BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In the previous weeks, we learned that all children often follow one developmental milestone to the next in a natural and predictable pattern. In addition, the Department of Health asserted that “every child grows and acquires basic skills at his or her pace” (7). Besides, some children excel in one developmental area more than the other. In the video Toddler Observation Video 3, Nick (the boy in the blue t-shirt) has more advanced cognitive, emotional, and physical development than language development. Indeed, this boy could “move around steadily, identify similar objects and manage feelings without uttering proper words” (Hatfieldmomof3 2011). These patterns are also visible in the video Marking with Colored Pencils by ECA Learning Hub. Therefore understanding various developmental stages could help explain why children act in specific ways.
PHYSICAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Physical development refers to a child’s ability to use and control the body. This stage focuses on how the child coordinates the brain, senses, and body muscles in daily activities. As Benoit asserted, every child’s “physical growth occurs at a customized pace while healthy growth happens differently in each child” (541). According to CDC (2022), a 15-month child’s physical or movement milestones include walking several steps independently and using fingers to perform simple tasks such as feeding or writing. In the video, Marking with Colored Pencils, children attempted to grab objects such as pencils and bottles with their fingers. More so, Toddler Observation Video 3 depicts an upward curve n Nick’s physical growth. Although the boy failed to climb the ladder using stairs and slid, his movement around the playroom shows he had sound body coordination.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Cognitive development is a crucial stage showing the child’s ability to learn, think, reason, and solve problems. In concurrence, Benoit posited that the cognitive development stage influences other “developmental areas such as social and language skills” (542). As CDC stated, a fifteen-month-old child’s cognitive milestones prevail in correctly using objects such as pencils, colors, papers, and books. More so, these children can stack more than one small object, such as blocks. A fifteen-month-old tried correctly using colors and writing material, particularly by drawing circles (ECA Learning Hub 2014). More so, Nick managed to climb the slide using both the slide and the stairs due to fear of harming himself in Toddler Observation Video 3. The child’s mind had many connections because he understood the relationships between playing objects. Apart from understanding the link between the toy cars and the wooden playing equipment, this boy knew that the balls needed the plastic ladder-like structure to fall in an intriguing pattern (Hatfieldmomof3 2011). Also, Nick recognized objects of similar color and purpose, such as toy cars.
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Social development is the child’s ability to establish and maintain social relationships with peers and adults. This milestone occurs when a child learns to create and value a bond with other people. According to Health Department, the fundamental structure of any meaningful development depends on “intimacy and the care” (9). Social development commences when a young baby responds to smells, voices, and touches from familiar people. If these responses are motivating, children navigate to move advanced developmental stages. Likewise, emotional development concerns the child’s feelings about oneself, parents, guardians, or caregivers, and the immediate environment. This terminology focuses on how the child expresses, recognizes, and manages feelings when interacting with others. According to CDC, a fifteen-month-old child’s social/emotional milestones include showing their favorite objects, imitating peers, and cooperating with peers (CDC 2022). The Department of Health asserted that children’s ability to “relate with adults and peers improves their social skills” (9). In Marking with Colored Pencils, fifteen-month babies imitated their peers and adults by smelling bottle content and drawing circular images on paper. In the same context, Nick imitated his peers to play with toy cars and colored balls. The child was willing to share, cooperate, and alternate activities with his peers throughout this infant relationship. That could explain why Nick overcame cooperation and negotiation hurdles and played in turns with his peers. In Toddler Observation Video 3, Nick faced conflicting emotional management strategies when he failed to access the balls. However, he overcame the anger and frustration by waiting for his turn to play with the balls.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Language development refers to an advanced cognitive milestone in which children understand and communicate their needs and wants orally. As mentioned earlier, each child has a customized growth pace. However, toddlers’ language development follows a specific pattern (Rudd & Kelley 2011). According to CDC, a 15-year-old child’s language or communication milestones include uttering one or two-word sounds such as dada or mama, identifying familiar objects when named, and following verbal or gesture directions. Children of this age can request something or seek help by pointing fingers. In Marking with Colored Pencils, children produced sounds when requesting objects or displaying displeasure. They also identified bottles and writing materials whenever teachers mentioned them (ECA Learning Hub 2014). Apart from following the direction of their teachers’ gestures of verbal communication, these children sought teachers’ help or pointed at their favorite objects. These attributes prevail in Nick’s display of anger without making proper verbal utterances.
CONCLUSION
Every child follows each developmental milestone before graduating to the other. However, each child develops these milestones at a customized speed. Some children can advance in one milestone while derailing in another. In the Marking with Colored Pencils, children had acquired more advanced socio-emotional and physical milestones than language development. Besides coordinating their body parts, children responded to adults’ guidelines positively. This trend is also visible in the Toddler Observations Video 3, where Nick showed sound body coordination, emotion management, and cognitive processes.
Works Cited
Benoit, D. Infant-Parent Attachment: Definition, Types, Antecedents, Measurement, and Outcome. Pediatrics Child Health, 19 October 2006. https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fpch%2F9.8.541
CDC. Important Milestones: Your Child by Two Years. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 14 December 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-2yr.html
Department of Health. Meeting the Social-emotional Development Needs of Infants and Toddlers. The New York State Department of Health Early Intervention Program, 5 June 2017.
ECA Learning Hub. Marking with Colored Pencils (Video). Youtube, 9, July 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqF2BZeLOQQ
Hatfieldmomof3. Toddler Observation Video 3 (Video). 5 July 2011. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nQxWCn_dBg
Rudd, L.C. & Kelley, H. M. Language Development. Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development, 29 September 2011.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1609
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