Teaching Ideas and Curriculum for One Year Olds

Motor Coordination

• Motor coordination is a work-in-progress at this point in your child̵7;s life. You can help her gain better control of her movements by playing some games with her. Use a reward system to keep her interested and trying. Place a treat or toy far enough out of reach that she has to stand to get it. When she begins walking, set her on her feet and back up a few steps, encouraging her to come to you.

Language

• Your one-year-old child likely does not have stellar language skills just yet. Most one-year-olds are just mastering single syllable words. Talk to your child often and praise him when he responds, especially when he says recognizable words rather than nonsense syllables. Many parents enjoy teaching their children to sing at this age. Sing a song to your child and encourage him to sing with you. Coherent words are less important than some imitation of pitch and sound patterns.

Make-believe Play

• At one year of age, most children are beginning to engage in make-believe play. This is important to a child's development for several reasons. Children who engage in make-believe use symbolic thinking, develop self-regulatory skills, such as impulse inhibition and shifting the focus of attention, and exercise their creative potential, in addition to practicing cognitive and social skills. However, children must first be shown how to engage in this type of play before they can do it on their own. Teach your child how to make believe by engaging in some ̶0;pretending̶1; with her. Pretend to drink from an empty cup and encourage her to do the same. Pretend to make an entire dinner then tell her it̵7;s her turn. Once she̵7;s gotten the hang of pretending with you, she can engage in make-believe play on her own as well.

Hide and Seek Games

• Playing hide and seek is a way for children to develop abstract thinking skills. One-year-old children are just starting to understand that just because something is out of sight doesn̵7;t mean it has ceased to exist. One simple way to play this game with a youngster is to cover part of his body with a towel and touch his covered feet. For children with good motor coordination, hide a toy behind your back and encourage him to find it. This type of game reinforces the idea in his mind that even when he can̵7;t see something, it still exists, and he can find it.