DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TWO-YEAR-OLDS
Brenda Zirbel, Parent Educator

Two-year-olds are busy learning to move their bodies in more coordinated ways, learning language, expanding their social abilities and interests, and learning to control their impulses.  Their job is to declare their independence and to test the limits set by adults around them.  This is a time of rapid growth that requires guidance, direction and support from the significant adults in their lives.  Development of a typical two-year-old includes growth in the following areas.

Large Motor Development

• Walks without help
• Walks backwards
• Tosses or rolls a large ball                                                               
• Stoops or squats                                                                                
• Can bend over to pick up toy without falling
• Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step
• Can rotate forearm to open doorknobs
• Jumps with both feet
• Climbs, kicks, runs
• Likes to push, pull, fill and dump
• Likes ride-on toys
• Likes “action” activities, has boundless energy
• Vulnerable to frustration and accidents
• “Dances” rhythmically to music

Small Motor Development

• Feeds self with spoon
• Can turn pages of a book
• Stacks 4-6 objects
• Scribbles vigorously with crayons or markers                                   
• Explores everything by picking it up, touching it, tasting and smelling it
• Puts things in their mouth
• Handles and may snip with scissors
• Strings large beads
• Experiments with art materials; the process is important, not the end result
• Goes off the paper and out-of-bounds with art materials (floors, wall, hands, other children, table, etc.)
• May be sensitive to getting things on their hands, (paint, shaving cream, etc.)
• Imitates horizontal and vertical lines
• Can undress and begin to dress self
• May begin to show signs of bladder/bowel control

Social/ Emotional Development

• Frequently displays aggressive feelings and behaviors
• Shows increased fearfulness (dark, monsters…)
• Verbalizes feelings more often
• Begins to show empathic concern for others
• A time for temper tantrums, but begins to gain more self control                                                               
• Self centered
• Sharing is difficul
• Difficulty with choices
• Experimenting with independence
• Unpredictable
• Enjoys being around other children, but play is mainly independent or parallel
• Wants to claim everything as their own; “It’s mine!”; Learning about what is “mine” so that when they are older, they can learn to share
• Defends their play objects physically by kicking, hitting, pulling hair, pushing-----requiring constant supervision---a ready adult to help in social situations
• Shows affection spontaneously
• Expresses joyful emotions with full body, as by dancing, jumping clapping hands
• May experience separation difficulties off and on throughout this year
• May have a strong need for security objects and transitional objects
• Imitates life experiences through dramatic play

Self-Help Skill Development

• Can undress and attempts to dress self
• Drinks from a small glass with one hand
• Feeds self either with utensils or with fingers
• May eat one really good meal a day                            
• Likes to help with household tasks; knows where things go and likes to work side-by-side with parent
• Likes to wash hands, but not necessarily face and hair
• Begins to request diaper changes
• Wants to brush his/her own teeth
• Wants all routines followed precisely
• Chooses toys and lovies to take to bed
• Wants to get self in and out of car seats, booster seats at mealtime, bed, etc.
• On outings, may want to walk one time and then be carried the next time
• On outings, dawdles and picks up little things along the way
• Wants to put on and take off own coat
• Wants to hold the book and turn the pages

Language Development

• Uses words singly or in two-word phrases, some 3-4 word sentences
• Generally knows names of things, persons, actions and situations
• Uses plurals
• Still relies on facial expression, gestures, and body movement to aid communication
• Calls self by own name rather than a pronoun
• Refusals are expressed by “No!”
• Often frustrated if not understood by adults
• May sing phrases from songs
• Listens to stories for a short time                                              
• Points to and names objects in books                                        
• Imitates parents’ tone of voice
• Follows simple directions with familiar objects –“Get your shoes.”
• Solicits attention by saying “look at me.”
• Talks about immediate experiences
• Repeats words, shows interest in language

Cognitive Development

• Makes attempts at self-regulation, self control
• Classifies, labels, sorts objects by group (hard vs. soft, large vs. small)
• Understands basic concepts (up-down, in-out)
• Time is understood in terms of personal events
• Understands one vs. many
• Often “thinks with their muscles” ---often talks while they act
• Learns through senses
• Has a short attention span
• Interested in learning how to use common items                     
• Questions “why?”, “what’s this?”                                            
• Tells needs
• Responds to suggestions better than commands
• Imitates actions of adults
• Imitates play of other children
• Begins to place puzzle pieces in appropriate slots
• Knows names of some animals

References:

"The First Five Years of Life", by Arnold Gesell
"Your Two-Year-Old:  Terrible or Tender", by Louise Bates Ames and Frances L. Ilg
 "The Early Childhood Year:  the 2 to6 Year Old", by Thereas and Frank Caplan
"Without Spanking or Spoiling", by Elizabeth Crary               
National Network for Child Care website:  ww.nncc.org/Child.Dev/ages.stages.2y.html
Zero to Three website:  www.zerotothree.org
Minnesota Parents Know website:  www.mnparentsknow.info   

Brenda Zirbel, ECFE parent educator, ISD 196