Developmental information and toys for babies and toddlers

Question

Developmental information for each age group

What developmental information is presented for each age group?

Is it consistent with the research presented in the text?

How do the proposed toys engage the learning abilities of infants and toddlers?

What about cognitive development? Using what you know about stimulation, is the toy age appropriate? Why or why not?

Answer

For the first ages of 6 to 12 months, the developmental information presented shows that the baby is discovering new things, including how different objects work. They turn to cooing and babbling as precursors of language development. Physically, babies begin to pick up small toys, and through conversation, they can associate words with objects. They also respond to feedback, encouragement, and positive reinforcement. For the second age group from 18-24 months, babies have developed key communication skills and are able to express a variety of moods and emotions. Language development is complemented by an expanded vocabulary of 50 to 200 words. Physically, the child can go in many directions. Cognitively, children can identify and arrange shapes, assemble motor toys, and play with cognitively stimulating toys and games.

The research presented in the text identifies the different stages of a child’s development. It shows, through facilitation methods such as classical conditioning and conditioning (Berk, 2017, pp. 441–443), how early learning is accomplished. The site also explains how the child progresses in responding to positive reinforcement, an essential part of operator conditioning. Furthermore, in terms of motor development, early stages (6 to 12 months) show that infants begin by rolling to their sides and then gradually get up and take small steps while holding stationary objects for support (Berk, 2017, pp. 451-452). During the second period (18-24 months), children show significant motor skills development as they can walk and even run short distances, can jump in place, and can also climb stairs with some assistance (Berk, 2017, p. 452). Therefore, the information presented on the website matches the information in the text.

In the ages selected for this task, i.e. 6-12 months and 18-24 months, the focus is on developing motor and motor skills.

Consistency with research presented in the text

Between 6 and 10 months, babies begin to crawl and become aware of their surroundings. They learn to understand hand and foot movements (Sacrey, Karl, & Whishaw, 2012). Therefore, toys in this category feature stuffed animals with labeled body parts so children can learn with the help of tutors and cell phones, and “jumperoos” also encourage movement. This category also includes smart toys with built-in mechanisms for communicating with children. This is because the babbling phase of the baby’s development occurs simultaneously at this time (Day, 2014).

In the case of infants between 18 and 24 months, they are already actively moving and talking. This is where more complex ideas like family and environment are introduced. This section includes plays that help develop character; and carriages, toy buses and scooters to encourage motor skill development (Smith, 2009).

Perceptual development is defined as the development of the five senses on the human body (Bornstein, 2017). Although, for children, this does not include taste when developing toys. In both categories, the toys come in brightly colored bodies and the sounds that accompany these toys are also soothing and playful. Indeed, in the age groups mentioned, children go through many stages of emotional and mental development. So toys for older children have bright colors, playful music; while toys for the youngest children have very soft colors like pink and blue. Indeed, young children are more likely to fear objects that stand out from their environment (Skelton & Franklin, 2019).

References

Berk, LE (2017). Explore longevity development. People.

Bornstein, MH (2017). Cognitive development: Stability and change in perception of features. In Psychological Development from Childhood (p. 37-81). Routledge.

Date, CNY (2014). Exploring the phonological relationship between babbling and early word generation (PhD Thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland).

Sacrey, L.A.R., Karl, J. M., & Whishaw, I.Q. (2012). Development of rotation, hand shaping, and accuracy before and with retraction of reach for feeding in infants 6-12 months of age. Infant Behavior and Development, 35(3), 543-560.

Skelton, A.E., & Franklin, A. (2019). Children look longer at colors that adults like when the colors are highly saturated. Psychology and Evaluation Bulletin, 1-8. Smith, L.B. (2009).

Geometric fragments: the development of visual recognition of objects over a period of 18 to 24 months. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(5), 290-294.