How Toddlers Learn
How Toddlers Learn
Toddlers love to experiment with their ‘I will do this myself’ attitude. This is an important step in developing the confidence and independence that are key for becoming lifelong learners.
It is at the toddler stage that children are really starting to explore the world around them and their place in it. This means a lot of trial and error- taking what they are learning and putting it into practice.
Pretend play, cause and effect (what happens when I do this?) and exerting their independence are ways in which toddlers learn to navigate their world, thoughts and ideas.
Our Educators foster this exploration and development of independence by providing opportunities for our children to explore and thrive.
Literacy for Toddlers
What’s in a name? Well, a child’s name is an important word when learning to read and write.
When a baby begins to respond to their name or the names of other familiar people and things, they are beginning to understand that certain words represent the important people and consistent things in their lives, including themselves. For a toddler, this concept extends to ownership and is a powerful indicator and tool for early literacy.
If you’ve ever heard a toddler shout ‘Mine!” then you’ve observed an important milestone in their early life. All of a sudden, they recognise their belongings and where they go. They recognise their name and what it means.
From songs and books, children will learn words, sentences, rhythm and rhyme, which are powerful tools when teaching the principles of literacy. Rhythm and rhyme, in particular, allow children to predict what comes next, even if they don’t necessarily know how to read the word yet.
Our educators encourage early literacy concepts in toddlers through play and interactions and by providing plenty of exposure to printed words, recognising familiar words, particularly their name, encouraging mark-making, drawing and arts to express themselves, educators using new words in context to make them meaningful and relevant to children and by children being free to read throughout the day with books and materials being easily accessible. Books build confidence and help develop the process of reading, memory and comprehension.
Numeracy for Toddlers
Toddlers can begin to grasp the fundamental concepts of maths by touching objects, placing them in an order and grouping objects together. Over time, they begin to understand that one number ‘stands for’ one object – known as one-to-one correspondence. This is a key building block for more complex math concepts as they reach preschool or kindergarten age.
Our Educators are skilled at supporting children to contribute to real tasks – so they know they are valued, important and acknowledged for their efforts. Being able to do things “all by myself” might be a challenge for parents who are trying to get from A to B as quickly as possible, but this is a chance for what we call ‘unhurried time’. Toddlers gain a great source of pride and a strong sense of self from their independent actions.
