This document provides information on typical toddler development between 18-36 months across several domains: social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. It outlines normal development milestones and potential abnormalities in each area. Suggested activities and the role of teachers/adults in supporting development are also discussed. The document concludes by addressing various cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that can influence a toddler's development. Key sources on child development are cited.

1. Toddlers
18-36 Month Development
Social
Emotional
Physical
Cognitive
Language

2. What to Expect
Typical and abnormal development
Activities and strategies to support development
Teacher and adult roles in supporting development
Cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic and environmental factors

3. Social Development
Normal Development Abnormal Development
• Copies others • Doesn’t point to show someone
• Plays close to and sometimes with other something
children
• Shows interest in pretend play • Doesn’t make eye contact with
(example… playing with a doll) others
• Points to show others things
• Doesn’t play pretend
• Notices emotions of other people
• Doesn’t copy others actions
• Usually does not like to share
• Excited to see familiar people • Doesn’t show interest in playing
• Begins to make friends or favor people with others

4. Activities and Strategies Teacher and Adult Roles
to Support Social Development in Supporting Social Development
• Dramatic Play Area • Teachers help children explore how we are alike and
different and honor all families.
• Children learn about themselves and what they
like by trying new activities.
• Encourage child to play pretend and be creative.
• For example, children can try on new roles and
perspective of other people in their lives or in their • Give child props and dress-up clothes.
community.
• Help your child resolve conflicts or problems in a
• Turn taking activities
healthy way.
• Pushing cars back & forth, putting shapes into a
shape sorter or blowing bubbles. • Provide guidance and initiate sharing and turn taking.
• Eating/Pretend to eat • Be understanding that toddlers are less willing to be
complaint when they are tired or not feeling well.
• Classroom Chores
• Teaches team work
• Model positive social and sharing behaviors in your
everyday interactions with children and parents.
• Encourage and model conversation to help them
accomplish their task

5. Emotional Development
Normal Development Abnormal Development
• Has temper tantrums or shows • Shows little to no emotion (example…
defiant behavior happy, sad, excited or anger)
• Shows fear or is nervous around • Does not realize when unknown
strangers people are present
• Shows affection towards others • Fails to make eye contact or frequently
look at the primary caregiver
• Shows concern for others • Does not show any signs of affection
toward others (example… another
• Understands the idea of “mine” and child crying)
“no”
• Lacks emotion when a toys is taken by
• Begins to show signs of guilt or another child
remorse

6. Activities and Strategies Teacher and Adult Roles
to Support Emotional Development in Supporting Emotional Development
• Looking at pictures of emotions • Help your child understand and name
feelings.
• Read/look books about feelings and
emotions • Just being there and listening to them.
• Have pictures of different emotions and • Show interest, empathy and understanding of
how they are feeling.
what they are around the classroom
where the children can see. • Respond to child’s emotional and physical
needs.
• Have a quite place in your room where a
child can go to if they are feeling angry, • Express feelings and emotions in a safe and
sad, or upset and just need a moment to appropriate ways.
calm down.
• Allow them to show their anger in a way that
is okay and what is not okay.

7. Physical Development
Normal Development Abnormal Development
• Walk and run • Doesn’t walk steadily
• Change speed and direction
• Is unable to throw or kick a ball
• Climb onto a steady chair
• Throw and kick balls
• Cannot copy a straight line or
circle
• Dances to music
• Begin to climb stairs • Is unable to climb on or off
furniture
• Able to balance with minimal effort
• Helps dress and undress him or herself • Has difficulties balancing and
frequently falls
• Is able to use eating utensils (example…
spoon, fork and cup)

8. Activities and Strategies Teacher and Adult Roles
to Support Physical Development in Supporting Physical Development
• Play ball/bean bags • Have activities that promote balance within your classroom.
• Roll the ball, kick, throw, etc… • Give child opportunities to run, throw, jump, climb, walk
• Provide your child with push and pull toys.
• Dance/Freeze dance
• Encourage your children to be active inside and outside
• Learns to control body & movements daily.
• Climbing up & down stairs • Give child opportunities to use crayons, markers,
paintbrushes.
• Set up obstacle course • Give child opportunities to use toys with parts to take apart
and put together.
• Riding toys with peddles • Provide opportunities to use fingers to pick up small items,
and do finger plays.
• Helps them learn to use to push their feet
• Dance and sing songs with actions, and play movement
games together.
• Painting with fingers/brushes
• Provide opportunities to move in variety of spaces such as
• Playing with play dough under, through, between; use furniture or playground
equipment.
• Stringing beads onto a string

9. Cognitive Development
Normal Development Abnormal Development
• Uses common items appropriately • Doesn’t know how to use or is
(example… spoon, phone, toy hammer) unable to name common items
• Line up and stack blocks
• Does not frequently gain new
• Shows eye-hand coordination words
• Grasps items with pointer finger and • Lacks eye-hand coordination
thumb
• Asks for help when needed • Loses skills he or she once had
• Begins counting and Identifying shapes • Is unable to follow simple
instructions
• Begins solving problems (example…
blows on hot food)
• Does not gain knowledge of body
parts, shapes or numbers

10. Activities and Strategies Teacher and Adult Roles
to Support Cognitive Development in Supporting Cognitive Development
• Reading books
• Allow them to try & figure out problems and
• Encourage vocabulary building and verbal development.
suggest possible solutions to them.
• Playing with blocks
• Learn balancing concepts • Provide different shapes, colors or sizes, of
blocks.
• Puzzles & shape sorters
• Allows them to problem-solve, increases memorization,
understand the relationship between objects as they match • Help them sort from smallest to largest, or
shapes and figure out how things fit.
longest to shortest, or by color.
• Sensory table
• Sense of touch to learn • Describe what your child is doing during this
• Identify noise
process.
• Give them choices to choose from • Explore outdoors with your child, and look for
• Sing/practice the ABC’s patterns, size, number and shapes in nature and
in the community.
• Counting everything/anything
• Point out shapes & colors • Use numerical concepts in everyday routines.

11. Language Development
Normal Development Abnormal Development
• Incorporate plurals on simple words • Doesn’t copy others words
• Recognizes things or pictures when
they are named • Does not speak in sentences
• Repeats words • Produces an unusual amount of
drool
• Can say first name and age
• Follows instructions • Speech is unclear
• Shows interest in reading and writing • Doesn’t understand simple
• Creates sounds while playing with toys instructions
(example… animal noises)
• Does not communicate feelings

12. Activities and Strategies Teacher and Adult Roles
to Support Language Development in Supporting Language Development
• Listening to music, doing things with music, • Encourage your child to use sounds and actions to communicate
with you.
singing songs, playing with instruments
• Talk together
• Learning about rhymes
• Pay attention when your child talks
• Going to the grocery store/library/field trip… • Make stories & books part of your everyday routine
• Talking about food/outside/what you are doing • Adapt schedules and activities to meet needs of a certain child
• Learning how to use a book • Labels & objects with print and pictures
• Speak in complete sentences
• Discovery print
• respond with the correct pronunciation when your child
• Learning my name mispronounces something.
• Use props, such as puppets or dolls, with the stories.
• Give your child the chance to communicate with other children.

13. Opportunity to learn about others
Cultural and
Ethnic Factors
• Language
• Diet
• Parents Approach
• Education
Indian • Values
• Beliefs
• Spirit
• Personality
• Religion
• Clothing
• Traditions
Chinese
Eskimo

14. Opportunity to help others
Socioeconomic and
Environmental Factors
• Family Stability
• Nutrition
• Mental and
Physical Health
• Quality of Schools
Poverty
• Living Conditions
• Parenting Style
• Parental Involvement
• Opportunity to
Succeed
• Child’s Readiness for
School
• Social Interaction
Middle Class
Upper Class

15. Sources
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention Learn the Signs Act Early
•http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/
• Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines
•http://www.del.wa.gov/publications/development/docs/guidelines.pdf
• Washington State Department of Early Learning Growth and Development
•http://www.del.wa.gov/publications/esit/docs/PrescreenChart_English.pdf
• National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families Behavior and Development
•http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/
•http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/areas-of-expertise/free-parent-brochures-and-guides/age-based-
handouts.html