure out what he needs, give it to him, and comfort him.
Typical Milestones:
- Responds to name
- Smiles or vocalizes to initiate a response from you
- Reaches for and grasps toys
- Babbles using all types of sounds
- Recognizes different sounds, like a sister's voice
- Looks to see where something lands after being dropped
Recognizes mother or father in a crowd
Social/Emotional Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Smile and laugh with your baby.
- When your baby acts as if he needs attention, find out what's wrong - is he hungry or does he need a dry diaper?
- Hold and talk to your baby during feeding.
- When your baby feels like playing, sing, play peek-a-boo and other fun games.
- If something upsets your baby, hold and rock him, speak in a soothing voice, and comfort him.
- Respect your baby's cues. He'll tell you when he needs a break by turning away or crying.
Typical Milestones:
- Smiles, laughs, or kicks to show pleasure, excitement, or joy
- Frowns, cries or turns away to indicate sadness, anger, fear, disappointment, or discomfort
- Reacts to strangers with soberness or fear
- Can usually be comforted by you or another familiar adult
- Responds with pleasure when you arrive
(TOP)
6 months to 1 year
Physical Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Provide clean, safe areas on the floor for free movement.
- Be aware that babies develop motor skills at very different rates - an early crawler can be a late walker.
- Make an area with sturdy furniture where your baby can practice pulling upright to a standing position.
- Give your baby blocks, rattles, and toys to hold and drop.
- Offer action toys, such as pull-string toys and busy boxes.
Typical Milestones:
- Creeps on hands and knees or begins to walk
- Sits without support
- Holds, explores, and throws objects
- Switches toys from one hand to another
- Feeds herself with finger foods
- Identifies one or more body parts
Language Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Talk often to your baby. Describe her actions and build on them.
- Ask questions using visual cues and encourage your baby to respond by pointing or reaching.
- Make a sound and encourage your baby to copy you.
- Play simple games that put words with actions and sounds.
- Show your baby large, colorful pictures and books of animals, toys, and people, while talking about what she sees.
Typical Milestones:
- Can understand many more words than she can say
- Imitates simple sounds and says short words like "mama" and "dada"
- Shows intense interest in adult language
- Likes being held and read to
- Shows an interest in pictures
- Enjoys songs
Intellectual Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Give your baby boxes, buckets, and cups for dumping and filling with water, or other safe objects.
- Provide nesting measuring cups, stacking rungs and blocks that she can sort by color and size.
- Play games by dropping and hiding toys.
- Play peek-a-boo.
- Ask your baby to do simple things like come to you.
- Do things your baby can imitate like blinking your eyes, making animal sounds, or clapping your hands.
Typical Milestones:
- Puts things in a container then empties it
- Drops objects on purpose
- Tries to build with blocks
- Finds toys that are dropped or that are partially hidden
- Starts imitating simple actions, such as blowing a kiss or petting a dog
Social/Emotional Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Introduce new people to your baby from the safety of your arms.
- Talk to your baby when you move out of sight so she knows you are near.
- Learn to distinguish what your baby means by "no." Is she telling you she doesn't want something or that she is tired?
- Provide opportunities to be around other children.
- Change your tone of voice and facial expression when expressing approval and disapproval.
- Play simple games with your baby.
Typical Milestones:
- Shows anxiety at separation from you or when a stranger approaches
- Expresses negative feelings
- Shows interest in other children
- Shows pleasure in new accomplishments
- Enjoys playing games with you and laughs at funny sounds and activities
- Is aware of your approval and disapproval
- Begins to try to feed herself
(TOP)
1 to 2 years
Physical Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Create lots of safe places in your home where your toddler can explore without any fear of danger.
- Dance to music and clap when your toddler moves to music.
Help your toddler build block towers.
- Let your toddler help when you're dressing him and talk about what you are doing.
- Help your toddler finger paint pictures and make forms with Play Doh.
- Provide finger foods at mealtime and encourage your toddler to feed himself.
Typical Milestones:
- Walks without assistance
- Dances to music
- Stacks blocks to build a tower
- Helps when getting dressed
- Enjoys playing with finger paints
- Uses a spoon to eat
Language Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Repeat what your child says correctly. If he says "ju-ju," say, "You want your juice."
- Read, read, read! Read at least one picture book to your toddler and talk about what you see.
- Talk about what is happening. "Here are some blocks. Let's stack the blocks."
- When reading books, ask your toddler simple questions about the pictures. Point to what you are talking about.
- Sing action songs that require moving hands and feet.
Typical Milestones:
- Uses gestures as well as voice to help communicate
Puts two-word sentences together to express wants and needs
- Understands sentences and responds to simple questions
- Asks "why" repeatedly to engage adults in conversation
- Likes looking at picture books and reading and will point to pictures
- Enjoys hearing rhymes and songs
Intellectual Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Offer toys that represent real objects in his world such as play telephones to help him learn about being a "big person."
- Give your toddler help when he needs it rather than pressing it on him too soon or ignoring him.
- Provide lots of good props for make-believe play. Pretending lays the foundation for advanced thinking skills.
- Name and point to your child's body parts.
- Ask him to find a toy, blanket, or other belongings or ask him to name familiar objects.
Typical Milestones:
- Understands objects still exist when out of sight
- Can imitate actions of others when that person is no longer in front of him
- Can take on the role of others in pretend play - feeds the doll rather than himself
- Recognizes belongings and toys
- Knows the names of favorite toys and familiar objects
- Refers to himself by name
Social/Emotional Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Provide your toddler opportunities to be with other children, but do not expect or pressure him to share. You can begin to introduce the idea of "taking turns."
- Distract and divert, rather than saying "no" frequently, recognizing that your toddler does not yet have impulse control.
- Establish regular routines to avoid power struggles and to add structure and predictability for your toddler.
- Provide opportunities for your toddler to help with simple household chores and encourage him to do things for himself, such as eating, washing hands, and getting undressed.
- Give your toddler lots of hugs, smiles, and praise.
Typical Milestones:
- Enjoys being around other children for short periods of time but often ignores others or chooses to watch. Interactions are typically fleeting, but toddlers learn a lot from their peers.
- Seems more comfortable than before with strangers
- Notices when others are upset
- Wants to help with household chores
- Follows simple rules but may need to be reminded
(TOP)
 2 to 3 years
Physical Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Give many opportunities for outdoor play.
Hold your child's hand while you walk up and down stairs.
- Bounce a large, soft ball back and forth.
- Provide crayons, markers, and paper along with lots of encouragement.
- Encourage self-help skills such as washing hands, brushing teeth, and dressing and undressing, but assist when necessary.
Typical Milestones:
- Runs, jumps, and gallops
- Uses alternative feet going up the steps while holding your hand
- Catches a large ball with two hands
- Looks at things without squinting
- Knows how to use a toothbrush
- Buttons and unbuttons large buttons
Language Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Listen and talk to your child about her activities and your own.
Read at least one book to your child every day.
- Provide music for and sing with your child.
- Point out familiar words like her name and "stop" on the stop sign.
- Ask your child "who," "what," and "where" questions about stories and events.
Typical Milestones:
- Enjoys being read to and listens attentively
- Uses short sentences to ask and answer questions
- Follows two-step directions
- Recognizes a favorite book by its cover
- Repeats simple rhymes and songs
- Identifies her name on a label
- Scribbles on paper and reports what she wrote
Intellectual Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Play games finding colors and shapes around the home, in the grocery store, and at other places you go.
- Play matching games.
- Provide a variety of dress-up clothes and props as well as adequate space for pretend play.
- Label some of her belongings with her name and point out words that she sees often.
- Give your child one and two-step directions, such as "Please go to your room and bring me your shoes."
Typical Milestones:
- Sorts blocks by color
- Recognizes that she has the same number of cars as a friend
- Identifies several shapes and colors
- Talks about similarities and differences, such as hair color
- Is able to repeat rules but unable to follow them consistently
- Enjoys creative activities such as art and music
Social/Emotional Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Arrange for your child to play with other children for brief periods.
- Make opportunities for quiet time to play alone but under supervision.
- Provide opportunities to interact with other adults - older brothers and sisters, cousins, and grandparents.
- Be predictable and available so your toddler knows she can count on you to help her solve problems and keep her safe.
- Avoid anger and violence at home or on television.
Typical Milestones:
- Separates with more ease from a parent or caregiver
- Plays side-by-side with other children, occasionally interacting
- Talks to familiar adults easily
- Enjoys playing alone
- Asks for adult help to solve problems
- Shows concern by helping a friend that falls.
(TOP)
3 to 4 years
Physical Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Provide areas at home to run, jump, hop, play ball, and ride a tricycle.
- Play catch with your child.
- Let your child choose his clothes and dress himself. Offer assistance if needed.
- Show your child how to cut paper with scissors and paste pictures on paper.
- Provide pencils, markers, and paper for drawing and writing.
- Provide clothes that are easy to manage and give frequent reminders to go to the bathroom.
Typical Milestones:
- Uses toilet independently
- Moves with balance and control, making quick stops and turns
- Goes up and down stairs alternating feet without holding for support
- Throws a ball with reasonable accuracy and catches a ball by moving
- Can cut on a line with scissors
- Holds a pencil correctly in a pincer grasp
- Zips his jacket
Language Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Utilize every opportunity to talk - in the car, while shopping, and during dinner.
- Read a favorite book to your child every day.
- While reading to your child, ask questions about the story, point out particular words and letters, and call attention to rhyming words.
- Teach your child songs that are easy to remember.
- Provide pencils, markers, and paper for drawing and writing.
Typical Milestones:
- Follows 2 or 3-step directions
- Speaks clearly
- Asks and answers questions
- Enjoys being read to and pretends to read
- Recognizes some letters, especially those in his own name
- Creates rhyming words and nonsense words
- Tells a story about a picture
- Is beginning to write several letters
Intellectual Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Play games that teach your child colors, numbers, and shapes.
- Provide puzzles, matching games, and patterning materials and work on them with your child.
- Give directions that use positional words. For example, "Look under the sink and bring me a garbage bag."
- Play cards or other games that require finding items that are the same and different.
- Sing, dance, draw, and play pretend with your child.
Typical Milestones:
- Sorts blocks according to shape and color
- Points and counts 5 to 10 objects correctly
- Can match and sort shapes
- Understands several positional words like "above," "below," and "under"
- Enjoys finding things that are the same or different
- Notices major changes in the environment
- Enjoys creative materials and activities but may sustain attention for only limited periods of time
Social/Emotional Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Provide times for your child to play with other children.
- Take your child to new places with new people.
- Ask your child to help with simple household chores like putting dirty clothes in the hamper.
- Provide clear, consistent rules and predictability to his day.
- Set a good example by sharing some of your belongings with your child.
- Help your child learn how to settle arguments with words, without hitting or screaming.
Typical Milestones:
- Shows more independence and likes to do things by himself but may need support to try new things
- Finds routines very comforting and can become upset when things are done differently
- Enjoys helping with household chores
- Plays well with one or two other children, but also likes to play alone
Seeks adult help when needed to settle conflicts
- Can follow simple rules with gentle reminders
(TOP)
4 to 5 years
Physical Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Encourage your child to pick out her own clothes and get dressed without help and to help around the house. Praise all efforts, even when clothes don't match or are buttoned unevenly.
- Prepare and have meals with your child and show her how to use a spoon, fork, and table knife.
- Teach your child safety rules like using 911, looking both ways before crossing a street, and walking inside.
- Provide puzzles, blocks, markers, and pencils to practice fine motor skills.
- Provide opportunities to play outdoors on safe, soft surfaces in activities that encourage running, jumping, and climbing.
- Encourage your child to write her name and draw.
Typical Milestones:
- Shows characteristics of good health such as actively participating in movement, visual, and hearing activities
- Shows interest in health and safety issues by washing hands, naming healthy foods, and talking about safety rules
- Dresses, cleans up messes, and takes care of toileting needs independently
- Moves forwards and sideways, stopping and starting with balance and control
- Uses hand-eye coordination to accomplish many find motor tasks such as cutting, constructing, and putting together puzzles
- Uses pencils, scissors, and paint brushes using a mature grasp
Attempts to write her name
Language Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Read signs and billboards as you travel through the neighborhood, pointing out letters and numbers.
- On a trip to the grocery store, show your child the connection between words and things.
- Help your child get a library card and start using it.
- Read to your child and then ask her to tell you the story.
- Encourage your child to draw pictures and tell stories about the pictures. Write down her words.
Typical Milestones:
- Listens attentively and understands the meaning of a message
- Uses longer and more complex sentences and participates actively in discussions
- Enjoys books and develops preferences in certain topics or authors
Shows understanding of print by pointing to words and "writing" stories from left to write
- Begins to sound out simple words and associate the correct sound with many letters
- Enjoys representing stories through pictures and play and dictates stories about a picture
Intellectual Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Give your child quiet times for coloring, playing, or just thinking.
- Ask your child to look at you when you give instructions and to repeat them back to you.
- Encourage your child to play imaginative games like being a teacher or an astronaut.
- Prepare for unexpected events like getting lost in a store; have your child explain to you what she would do and say.
- Practice carrying out a series of instructions. For example, tell your child to put away a toy, brush her teeth and get ready for bed.
Typical Milestones:
- Shows interest in problem-solving and represents their thinking using math words like "more," "taller," "thicker," "smallest," or geometric shapes.
- Enjoys making patterns, sorting, and comparing
Can count objects up to at least 20 and may be able to count by rote up to 100
- Shows interest in measurements like comparing weights or using time concepts
- Enjoys observing, exploring, and describing objects, weather, and living things
- Begins to understand similarities and differences in people, past and present, and places.
- Has an understanding of the reasons for rules
Social/Emotional Development
As your child's first teacher, you can:
- Show your child how to get along with other people by setting a good example.
- Help your child develop good problem-solving skills by using negotiation with her regarding an activity. ("You want to go to Tanya's house, and I want you to clean up your room. Is there a way can negotiate and work this out?")
- Provide lots of opportunities to play with other children. Talk about friendships and what you do to stay friends.
- Expect good behavior and praise your child for it. Go light on the criticism if you haven't explained what's expected.
- Prepare your child for changes by explaining what will happen.
Typical Milestones:
- Shows self-confidence by expressing emotions appropriately and shows a willingness to try new experiences
- Can follow group rules and shows respect for materials and others
- Makes transitions between home and school and activities without anxiety
- Enjoys playing cooperatively with other children, is able to compromise and offer suggestions
- Engages easily with adults and shows a sense of community by helping in group situations
- Uses a variety of problem-solving strategies, but seeks out and needs adult help at times
(TOP)
Written by Florida Department of Education (Sunrise Skill Builders)
|
advertisement
advertisement
 |
