1. Intellectual Development
Chapter 14

2. Intellectual Development
Toddler’s are curious about their environment.
Parents play an important role
Parents’ enthusiasm is contagious
Toddlers who see the world as an exciting place are more likely to explore

3. Piaget and Younger Toddlers
Last two stages of Sensorimotor stage and beginning of Preoperational stage.
Sensorimotor
1E: Tertiary Circular Reactions
1F: Mental Representation
Preoperational
2A: Preconceptual Phase

4. Tertiary Circular Reactions
12-18mos: Tries out new ideas by planning changes in their actions on objects to meet a goal
Example: they may tear, pinch and mash playdough to see what happens
This is different from Primary and Secondary Circular reactions this is the THIRD change in the child’s behavior toward objects…
in this stage the child repeats different actions over and over = circular response

5. Mental Representation
18mos: toddlers begin to have mental images
This helps in problem solving
Thinks about actions then results
Example: a toddler can mentally “turn” an object to put it through the shaped hole in a sorting box
This substage is the bridge to the next stage in which mental thinking replaces motor actions

6. Mental Representation contd
Two intellectual skills develop during this stage:
1. Object permanence is complete.
Example: toddlers look for a completely hidden object and even look in places they have never seen the object
2. Imitation
The ability to imitate takes a major leap
Increased memory capacity
Can imitate what they saw at an earlier time

7. Piaget and Older Toddlers
Preoperational Stage: the period before logical thought and is divided into 2 stages
According to Piaget, 2-4 year old children are in the first substage of preoperational thinking called the preconceptual phase
Despite toddlers’ intellectual ability, their concepts and reasoning are often illogical.
To show the difference between logical and confused concepts, Piaget referred to the toddlers’ concepts as preconcepts
Example: Toddlers get facts and the order of events mixed up when they try to retell a story

8. USE OF SYMBOLS
Symbols: represent objects (and eventually ideas) that are not present at the time
WORDS
ART
PRETEND PLAY

9. Prelogical Thinking
Piaget focused on what older toddlers do not yet understand….because toddler thinking is often illogical and irrational, Piaget called this thinking prelogical…Some examples include (see page )
Confusion about cause and effect
Egocentrism: cannot see things from another’s perspective
Animism: believe everything has a life
Focus on the “bits and pieces”: can’t yet see the big picture

10. PIAGET HANDOUT Please use Appendix B to complete chart and handout:
Please COPY exactly as written.
Page 596
STOP HERE

11. Part 2: Playtime Means Learning
Intellectual Development occurs through play in the toddler years
PHYSICAL PLAY
Develop muscles and refine balance and coordination
Use energy and build stamina
Sets a good pattern for exercise that will maintain health
OBJECT PLAY:
More interested in the activity then the outcome of the activity
Empty and fill containers
Pushing buttons
Pouring
Stacking blocks
Learning the meaning of more, less, tall, short, and big and little
Develops fine motor skills

12. Pretend Play Toddlers’ mental images allow them to begin pretend play
Between two and three years pretend play becomes based on imitation of others’ experiences.
These imitations are usually short in duration
May say “hi” and “by” on the phone
May “sweep” the floor
Read a book

13. The PLAY Environment NEED SAFE PLACES
NEED OPEN SPACES: to use large muscles
COZY AREAS: for object play and pretend play
Most toys should be Open Toys: allow children to use their imaginations and creativity
examples?
Closed Toys: toys that work one way
Examples?

14. Language Development
A child’s first spoken word is often said in infancy-typically by 11 or 12 months of age
Using words to name objects or people begins at 13 months
Before 18 mos., most toddlers say a single word with expression and gestures to convey meaning
By mos. toddlers start combining two- word sentences
By the end of toddlerhood, their vocabularies may contain more than 500 words

15. Importance of Books
Books are VITAL to a child’s intellectual development and enjoyment of learning
Picture books are books that are predominately pictures BUT may have words and text..such as the alphabet
Can begin reading books as early as you want, but most parents begin by 6 months

16. The Parents Role in Language Development
Match your interaction style with toddlers skills
Reduce language difficulty during early stages of development: “r” sound
Expanding language after 18 mos or two years: labeling
Respond to toddlers attempts at conversation
Try to understand what toddlers want or need based on nonverbal cues
Reading, singing and saying rhymes DAILY
Using dolls and stuffed animals to encourage talking
Playing “I spy”
Using positive, approving words with toddlers

17. Recognizing Language delay
Parents should seek professional help if their toddlers:
Do not babble with expression by 1 year
Do not say a few understandable words by 18 months
Show little understanding of words
Communicate only with gestures at 2 years
Cannot speak in short sentences after age 2
Up to 10 percent of toddlers have delays in language
May be a sign of hearing loss or developmental delay

18. ACTIVITIES FOR TODDLERS