Young Toddler Development and Milestones: 12 through 18 months

Early Childhood Development

Early childhood development (ECD) is a complex theory that explains how a child learns and how the brain advances through stages of abilities from birth to 5 years of age. One part of this theory is Young Toddler Development. As your child’s parent, you are their most important teacher. As teachers, we support the children’s development as they advance their abilities. This blog focuses on the modern teaching approach in ECE, called the whole-child approach, where teaching encompasses the development of all aspects of the child’s learning: physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional abilities.

Abilities & Preferences

Abilities are skills a child has or is developing, and preference means their likes or dislikes. Young toddlers develop abilities and preferences at their own pace, also called developmental milestones or skills. Many abilities overlap with one another, making it difficult to separate them. It is important to remember that children develop a wide range of abilities at different rates. Any child could be above the typical age in one ability and below the typical age in another.

This blog focuses on how children engage and interact with toys and the abilities necessary for that interaction. We do not provide medical advice, medical conditions, child health suggestions, or disease control. 

Young Toddler Development: 12 through 18 months

The young toddler development stage is marked by rapid developmental changes, including improved motor skills for independent movement, speech and language development for more complex thinking, and increased curiosity and energy. Toddlers become more mobile, develop basic motor skills, recognize familiar people and objects, and play simple pretend. They also begin to understand cause-and-effect relationships and show a preference for toys that allow manipulation and produce sounds. Simple toys like dress-up materials, dolls, stuffed animals, and small vehicle toys suit this age group.

Physical Development

Between 12 to 18 months of age, young toddlers experience a rapid eruption of teeth. The top molars erupt at 13-19 months, and the bottom molars erupt at 14-18 months. Canine teeth appear: upper at 16-22 months, and lower at 17-23 months.

Cognitive Development

The young toddler is curious and likes to explore by poking at everything. They have developed object permanence, so if they see an item inside a clear bottle, they will try to get to it. If an item goes out of view, like behind a box, they should start to look around for it. Toddlers at this stage are imitators and will copy your actions. If they see you put a block into a bowl, they will do the same. They are also able to clap two toys together when holding one in each hand. Additionally, they can scribble on paper and copy your scribbling if you do it first.

Language Development

Between 12 and 18 months of age, young toddlers show rapid growth in their vocabulary and begin pointing to objects. They may start making babbling sounds like “ba-ba,” “da-da,” or “ga-ga,” although these sounds may not carry any specific meaning. Towards the end of this stage, the “da-da” sound may turn into “Dada” with actual meaning, and the child may start saying a few words such as “mama,” “dada,” and “baba.” Toddlers at this age should be able to engage in simple games like waving bye-bye, playing peek-a-boo, or clapping their hands. They should also be able to follow simple commands like “Come here” or “Let go,” and start looking for items when mentioned, such as finding a ball when asked “Where is the ball?”

Social-Emotional Development

Young toddlers are beginning to understand some words, start to anticipate actions, and respond to them. For instance, if a parent reaches out for a toy the toddler has, the toddler will reach out to give the toy but may not always let go. When getting dressed, the toddler will push their arm through the hole once a parent guides the arm, and may even hold a foot out when putting on shoes. If a ball is rolled to the toddler, they will start to roll it back. When playing with dolls or stuffed animals, the child will hug them. This behavior shows the development of empathy. But they are developing a strong sense of property rights, “mine.” Soon, they may not want to share, be picked up, or eat.

Toy Safety

Toy safety is essential because small objects should not be around young infants and children. These first three months are a great way for first-time parents to create a dedicated, safe place and play area. In my next post, we will explore child development for infants 19 through 23 months of age. We will see that toddlers will be kicking balls, speaking in two-word sentences, and sorting toys with attributes!

Conclusion

Young toddlers are very curious, and this is my favorite stage of development. At this age, many children may start exhibiting behaviors such as tantrums, fear of strangers or animals, and negative behavior. It’s important to understand that this is typical young toddler development. Toddlers are also full of love! They are known for their spontaneous bursts of laughter and affection. A time to treasure for sure.

Links For Your Reference:

• Essential Toy Safety for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers. 
• Whole Child Education: What is the Approach to Teaching?
• Developmentally Appropriate Toys: What and Why are They Important?
• American Academy of Pediatrics 

I value your input and comments tremendously. If there is anything else I should include in this blog post, please let me know!