II

Physical Well-Being, Health and Motor Development

A

Large Motor Skills

Child uses and coordinates their large muscle groups.

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe

• Changes speed or direction while moving though may have difficulty stopping with control
• Walks up stairs, placing one foot on each step
• Bends over to pick up a toy and stands back up
• Jumps forward with both feet at the same time
• Walks on tip-toes when asked
• Climbs a playground ladder
• Catches a medium-sized ball
• Pedals a tricycle

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Play ball with children, introducing concepts of taking turns, catching, and throwing
• I ntroduce action songs such as, “Animal Action,” “Sammy,” and “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”
• Give children opportunities to walk barefoot on different surfaces, such as carpets, wood floors, linoleum floors, sand, concrete, or soft matting

B

Small Motor Skills

Child controls the small muscles in their hands and wrists.

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe

• Use child-safe scissors in one hand to make snips in a piece of paper
• Strings large wooden beads onto a shoelace
• Balances 5–6 blocks on top of one another
• Open a door by turning the round handle
• Picks up a cup with one hand to drink from it
• Turns the pages of a paper book one at a time

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that foster fine motor skills
  • Balls
  • Blocks
  • Cardboard tubes to string with yarn
  • Knob puzzles
  • Large pegboards
  • Modeling compound
  • Spoons and scoops in sand and water areas
  • Cloth to collage
  • Safety scissors
  • Paper to crumple/rip
  • Variety of painting supplies

C

Sensory Integration

The child uses sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, proprioception (deep pressure), and vestibular function (balance) to perceive and respond to the world around them.

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe

• Notices textures on their clothes (e.g., a lumpy sock or pants made of different fabric than their shirt)
• Tries different positions for walking quickly or running (e.g., leaning forward, rotating arms like propellers, or running sideways)
• Jumps off a step
• Rolls across the floor
• Touches everything in their environment

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Create a learning environment that provides opportunities for children to develop their senses; consider Including:
  • Beautiful objects
  • Heavy objects for children to move and carry, such as phone books wrapped in duct tape or laundry detergent containers filled with sand
  • Large pieces of cloth in which children can wrap themselves
  • Opportunities for practicing balance, such as riding a rocking horse
  • Water and sand tables
  • Materials that can be stretched, squeezed, and rubbed

D

Self-Care

Child cares for their physical well-being.

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe

• Tries a wider range of textures and flavors of food
• For breastfeeding toddlers, begins to have interactions with their mother about when and how they like to nurse
• Anticipates and participates in family and/or childcare sleeping routines
• Shows interest in toilet training and may start to use toilet regularly with assistance
• Washes and dries hands after toileting and before meals, with assistance
• Cooperates and assists educator in tooth-brushing

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Talk to families about their values. (Are independence and autonomy important to them? In which areas?) Acknowledge different perspectives.
• Provide the child with opportunities to do tasks that their family expects them to learn to do independently
  • Pour their milk and help themselves to a rice cracker from a plate on the table
  • Dress and undress themselves
  • Brush their teeth
  • Set the table for meal times
  • Put on their shoes
• Offer the child appropriate choices when dressing (“Do you want to wear your star shirt or your elephant shirt?”)
• Post supporting visuals to encourage independence; for example, show the steps of hand washing above the sink or the steps of washing their own cup and plate in the kitchen
• Explore toileting by reading:
  • Everyone Poops , by Taro Gomi
  • Once Upon a Potty , by Alona Frankel
  • Diapers Are Not Forever , by Elizabeth Verdick

E

Healthy Sexuality

Child develops a healthy relationship to their body, pleasure, and others. This healthy sense of self is supported and demonstrated through respectful, caring, and loving relationships with families, educators, and other children.

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe

• Learns the language for different body parts and their functions (e.g., penis, vagina, or breasts)
• Communicates their gender identity (e.g.,“I’m a girl!”) and categorizes others by gender
• Expresses curiosity about their own body and the bodies of others (e.g., trying to see other people’s bodies or asking questions like: “Why doesn’t Kayla have a wee wee?”)

Ways educators might support the child's development

• When toilet-teaching, use accurate language to describe genitals; validate children’s curiosity and provide accurate, age-appropriate answers to their questions
• Engage in two-way communication with families regarding toilet teaching , and include
  • Words for penis and vagina in the child’s home language
  • Cultural expectations for privacy in the bathroom
• Encourage children to read facial expressions and other body language (scared, sad, frustrated, happy, angry, etc.)