Toddler Cognitive thinking
How Thinking Ahead Changes Things
As your toddler approaches age two, you will probably notice quite a change in his
thinking. This is the age when most children develop the ability to think ahead.
Take this mini-case study as an example: One day two-year-old Lucy approached a
door while carrying a flower in each hand. She stopped, apparently realizing that
she couldn't open the door with both hands full. Putting the flowers on the floor,
she reached for the doorknob. Then she stopped again, aware that the door would
crush the flowers as it opened. Finally, after moving the flowers to a safe place,
she opened the door. This was a simple act, but it required quite a bit of thinking.
Lucy had to imagine what would happen as a consequence of her actions. Lucy was
thinking ahead.
1. Younger Toddlers: Experiment and Learn
- Lucy's kind of forethought isn't possible
for younger toddlers, who still learn mainly through trial-and-error. Younger toddlers
spend a large part of their day simply experimenting–handling physical objects to
find out what will happen if the applesauce is squished, the block dropped or the
round puzzle piece is hammered into the square hole.
2. Older Toddlers: Experiment Less, Imagine More
- As the ability to remember develops,
older toddlers will begin to experiment less and imagine more. They start figuring
out "what would happen if..." without having to try out the idea first. This ability
to think ahead saves toddlers an enormous amount of time. Extra time to try new
things! You'll be surprised how quickly your young toddler will begin to seem more
and more like a child, rather than a baby.
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