What are the developmental stages of babies from 12 to 24 months?

This is a fun time for babies and parents alike. Not only are babies at this age learning to walk, climb, and even dance, they also are learning how to speak. Now your baby can respond to simple directions, and is learning how to tell you what he wants, usually by pointing. By the end of this stage, your baby can use his fingers and hands to turn the pages of a book, stack blocks, and make scribbles with a crayon. He loves repetitive songs and stories. Although he probably likes to be around other kids, play is usually side-by-side rather than interactive. Learning to share comes later. Language skills are really developing at this stage, too, as your baby can link two words together for simple sentences and is beginning to use pronouns, like “me” and “mine.”

Communication and language skills include:

• Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
• Follows simple commands and understands simple questions
• Communicates likes and dislikes nonverbally or with simple language
• Says several single words and repeats words overheard in conversation
• Use two-word sentences and questions, for example, “More juice,” “Where kitty?”
• Imitates new words and phrases, such as “Go bye-bye,” and “Mommy’s car”
• Sings songs in his/her own way
• Points to items or body parts when named or
• Says some words that people outside the family can understand

Cognitive and intellectual skills include:

• Understands how familiar objects are used, such as utensils for eating
• Develops shape and size discrimination and starts sorting objects into similar groups
• Shows excitement when completing simple tasks such as dropping blocks into a box.
• Realizes things exist when they are out of sight and can find objects even when hidden under two or three covers
• Begins trying to help with activities such as feeding, undressing, grooming.
• Begins wanting to hold the book or turn pages
• Begins solving simple problems
• Recognizes him/herself and family in photos
• Attempts simple two- or three-piece puzzles
• Begins make-believe play, such as feeding a baby doll or putting teddy bear to sleep
• Enjoys finger plays, nonsense, and nursery rhymes

From Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg.

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