Wondertime: Child Stages: Learning Development - and More Joys of Parenting Young Children

Learning Development

Newborn to 1 month
While many sleep experts do recommend teaching infants to learn to fall asleep on their own without needing to be rocked, nursed, driven, or held, almost all would agree that this doesn't apply to the newborn period.

3 to 6 months
Board books are specifically designed to be explored by babies (and their mouths), and having your baby sit on your lap and listen to the sound of your voice as you point out the colorful pictures can help your baby develop an early love of reading and learning.

6 to 9 months
Six- to 9-month-olds are busy developing a better awareness of the world around them. This includes an ability to understand that objects still exist, even though they are not in sight, a concept known as "object permanence."

You may notice examples of this as your 7-month-old starts to look briefly for toys that have "disappeared," instead of just forgetting about them. By around 8 months, he may even purposely drop things to watch where they go, and actually search for toys after seeing them hidden.

9 to 12 months
At 9 months, infants are often fairly talented at multi-syllable babbling and imitating sounds. Over the subsequent months, you may find that your baby starts to imitate the tone and inflection in your voice as well, and may even say his first word.

Words such as "mama" and "dada" clearly have meaning to infants at this age, and some will even say them by the time they turn 1. ("Dada" is much more common than "mama," not as a reflection of a baby's preference, but because "da" is a much easier sound to make than "ma.")

This is a fun age, where many babies not only start to communicate verbally, but clearly seem to understand more and interact more. They typically learn to point in response to simple questions such as "Where's the ball?" or "Where's Mommy?" and to wave good-bye.

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12 to 18 months
Through play, toddlers discover their surroundings, make connections, and learn how things work together. Repeatedly filling a pail with toys and dumping it on the floor may seem like an exercise in futility, but this type of game teaches a toddler important lessons.

Remember that there is great value in reading with your child on a regular basis. Don't be surprised if your toddler starts developing a strong preference for certain books, and even starts to recognize pictures and remember what happens in a favorite story.

Your toddler's attention span at this age is nowhere near as important as enjoying your time together and developing his love of reading and learning.

2 years
Many 18- to 24-month-olds show anxiety around other toddlers, especially if they are unfamiliar, and also become anxious in anticipation of unpleasant events. The typical 2-year-old has also learned how to soothe himself and starts to become more aware of other people's emotions, reacting to anger and affection among other family members.

Two-year-olds commonly learn the names of five or more body parts, and are able to recite their own names (first and last) by the time they reach their third birthday. Sorting objects according to category and understanding descriptive categories like "big" and "little" or "soft" and "hard" are also typical accomplishments at this age.

The period between 2 and 3 is when scribbling generally becomes more deliberate, and children typically learn to draw (and recognize) circles.

3 years
The average 2-and-a-half-year-old knows when she has broken rules and can even admonish herself by saying, "No, no," or "Bad girl" (though many will still be tempted to continue the behavior!). She may become upset when things aren't as they should be, for example, when clothing is put on wrong. And by the time a child reaches 3 years, she will be able to evaluate events as good or bad.

By age 3, many will be able to identify some colors. Most 3-year-olds can not only draw a circle, but learn to draw a cross as well. Attempts at drawing people start out relatively crudely and with very little detail, but will soon progress to include several body parts.

While attending to the physical care of your preschooler, you will also find she thrives on a great deal of emotional and intellectual nourishment, and much of this comes from play. While manipulating simple household objects such as cardboard tubes and empty cartons, preschoolers give themselves valuable lessons in counting, cause and effect, and problem solving. And by finding new purposes for ordinary objects, they learn to think creatively.

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4 years
At this age, children have had enough personal experience to master the simple concepts in life and now enter the phase of their development where they learn to apply and build on them.

Much of what your child learns at 4 is expressed in his play, not only his ability to cut with scissors, but to share and pretend. Like with 3-year-olds, even playing with simple household objects such as cardboard tubes and empty cartons helps your 4-year-old learn valuable lessons in counting, cause and effect, and problem solving. This sort of play also helps her to think creatively as she finds new purposes for ordinary objects.

When engaging in pretend play with other children, your child also learns about cooperation. Role playing is how children attempt to understand the adult world. Talking aloud as they direct their own actions or those of other children is a way of sharpening their language skills. Devising their own pastimes and accomplishing the tasks they set forth for themselves are real confidence builders. Play affords children the opportunity to act out their feelings.

5 years
In general, 5-year-olds can not only write the letters of the alphabet, but also identify the sounds that correspond with many of them. Reading is a skill that a handful of children excel in, sometimes starting as early as 3 or 4 years of age. However, the vast majority of children learn to read in kindergarten.

Five-year-olds begin to not only tell right from wrong, but also start to care more about doing the "right" thing. That said, they still tend to be prone to telling tales and doing things they're not supposed to do.

6 years
Most 6-year-olds can read, especially if they have already finished their year in kindergarten. But the challenge doesn't stop there, as they work on reading harder words and longer books.

Children at this age can not only tell right from wrong, but also care more about doing the "right" thing. Like 5-year-olds, they may still be prone to telling tales and testing boundaries by doing things they're not supposed to do.

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