1 Intellectual Development The Toddler “Learning begins the first day of life and never ends!”

2 Intelligence??? Intelligence means the ability to interpret or understand everyday situations and to use that experience when faced with new situations or problems.

3 Heredity & Environment Heredity and environment are two forces that influence intelligence and intellectual development.

4 Types of Learning In the first year, the infant is taking in information in multiple ways. These methods are referred to as types of learning.

5 Types of Learning 1) Incidental learning: The child learns in an unplanned way by observation and understanding the results of accidental actions. Example Dropping a ball down a set of stairs

6 2) Trial-and-Error Learning The child tries several solutions to a problem before finding out what works. Examples? Trying to remove an object from something else

7 3) Imitative Learning The child learns skills and behavior by watching and imitating others Example: Learning to brush our teeth

8 4) Directed Learning The child is taught skills and behavior either formally or informally. Example: teaching dressing (Practical Life) Through activities with the Dressing Frames, the child develops coordination, the ability to concentrate and skills of independence. Frames can include buttons, bow tying, lacing, hook and eye, safety pins, zips, buckles, press studs and velcro.

9 A “Concept” is a general way to categorize objects or information. Concepts learned in early childhood include: colors, shapes, size, time, people and things, life & time, etc.

10 Toddler-Elements of the Mind & Learning Attention Span Allows concentration on one area of interest without being distracted. MemoryAllows building on past experience to improve future behavior. PerceptionAllows interpretation of information received from the senses. ReasoningAllows one to form concepts, recognize relationships, make decisions & solve problems.

11 Parents can Help Improve a Child’s Ability to Make Decisions by... Offering limited choices to help the child practice making decisions Offering just enough help to prevent discouragement

12 A Child’s Imagination… A child’s imagination allows the child to try new things and to be different people- at least in the mind!- Chairs become trains, boxes are buildings and closets caves. A child becomes a ferocious lion or a busy mail carrier.

13 A Child’s Imagination: Unfortunately, adult responses often stifle a child’s imagination. “When 3 year old Emma makes up a story- she isn’t lying –she’s using her imagination!” Try to refrain from comments such as “Don’t be silly, you know that didn’t happen.”

14 Creativity The use of imagination to create something! Creativity is an asset throughout life and is most readily developed in early childhood. Promote creativity by encouraging exploration and imagination through drawing, clay, building things, dress- up, etc. Praise a child’s efforts Don’t insist on conformity (e.g.- OK to have a purple cat)

15 Curiosity Curiosity stimulate Learning, but can be dangerous because children may not be able to identify hazards in their environment.

16 How to Guide learning 1) Give your time and attention 2) Allow time for thinking 3) Give only as much help as the child needs 4) Encourage children to draw their own conclusions 5) Demonstrate how to solve problems 6) Model problem solving 7) Maintain a positive attitude 8) Keep explanations simple and on the child’s level 9) Allow children to explore and discover 10) Help children understand the world and how it works 11) Take frequent breaks