Infant Toddler Learning & Development Foundations

8 months
At around eight months of age,
children usually focus on one
object or person at a time, yet
they may at times hold two
objects, one in each hand.
Foundation: Number Sense
The developing understanding of number and quantity
For example, the child may:
• Hold one block in each hand,
then drop one of them when
the infant care teacher holds
out a third block for the child
to hold. (6.5–7.5 mos.; Parks
2004, 50)
• Watch a ball as it rolls away
after hitting it with her hand.
(5.5–8 mos.; Parks 2004, 64)
• Explore one toy at a time by
shaking, banging, or squeezing
it. (5.5–8 mos.; Parks
2004, 58; 8 mos.; Meisels and
others 2003, 21; birth–8 mos.;
Lally and others 1995, 78–79)
• Notice when someone walks
in the room.
Chart continues on next page.
18 months
At around 18 months of age,
children demonstrate understanding
that there are different
amounts of things.
For example, the child may:
• Communicate “more” and
point to a bowl of apple slices.
(18 mos.; Meisels and others
2003, 37)
• Shake head “no” when offered
more pasta. (18 mos.; Meisels
and others 2003, 37)
• Make a big pile of trucks and a
little pile of trucks.
• Use hand motions or words
to indicate “All gone” when
finished eating. (12–19 mos.;
Parks 2004, 122)
• Put three cars in a row.
36 months
At around 36 months of age, children
show some understanding that
numbers represent how many and
demonstrate understanding of words
that identify how much. (By 36 mos.;
American Academy of Pediatrics
2004, 308)
For example, the child may:
• Pick out one object from a box or
point to the picture with only one
of something. (Scaled score of
10 for 35:16–36:15 mos.; Bayley
2006, 97; 24–30 mos.; Parks 2004)
• Reach into bowl and take out two
pieces of pear when the infant
care teacher says, “Just take two.”
(30–36 mos.; Parks 2004)
• Start counting with one, sometimes
pointing to the same item
twice when counting, or using
numbers out of order; for example,
“one, two, three, five, eight.” (36
mos.; Engaging Young Children
2004, 178)
• Use fingers to count a small
number of items. (around 36 mos.;
Coplan 1993, 3)
• Look at a plate and quickly
respond “two,” without having
to count, when the infant care
teacher asks how many pieces of
cheese there are. (36 mos.; Engaging
Young Children 2004, 178)
• Hold up two fingers when asked,
“Show me two” or “How old are
you?” (36 mos.; Engaging Young
Children 2004, 178; by 36 mos.;
American Academy of Pediatrics
2004, 308)
• Identify “more” with collections of
up to four items, without needing
to count them. (36 mos.; Engaging
Young Children 2004, 31 and 180)
• Use more specific words to communicate
how many, such as a
little or a lot. (Hulit and Howard
2006, 186)
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COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT