Children acquire many skills in oral, fine and gross motor development during the toddler year. Toddlerhood is considered to be from the age of 12 to 24 months. Opportunities to explore their environment and master physical skills are critical to physical development of toddlers. When children do not meet developmental milestones, early intervention is highly valuable and successful.
Oral Motor
Oral motor development involves learning how to use the muscles of the mouth and the tongue. Toddlers have already mastered sucking and swallowing. They now move on to using their budding teeth to chew and their tongue to move food around their mouths. Toddlers enjoy learning to suck through a straw, to clean their lips with their tongues and to drink from a cup. The work of coordinating sucking, swallowing and breathing is also mastered during this time.
Fine Motor
Fine motor skills are related to the use of the small muscles in the hands and forearms. At this age children begin learning to feed themselves with a spoon and hold a cup independently. The coordination of getting the spoon or cup to the mouth can be a challenge, but is usually mastered by the end of the toddler year. Toddlers enjoy exploring writing utensils like crayons and markers. They hold these items with a fist grasp and use whole arm movements to scribble. Turning pages of board books is manageable for 1-year-olds, although they still need assistance with thinner pages. Toddlers love to throw toys and are able to develop more control over the direction they throw during this year. They love repetition and will pick up and throw items over and over. They also develop the skill of stacking items and can stack two to four objects at a time.
Gross Motor
Gross motor skills refer to the large muscles of the arms, legs and torso. The primary gross motor task during this stage is learning to walk independently and master balance. Toddlers can crawl with great skill and move into standing without assistance. Stairs are managed by crawling up and down on all fours. Toddlers use a wide stance, stiff legs and arms held out to help with balance when standing. They practice their walking skills by pushing toys in front of them and cruising furniture. Maneuvering around obstacles can be difficult for them, as is stopping once they have begun moving forward at a faster pace. Toddlers fall a lot and protecting them from sharp corners and objects is an important safety task for parents and caregivers.
Imitation
Toddlers love to imitate the actions of the people around them. They will pretend to stir, shake, write and read as they observe the adults in their lives doing these activities. Take advantage of this innate desire to expose your child to a variety of experiences, broadening their knowledge base and providing them with a rich environment in which to grow and learn.
About this Author
Lisa Vratny-Smith, MSW, is a social worker, behavior consultant, and yoga instructor. She has worked with children and families for more than 20 years, providing expertise in child development and behavior management. Vratny-Smith writes the Mama Drama column for “Mile High Mamas” and the Laughing Yoga Mama blog.
