Unit 1 You and Others 64
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Intellectual Development
Learning language and thought skills are part of the intellectual
development of toddlers. As children grow, they develop the abilities to
think and reason. They begin to form ideas and use language. Toddlers
have experiences daily with people and their surroundings. These
experiences help advance their brain development.
Speech begins as toddlers put sounds together. They begin speaking by
repeating one-syllable words, such as da-da and ma-ma. Then they say these
words repeatedly. Soon, their vocabularies grow to include names of objects
with which they are familiar. They may be able to name parts of their
bodies, such as hand, foot, nose, and ear. They may begin to tell others what
they want, such as juice, cup, up, and down.
Remember that toddlers learn new words by listening to others. You
should always speak correctly when talking with children. Never use baby
talk or profane language.
Toddlers learn they can make their wants and needs known by talking. You
may fi nd toddlers easier to care for when they begin to talk. At times, you may
still have to guess what children want. Toddlers often confuse the meanings of
words. They may also mispronounce words. Being able to walk, however, adds
to toddlers’ ability to communicate. They can walk to objects they want.
Toddlers also understand what others say to them. They can follow
short directions. “Roll the ball” and “Let’s go out” are some examples.
Play is also important for toddlers’ intellectual development. See
2-11. Toddlers learn how objects work through play. They place items in a
container and then dump them. They can complete simple puzzles. Looking
at picture books and imitating songs are other play activities toddlers enjoy.
Hands-on play helps toddlers learn about their environment. 2-11