Children – Birth to 2 Years

FACS Standards 4.2.1, 4.2.2

Herr, Judy. Working with Young Children. The Goodheart-Wilcox Co., Inc. 2008.

Rapid growth – child’s size, shape, senses, and organs change

Gain new abilitiesMost of 1st year spent coordinating motor skillsThrough repetition, physical strength and motor

coordination gained

Physical Development

As children grow, activities, diets, sleep schedules, and safety policies must be adjusted

Infant seat – okay during early infancy, but by end of 1st year, child needs room for large muscles to develop and need time and space for crawling and walking

Weight may change dailyAverage birth weight 7 ½ pounds5 months later, double birth weightBy age 1, triples birth weightBy age 2, four time birth weight

Size and Shape

Length also changes rapidlyAverage birth length 20 inchesBy age 1, usually grown 10-12 inchesBy age 2, grow 2-6 inches more – 32-36 inches

Differences in sexes – males slightly heavier and tallerMost boys reach ½ adult height by age 2

Automatic body response to a stimulusSome last a lifetime; others disappear after a few

monthsDoctors check reflexes for brain and nerve

development

Reflexes

Reflexes are not acquired or lost at exactly same time

Survival – necessary for life – breathing, sucking, swallowing

Primitive – disappear with age – Babinski, Moro, Palmar, stepping

Types of Reflexes

Helps infant obtain food for survivalPermanent reflexCourse of development – birth to 6 months

Sucking Reflex

Causes infants to turn heads toward anything that brushes their face

Helps them find food sourceHelps child find something to suckUsually disappears by 3-4 months

Rooting Reflex

“Startle” reflexOccurs when infant startled by noise or sudden

movementFlinging arms and legs outward and extending head;

then quickly draws arms together, crying loudlyPeaks during 1st month and usually disappears by 6

months

Moro Reflex

When you touch an infant’s palm, hand will grip tightlyTightly enough to lift infant into a sitting position –

Don’t!Infant has no control over this response

Palmar Grasp Reflex

Can be seen with rattle or any other object placed in palm

Weakens after 3-4 monthsDisappears totally later in 1st year

Present at birth of full term babiesStroke sole of foot on outside of heel to toeToes will fan out; foot twitchesUsually lasts for much of 1st year

Babinski Reflex

Observed in full term babiesWhen infants feet are placed on flat surface, infant will

lift one foot after another in stepping motionUsually disappears 2-3 months after birthWill learn to step voluntarily late in 1st year

Stepping/Walking Reflex

Order in which child performs new movementsEach new movement builds on previous onesSequence depends on brain and nerve developmentMovements develop in areas closest to brain and

spinal cord first

Motor Sequence

First months after birth, head and trunk control develops – can lift head; watch an moving object by moving head side to side

4-6 months of age, roll over; first turn from stomach to back; then able to roll back to stomach

Can sit upright 4-6 months - need to strengthen neck and back muscles

Gradually able to pull themselves into sitting positionThen, crawl – can be done after learn to roll onto

stomach – pulls with arms and wiggles stomach; some push with legs

Crawling versus CreepingCrawling – abdomen on floorCreeping – movement in which child supports weight

on their arms and legs; then move forward

As arms and legs strengthen, able to stand with help from adult

Soon able to stand while using furniture to support themselves

Hitching – must be able to sit alone first; move arms and legs, sliding their buttocks across the floor

With better coordination and leg strength, can walk when led by adult

Pull selves up to standing positionStand without supportTrue toddler next – walk alone

Earliest are reflexesBy 3-4 months, enjoy swiping at things - unable to

graspBy 9 months, eye-hand coordination improved enough

they can pick up objectsBy 16 months, can scribble with crayons

Hand movements

By age 2, can draw simple figure of vertical and horizontal lines

By age 2 show preference for one hand over the other; some children don’t show hand preference until age 4

Reflexes to coordinated movementsTwo main forces are work:• Heredity- determines when brain and senses will

mature enough to learn certain skills• Environment – opportunities to use senses and try

new things

Cognitive Development 1st 2 years

Being able to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell important to learning

Senses develop in 1st 2 years of lifeSight and hearing develop quickly

Birth to 3 months• Vision blurry at birth• Near vision better than far• Like to see things 8-15 inches on front of them• As vision improves show preference for certain

objects

Will gaze longer at patterned – checks and stripes – than a solid color

Prefer bold over pastel colorsPay more attention to faces rather than objectsGaze longer at a smiling face than one with no

expression

1 month – focus on hairline2 months – eyes3 months – facial expressions

HearingAs infant turn head toward noises – startled by loud

noisesReact to noises by cryingLulled to sleep by rhythmic sounds – lullaby or

heartbeat

React to human voice while ignoring other soundsBy 3 weeks can distinguish between mother and

father and other stranger

During 1st 3 months, infants don’t distinguish difference between themselves and their environment• Don’t recognize that their moving hand is THEIR

hand• Could be someone else’s

3-6 monthsFocus on their surroundingsBy 6 months, distinguish between familiar and

unfamiliar facesLearn to touch, shake, and hit objects they see

Memory, foresight, and self-awareness developingHitting crib gym – makes noiseMoving – makes noise

3-6 months – show judgment- prefer smell and voice of parent over a stranger

From birth, infants make noiseDuring this stage, vocalization increasesWhen you hold and play with infants, they make

noises

Respond new ways to touchRespond happily to light touches and ticklingTake an object, look at it, mouth it, and shake it, bang

it on floor

Body awareness begins to developMay bite toes; when teeth begin coming in, child will

experience pain when biting toes

6-9 monthsObject permanence comprehension begins –

understanding that object remains whether within sight or not

Developing memory and goal-oriented thinking

9-12 monthsBecome intentional about goalsHave definite ideas about wantsAnticipate certain events

12-18 monthsLike pat-a-cake and peek-a-booTrial-and-error problem solvingExperiment with objects to find new usesCause and effect fascinates children

Language – change of behavior occurring as a result of experience and maturation; relates to environment

Becomes bigger part of communication1 or 2 words to communicate, but don’t understand

combining a series of words to form sentences

Books become important at this timeLove to sit in lap and listen to storyCan identify pictures, pointing to them, giving them

namesUnderstand more than they can say

18-24 monthsAble to apply what known about objects to solve

problems without as much trial-and-errorThink in terms of actionsImproved thinking and motor skills makes caring for

toddlers exhausting

Want to actively explore, find out as much as possible about new places and objects

Don’t understand dangers, therefore, caregivers must make environment as safe as possible

Pretend starts, a form of deferred imitation

Deferred imitation – watching another person’s behavior, then acting that behavior out later

Understand that symbols represent other real objectsLearning more and more wordsAt first, learn 1 or 2 words each month

Between 18-24 months, 10-20 new words added each month

When vocabulary reaches 200 words, they begin to combine 2 words – known as telegraphic speech

At birth don’t show a wide variety of emotions – either comfortable or uncomfortable – express this using movements, facial expressions, and sounds

Cooing – comfort or delightCrying - discomfort

Social-Emotional Development first 2 years

A range of emotions in first months – shown by facial expressions

Between 6-9 months will show fear, anxiety, and anger

Socially young children focus on a few adultsAfter age 1, take interest in other toddlers, but adults

still most important

Quality and intensity of emotional reactionsPassivity, irritability, and activity patterns part of

temperament

Temperament

Passivity – how actively child is involved in surroundings

Passive infant withdraws from a new person or eventActive infant responds to a new person or event

Irritability – tendency to feel distressedSome difficult to soothe, comfort; while others rarely

cry

Activity patterns – levels of movementSome move little even in sleep while others are in

constant motion, even when sleeping

Strong emotional connection that develops between people

Usually with caregivers; learn when they are hungry, wet, or frightened

Quality of attachment depends on the adultsSingle adult for special attention – broad, happy smile

Attachment

Cooing, kicking, gurgling, and clinging – other signsDistress signs – irregular sleeping or eating patterns

Separation anxiety – distress shown by infant when caregiver is leaving – about 6 months of age begins, clearer by 9 months, very strong at 15 months, then weakens

As caregiver, be aware of attachment behaviorsChildren between 9-18 months have most difficulty

starting a child care programTo make transition easier, have parent bring a favorite

toy or blanket

Will see many changes socially and emotionally over first 2 years of life

As a caregiver, YOUR actions will affect how the children change

Establishing trust is KEY to social-emotional development

Trust develops when there is predictability

Changes over Time

If you meet needs of child and encourage interaction with others, child will learn to trust and care for others; they will feel safe and happy

Birth – 3 monthsNewborns don’t have well refined emotionsGeneral excitement and general distress – only

emotion shown

May show excitement by looking alert wiggling, or smiling

May show distress by crying – notice: there may be no tears

3-6 monthsBy 3 months, respond to people with smiles and

laughterMay make happy sounds as adults play with them,

hold them, feed themStart to notice other babies and smile at them

They cry to show distress; tears may begin to appearLate in this stage they use different cries to signal

different needs

6-12 monthsBecome actively involved with their caregiversAs adults care and play with them, they express

happiness, joy, and surpriseMake sounds in response to being talked to

Begin to develop fearDon’t be alarmed if they cry in response to a strangerHave developed an attachment to caregiver; may cry

and/or show fear when caregiver leaves

Most difficult stage; stranger anxiety; will last until they are 14-16 months old

12-24 monthsShow anxiety as well as stranger anxiety – become

upset of something they fear will happen – will become clingy

More interested in exploring; are curious about objects and surroundings ; take more interest in other children

Secure child will explore more than an insecure oneLike to play next to another child, but not “with”

another childBecome more aware of their abilities which brings

them joy and angerWant to do things on their own

Like to say “no”Like knowing they can make things happen and don’t

always want to do what adults want them to do – be kind, but firm with them

Help this age learn rules and that they must follow them AND make sure they needs and wants are important