Early markers of child development: what should a child be able to do at two years old?

All parents worry about whether the child is developing correctly. Although every child is different and learns new skills at different rates, there are common markers of development. They help you understand what you should pay attention to. In this article, YokoSun explains what a baby should be able to do at two years old.

Usually at the age of two, children begin to become more active and learn a lot of new things. Fine motor skills and speech develop, creative and social skills are established, and even begins to care for oneself independently. Let's figure out what exactly a two-year-old child should be able to do according to various criteria: from physical to emotional development.

1. Physical development: what should a child be able to do at two years old?

Indicators such as height, weight, body mass index, and so on say a lot about the physical development of a child. However, in addition to this, the skills that children acquire by the age of two are also assessed. It is believed that by this period the children’s movements are already quite well coordinated. The child walks independently and even runs, and maintains good balance.

At two years old, a child can:

• Overcome easy obstacles on your way, including several obstacles in alternating steps;
• Climb the stairs, alternating legs, holding on to the railing or the hand of an adult;
• Holds a ball, throws, kicks and even catches it from close range;
• Change walking to running.
• Use items for their intended purpose;
• Build a tower from 3-4 cubes.

The last two points relate to the development of the baby's fine motor skills. Why is it important, how is it related to speech skills, and what games help development - we have already discussed in this article.

2. Speech development: should a child speak at two years old?

At two years old, a child usually understands a lot: he gives his hand when you ask for it, responds to his name. However, active speaking can be difficult. Often, by the age of two, children master words, but also come up with their own, speaking in a kind of “children’s language.”

So what exactly should a child be able to do by the age of two?

• Point to parts of the body that adults call;
• Point to the so-called drawn objects;
• Make simple sentences of two or three words.

At this age, the baby’s speech apparatus is still in the stage of physiological development. But you can help your child learn to pronounce words clearly. For example, it is believed that children master speech better in “talkative” families, those where it is customary to communicate a lot. Reading fairy tales and talking with the child helps, even if he does not respond.

At this time, the baby is actively accumulating vocabulary. By the way, by the age of two, its volume can already be about 200 words.

3. Self-care: what skills does a child acquire at two years old?

At this age, the baby is already beginning to learn independence and imitate adults. It often happens that the child himself begins to repeat everyday routine movements after his parents. In such cases, you should help only when something clearly doesn’t work out, explaining how to do it correctly.

A child can acquire these everyday skills at two years old:

• Hold the spoon confidently and eat carefully;
• Wash your face and hands yourself;
• Wear a hat and mittens;
• Brush your teeth, but hesitantly, with the help of adults;
• Asking to go to the toilet (during the day), but with little control over the physiological need.

4. Social skills and emotions: how does a child behave at two years old?

At two years old, the child begins to be capricious a lot. There is even a special concept: the crisis of two years. At this moment, the first stage of separation of the baby from his parents is actively manifested, who already realizes that physically he is largely independent. As a result, the baby’s mood can change literally overnight, whims and protests begin.

At the same time, the child begins to socialize, at this age he may even make his first friends. Here are some markers of the social and emotional development of a two-year-old child:

• Uses sight, hearing and touch to obtain information from others;
• Shows interest in imitative games;
• Feels guilty when he does something wrong;
• Actively indicates what he likes and what he doesn’t;
• Strives for contact with peers, wants to be friends with them;
• Gains skills in contact with peers.

During this period, it is very important for parents to teach their child communication. This is how we will be able to overcome the difficulties of the so-called crisis of two years. It is also important not to suppress the child’s desire for independence, but, on the contrary, to become a significant mentor.

Many development markers are, of course, conditional. For example, some children already master fluent speech by the age of two, while others have barely learned to clearly pronounce the words “mom” and “dad.” However, if by the age of two the child does not respond to his name, is not able to walk independently, does not understand the meaning of familiar objects, refuses to communicate with peers and does not strive to learn new things, then it is worth contacting a specialist.

It is important to show sensitivity and attention to the child, then he will receive timely help, warmth and care from his family.