HPD 4CWorking with School age Children and Adolescents
Mrs. Filinov
Ages 6-9 Months
What Your Toddler is Likely to Do
 Notice the size of objects, reaching for smaller
objects with finger and thumb and larger
objects with both hands.
 Know whether objects are near or far.
 Understand how objects can be used.
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For example, your toddler may bang blocks
on the floor, shake a noisemaker harder, or
push buttons on a toy.
Search briefly for an object when it is taken
away from her or him.
Other Things Your Toddler May Do
 Drop objects and then look for them.
 Understand the concepts of “in” and “out.”
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Use problem-solving skills.
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For example, your toddler may pull the
string of a pull toy to get it closer.
Start to combine known behaviours in new
ways.
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For example, your toddler may drop several
large beads in a cup, dump them out, and
repeat.
For example, your toddler may reach and
crawl at the same time.
May think of him- or herself when looking at a
child in photos or a mirror.
How You Can Help Cognitive Development,
6 – 9 months
 Give lots of praise for new skills.
 Give your toddler a range of objects
or toys (fill-and- dump toys; toys for
stacking, nesting, and sorting; toys
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with a variety of textures, shapes,
sounds, colours, and weights;
childproof books).
Read books with your toddler.
Play copy games, such as sticking
out your tongue or banging a pan.
Play hide-and-seek games.
Play in-and-out games, such as
putting blocks in a container and
taking them out.
Dance, play music, and sing with
your toddler.
Ages 9-12 Months
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What Your Toddler is Likely to Do
Try to find objects that you have hidden.
Try out new actions to reach the same goal, or
change old actions through trial and error.
Connect animals with actions and sounds,
such as meows, barks, or chirps.
Copy the actions of others.
Develop stronger memory skills.
Become aware of parents as separate people
from him- or herself. Your toddler may point
when asked, “Who’s Mommy? Who’s Daddy?”
Recognize own name, when spoken.
Start to see cause and effect, such as the fact
that things fall when dropped.
Match shapes. For example, your toddler may
place a cube in a matching square hole.
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Other Things Your Toddler May Do
Enjoy looking at pictures.
Point to the correct parts of the body when
asked where they are.
Know that smaller objects fit into larger ones.
Search more for hidden objects.
Repeat an action that gets a reaction, such as
knocking over blocks.
Put two ideas together, such as going to
another room to get a toy and bringing it back.
Leave an activity and return to it later.
How You Can Help Cognitive Development,
9 – 12 months
 Continue to breastfeed.
 Praise new accomplishments.
 Keep adding to the range of
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objects/toys you are providing for
your toddler.
Play action games in which you and
your toddler take turns. Try blowing
kisses, clapping, or peeking.
Ask your toddler to help you find
lost objects.
Talk about cause and effect: “You
dropped Teddy, so now Teddy is on
the floor.”
Read books with your toddler.
Play music and encourage dancing
and m
Ages 30-36 Months
 What Your Toddler Is Likely to
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Do
Compare sizes of things and use
words like “bigger,” “smaller,”
and “really little.”
Try to play-act thoughts and
ideas. For example, your toddler
may pretend to be a dinosaur.
Count three objects.
Match and sort similar pictures
and objects.
Enjoy creative movement.
 Other Things Your Toddler
May Do
 Make a plan before taking
action. For example, your
toddler may search for needed
felt-board pieces before playing.
 Notice changes in nature, such
as a seed growing a sprout.
 Use words related to time, such
as “sleep time.”
How You Can Help Cognitive Development,
30 -36 months
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Continue to breastfeed.
Praise successes.
Keep adding to the range of things that you give your
toddler.
Provide dress-up clothes and props.
Give your toddler a broader range of art supplies. Try sticks,
cotton balls, paper, and cones.
Use laundry time as a chance to talk and sort clothing.
Introduce the concept of first, second, third in simple
games. Ask: “Who is first? Who comes second?”
Provide more complex puzzles with three to six pieces.
Cook with your toddler and explore different foods. Always
remember to be safe in the kitchen!
Continue to talk about time, shape, and colour concepts.
Encourage your toddler to tell stories.
Encourage creative moves to music.
Teach and play singing games like Ring-Around
the-Rosie and London Bridge.
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
 Sensorimotor
 Pre-operational
 Concrete operations
 Formal operations
Sensor motor Stage: 0-2
Learning through 5 senses
Object permanence
Goal directed actions
Rules for Toddlers
If I like it, it’s mine.
If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.
If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
If it’s mine, it must never appear to be
yours in any way.
Rules for Toddlers
 If I’m doing or building
something, all the pieces
are mine.
 If it looks like mine, it’s
mine.
 If I saw it first, it’s mine.
 If you are playing with
something, and you put it
down, it automatically
becomes mine.
 If it’s broken, it’s yours
Preoperational Stage: 2-7
 Operations
 Semiotic function
 One-way logic
 Difficulty with centering &
conservation
 Egocentrism
 Language develops
Concrete Operational Stage:
Ages 7 - 11
 Hands on’ thinking
 Conservation, identity,
compensation
 Reversibility
 Classification
 Serration
Formal Operational Stage:
Ages 11 - 15
 Not all individuals reach
this stage
 Hypothetico-deductive
reasoning
 ‘Scientific’ reasoning
 Adolescent egocentrism &
imaginary audience
Limitations of Piaget
 Stage theory
inconsistencies
 Underestimating children's
abilities
 Cognitive development &
information processing
 Overlooks influence of
cultural and social groups