Milestones: 16-19 Months: Cognitive Development
While it\’s probably too early to think about the gifted program at your local elementary school, you\’ll be amazed at the cognitive progress your baby may make between 16 and 19 months old. This is when toddlers pick up new words and learn to respond to simple commands. However, if your child doesn\’t attain all these milestones, don\’t panic. Some children develop faster than others, and there\’s only a loose connection between cognitive milestones in toddlerhood and a child\’s level of intelligence years down the road.
By 16-19 months, most toddlers can:
Say at least a few separate, distinct words and have between 20-50 words overall
Recite the names of familiar household objects (TV, chair, table, etc.)
Follow simple commands like “come here,” “sit in your chair” or “don\’t do that”
Imitate you when you laugh, sneeze, or make a gesture
Recognize themselves in mirrors, videos, and snapshots
By 16-19 months, some toddlers try to:
Show an early interest in reading books on their own
Sing the words, or at least the tunes, of familiar songs
Search for lost objects
Identify a few pictured items by pointing and naming
Solve problems via trial and error (“This switch doesn\’t turn the radio on, so which one does?”)
By 16-19 months, some toddlers can:
Scribble with pencils or crayons
String together simple, declarative sentences (“I want banana,” “I go to park,” etc.)
Put on certain clothes, like shoes or pants, by themselves
Ask \”why\” questions
More in milestones:
16-19 Months: Emotional Development
16-19 Months: Physical Development
Why developmental milestones will make you crazy
Sources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Important Milestones: Your Child at Eighteen Months.
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension - Developmental Milestones: Toddler.
National Network for Child Care - Developmental Milestones: A Guide for Parents, the Second Year.
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