Approaches to Learning
Children are born with an inclination to learn. This is reflected in behaviors and attitudes such as curiousity, problem-solving, maintaining attention, and persistence.
Communication, Language and Literacy - Older Toddler (18 to 36 Months)
Ready to get chatty? Research shows that the more parents talk with their children, the larger vocabularies they develop. This can also help your child learn more complex sentence structures. At this stage, make sure you're having plenty of conversations with your child - in the car, the bath tub, during meals, etc. Use new words when you talk to your toddler, and remember to read LOTS of books with them every day.
About This Domain
From birth, children are learning language and developing the ability to communicate. The Communication, Language and Literacy domain describes many important aspects of children’s language and early literacy development.
Respond when others initiate conversation, as well as to their gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice using a larger variety of words or signs.
Engage in short back and forth conversations with adults and peers.
Ask questions or use verbal or nonverbal cues to initiate communication with another to make their needs known.
Follow two-step directions with visual cues if needed. (“Would you please return this book to the shelf and then come outside with me?”)
Answer and ask simple questions. (When asked, “What were you playing with?” Responds, “My blue truck.”)
Communicate messages with expression, tone, and inflection.
Use speech that is understood most of the time by familiar listeners.
Communicate in two to three word sentences that follow the word order of their home language.
Use new words each day and have a word for almost all familiar people, objects, actions, conditions, and concepts (Gramma, chilly, big, little, in, out).
Talk to themselves and others about what they are doing, and events of the day.
Participate in or repeat familiar songs, chants, or rhymes.
Use words, actions, or signs to communicate during dramatic play to act out familiar scenes and events, and imitate familiar people.
Explore reading behaviors independently (choose books, turn pages but not always in order).
Show interest in choosing and exploring different types of books.
Listen for short periods of time to storybooks, informational books, stories, poetry, songs and finger plays. (Enjoy several minutes as caregiver reads short book to a few children but may leave before the end.)
While being read to by an adult, chime in by saying the word or repeated line in a book.
Pretend to read familiar books from memory; repeat familiar phrases while looking at a book.
With support, share personal experiences that relates to events described in familiar books.
Hold a book upright, turn some pages from front to back (but not always in the right order), close book, and say, “done” or “the end.”
Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts of print, such as knowing the differences between pictures and print.
Demonstrate an understanding of realistic symbols such as photographs, and later abstract symbols such as signs and environmental print (know which pictures stand for which activities on a daily schedule; when looking at a symbol of hand-washing near a sink, says, “Wash hands.”)
Demonstrate understanding of the need for and the uses of print. (Pretend to read a “grocery list” during play. When looking at a menu, says, “I want oranges.”)
Play with the sounds of language with another person (name and rhyming games, imitating rhyming words).
Participate in experiences using rhythmic patterns in poems and songs using words, clapping, marching, and/or using instruments.
Notice sounds that are the same and different.
Demonstrate an interest in letters by asking about and/or naming letters they encounter on objects in their environment (recognizing the big M on the McDonalds sign).
Pretend to write in ways that mimic adult writing (scribble on paper while sitting with caregiver who is writing, hold phone to ear and make marks with pencil).
Explore a variety of tools that can be used for writing and transition from holding a crayon or marker in their fist to holding it between thumb and forefinger.
Scribble and/or imitate an adult’s marks with markers, crayons, paints, etc.
Emerging as older toddlers listen to and repeat the sounds and simple words of their home language and other languages they hear.
The South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines serve as a shared vision for all adults supporting young children's experiences prior to entering kindergarten. Positive interactions with trusted adults, engaging with peers, and consistent environments that are safe, healthy, and enhance learning are vital elements to support young children.
Goals and Developmental Indicators describe expectations for what children learn starting with infancy and covering all ages through kindergarten entry. These goals apply to all children regardless of what language they speak, what strengths/disabilities they may have, or specific unique family circumstances. Strategies to enrich the environment, support development and learning, and adaptations provide a variety of ideas to consider.
At the “heart” of the document are tables or developmental continuums that describe children’s learning and development from birth up to kindergarten. You can find these tables under the Learning Domain tab in our main navigation. These Goals and Developmental Indicators are divided into five domains:
Children are born with an inclination to learn. This is reflected in behaviors and attitudes such as curiousity, problem-solving, maintaining attention, and persistence.
Children's feelings about themselves and their relationships with others is the foundation for personality development. These characteristics and skills impact every other area of development.
From birth, children are learning language and developing the ability to communicate. Talking, singing, reading, and responding effectively when children express themselves are great investments supporting learning.
This fascinating area of development includes understanding how children aquire, organize, and use information in increasingly complex ways. Through play, skills are developed as the foundation for exploring and understanding more sophisticated concepts.
Physical growth, muscle development, nutrition, self-care, health and safety practices are included in this area. Safe and healthy practices suppport the ability to learn more effectively in all areas.