By Emily Melvin, Julie Leighton, Rachel Binger, Rachel Gilmore and Traci Trotter

Children are growing rapidly at this time, getting the hang of their gross motor skills as

well as their fine motor skills.

Gross Motor SkillsAt this time gross motor skills are improving as well as strength and

coordination. From the age of two to three typically most children are starting to do

these or are able to:

Go up and down slide. Jump in place with both feet Walk upstairs alone with both feet on step. Walk on tiptoes. Jump backwards. Jump sideways. Stand on one foot. Hop on one foot. Climb jungle gyms and ladders Make sharp turns around corners when running. Catch a ball with arms straight in front of body. Kick a ball a few feet.

Fine Motor SkillsPlace ring on ring stack toy.Hold crayon with thumb

and fingers. Imitate simple train made

of three blocks.String one-inch beads.Snip with scissors.Build tower using eight

cubes.Hold pencil with thumb and

fingers.Place square pegs in

pegboard. Imitate bridge made of

three cubes.Copy circles.

Red Flags for children at this age

Arms and/or legs are stiffBody posture is limp or

floppy compared to children of the same

One side of the body is used more than the other

Has a very clumsy manner compared to other children of the same age

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!

Because children are mastering jumping, clapping, turning around, and moving side to side we are going to sing a song and do a little movement. Movement is a great way to get young children excited and engaged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrsM9WggCdo

For kids who have all of that mastered can try this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RcMzUdXDRQ

During the early preschool years children ages 2-3 will…• Further develops language skills and the use

of language to communicate with others • Solves Problems• Observe objects: with curiosity and will start

to notice differences• Explore cause and effect: for example filling a

large cup of a water and trying to pour it into a smaller cup

• Will use prior knowledge to attempt new problems

Are able to think logically: Can classify objects by likeness, and can recognize patterns

Understand the concept of sequence: can sort objects from smallest to largest

Knows their numbers and can countUnderstands the concept of time: such as, “now”,

“soon”, and “late”Identify: such as shapes and colors Take on pretend roles: develops an imagination

and creates imaginary scenes and even friends

Be aware of their own body in space: high vs. low Understands that pictures and objects can

symbolize something elseCan complete age appropriate puzzles Notices different features of people and animals:

such as rabbits have bog fluffy ears while people have small rounded hairless ones

Recognizes and identifies with familiar signs and objects: can pick out their own name, knows a stop sign

Finger painting shapes with shaving cream!

Children will be asked to paint shapes in shaving cream after reviewing their shapes helping reinforce their memory skills as well as encouraging their growing math skills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfRuLS-Vnjs&feature=related

Speech and language development - 2 year old

Perhaps there is justifiable reason for the tantrums witnessed around the second year of life.  At this time, a child’s understanding of words and sentences is increasing rapidly while his ability to express himself with words and phrases is progressing at a slightly slower rate.  This can be a source of frustration for many toddlers, and thus the once happy-go-lucky child may begin to exhibit “melt-downs.”  Obviously, the disparity between language understanding and language expression cannot fully explain the phenomenon of the “terrible twos.”  However, parents should keep this in mind and encourage their child to use alternative modes of communication until verbal skills have improved, e.g., use of gestures/sign language, pointing to picture symbols to indicate desires, etc.    Below are some general guidelines to determine whether a child’s speech and language development are progressing appropriately.  If a child lags significantly behind in any area, parents are encouraged to speak with their child’s physician regarding referral to a speech-language pathologist for evaluation, and if needed, treatment.

Speech-Language Developmental Milestones:

Two year old

Speech-Language developmental milestones:

Three year old

Reading BooksBooks and Art ProjectsReading books to children and following up with a structured

activity combine as a valuable language development strategy. Encourage children to listen carefully during story time and then give them time to ask questions or make comments about the story.

After that, provide the 2 year old students with a related coloring sheet or "cut and paste" activity. At this age, usually you would cut out pieces, and then they would paste the pieces. Then you could facilitate an ongoing discussion about how the coloring or activity relates to the story.

3 year olds will color relatable coloring sheets and create their own book with their interpretation of the story they created. After constructing their book each child will bring their book to the teacher who will record their version of the story by writing down the child’s description word for word.

Social DomainAll toddlers develop at different rates, so it’s

important to not be overly concerned if toddlers are acquiring new skills at different rates

Toddlers learn more when teachers/parents “let them go” to work some situations through themselves because it is one way to learn about other people’s behavior and feelings

Parallel Play is often used (Playing next to or near other children)

Social MilestonesFinds it difficult to control feelings; which often

times result in tantrums.Can play with other children her own age for a

short time, though sharing is difficult.Finds it a challenge when asked to wait.Trouble making choices. Poor impulse control.Poor reasoning skills.Enjoys copying adult behavior and activities. Confuse reality and fantasy.Loves imaginative play.Trying very hard for independence.

Signs of Developmental

ProblemsTantrums aren’t reducing in frequency.Isn’t interested in engaging with adults or

other children.Doesn’t play any imagination based games.Prefers to spend time playing alone.

http://extension.unh.edu/Family/Documents/ec2_play.pdf

http://www.kidspot.com.au/familyhealth/Development-Toddler-2---3-years-social-and-emotional-development+2548+213+article.htm

At age 2, children usually Shows affection for othersFind it difficult to manage their feelings, which result in

temper tantrumsPoor reasoning skills

There may be an issue if;The temper tantrums are not decreasing in frequency

At age 3, children tend toImitate what their parents are doing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zssIX6HKV1M&feature=related

Walter was WorriedBy: Laura Vaccaro SeegerThe story line of this book is all the emotions

that go along with a storm, such as: Worry Puzzled Shocked Frightened Hopeful Ecstatic