Skills
Communication Skills
- Points to pictures you name
- Can point to basic body parts and clothing items
- Finds familiar objects not in sight
- Says 4-6 simple words
- Uses words and gestures to meet needs/wants
- Asks for “more”
Fine Motor Skills
- Holds crayon with whole hand, thumb up
- Turns knobs
- Turns pages in a book, a few at a time
- Carries objects in both hands, likes to try to carry
large objects
Gross Motor Skills
- Loves to climb stairs, on furniture, out of crib
- Throws a ball forward
- Can run a little and learning to walk backwards
Personal Social Skills
- Likes lots of attention, easily entertained
- Can be self-centered and often not friendly
- Can recognize self in mirror or photograph
- Expresses negative emotions (anger)
- Is becoming more social with others
Problem Solving Skills
- Likes to take things apart
- Tries a number of things to activate toy; turns,
bangs, pushes buttons - Completes simple 2-3 large piece puzzles
- Attention span is short—child will stay with
activities for brief periods of time - Helping with routine activities is increasing
Activities
Communication Activities
- Repeat words your child says and add a little extra
- Listen to what your child is trying to say, treat what
he/she says as an attempt to communicate - Name items of clothing as you dress your child
- Make a word book with pictures of familiar people/
items
Fine Motor Activities
- Use empty food boxes as blocks to stack, you can fill
with paper and tape shut to make sturdy - Provide blank drawing paper to explore with various
sizes of crayons, pens, markers, and paints - Make instant pudding together, allowing child to
dump and pour, can be eaten and used for finger
painting - Teach blowing bubbles and popping with fingers
- Use a wide paint brush and a bowl of water to “paint”
house, fence, porch
Gross Motor Activities
- Playground equipment is a great opportunity to
practice and develop large muscles - With your help, practice walking up and down steps
- Make your own bowling game using empty bottles
and tennis balls - Practice jumping up, getting both feet off the floor
- Provide laundry baskets and balls to throw ball into
Personal Social and Problem Solving Activities
- Trips to parks are good ways to begin practicing
interacting with other children - Playing “dress up” with clothes gives practice for
dressing and undressing self - Provide a variety of toys that require child to cause
an action - Encourage play with puzzles, may prefer the puzzles
with knobs which are easier to grip - Play “pretend” with a stuffed animal or doll, take
turns feeding, rocking
