Development at 16 Months
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Activity 1
Age Appropriate Speech, Language and Communication Development
Identifies One Main Body Part
I know that things around me have labels, and I can identify the parts of my body that I use the most. Ask me, and I will be able to show you my head, hands, eyes, mouth and more! I usually develop the ability to identify one main body part between 15 and 19 months.
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Steps
Feedback
Your child is able to understand and identify one body part at this stage. It's a wonderful time to learn about body parts. You may continue to teach via games or songs that he especially likes. Use them to introduce new body parts. Take a look at the suggested activities for more ideas in this activity!
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When learning about body parts, your child generally starts with the body parts he sees or uses more often. Also, start with the body parts that are more distinct e.g. the head or hand etc.
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Make use of naturally occurring situations to enhance learning e.g. discuss and touch your child on various parts of the body when you are dressing or undressing him or when your child is exploring your face!
Use mirrors to allow the child to identify his body parts together with you. You may also use cloth puppets, dolls or teddy bears to pat or point to the body parts. Play games like 'Simon says (show me your head!)'
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Sing songs e.g. "If you're happy and you know it, you clap/tap/etc your hands/feet/etc". Or tickling games e.g. ‘Tickle your nose/tummy etc'.
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Activity 2
Age Appropriate Fine Motor Development
Removes Objects While Holding On To Container
 I am learning to perform two different tasks on each hand at the same time! Let me hold a container in one hand and observe if I am able to use my other hand to remove the objects from inside the container. This ability to perform two different tasks on each hand simultaneously is called bilateral integration. I usually develop this ability when I am between 16 and 18 months old. |
Steps
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Let your child hold a small container with some objects or toys inside.
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Ask him to hand you the contents inside the container.
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Observe if he is able to use his other hand to remove the objects from the container and hand them to you.
Feedback
Your child is demonstrating good coordination between both hands in this activity. Good bilateral integration reflects an essential development in your child which involves separating the functions of the two sides of the body. This is an important development which is necessary for many learning tasks later! You may look at the suggested activities for more ideas with this task.
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Let your child take all the objects out of the container and have him place them back inside after playing with them.
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Whenever possible, involve him in tasks that require the use of both hands, with one hand assuming the supportive role and the other the manipulative role. It does not matter which of your child's hand is the supportive one and which is the manipulative one.
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Let your child stack and remove rings with one hand while the other hand holds onto the base.
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Let your child pound pegs, with one hand holding the wooden hammer and the other hand holding the toy with pegs.
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Encourage your child to hold a piece of paper steady as he holds a crayon and scribbles with the other hand.
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Encourage any activity that involves one hand stabilizing an object while the other hand manipulates smaller objects, e.g. holding a container of clothes pegs with one hand while other hand passes the pegs to Mummy.
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