How does a child develop between 12 and 18 months

Between one and one and a half years old, children are very active, hugely curious and eager to learn. They express themselves and keep up continual communication with adults. They imitate speech and actions, even laughter, and their sense of humour begins to appear.

They notice distance, depth and height in space

Vision develops even more intensely alongside movement. Almost every toddler tries looking at the world upside down and enjoys turning the pages of books by themselves. Being close to nature matters a great deal. Children get to know natural materials early on, such as leaves and seed pods, and they love moving about in the fresh air. You do not need a built playground for good leisure time. A walk in the park where they can explore is perfect, and family rambles anywhere in nature work well too.

As they approach eighteen months, toddlers delight in spotting small, familiar details and objects in storybooks. They often point them out again and again when you bring out the same book. Most are patient enough to listen to a whole story, perhaps with a slide projector, enjoying how the storyteller changes their voice for different characters. This is a form of role play that the adult models for the child.

At the mirror, your toddler senses space. They enjoy looking at themselves or rather at the “other child” they can see there.

They search for where a sound is coming from 

Around a year old, auditory attention develops a lot. Children start to tell sounds apart with real success. They look for the source of a sound and seek feedback from adults. Pay attention and tell them what they heard.

It is important that our speech to a young child is clear and easy to understand. They hear us and they hear themselves, but they cannot hear their own speech as accurately as ours. Finer listening skills keep developing, which are needed to understand and begin talking. Between 15 and 18 months they start to say words and they love songs and music.

The words they use become easier to recognise 

Babies are so enthusiastic when they begin to repeat adults’ words. They often copy the last or most striking word in a sentence. Active vocabulary is the set of words we use often. Passive vocabulary holds the words we know but rarely say. A child’s passive vocabulary grows quickly, but only if they are in a richly communicative environment.

At first they simply understand these words and do not use them. They “collect” them, then one day bring out a burst of language. Some children try to talk earlier and repeat syllables from words. Others wait and wait, then unveil a large set of words which they pronounce clearly. By 15 months, words begin to take the place of babble.

By this time they understand at least 100 words. An eighteen month old often uses a single word to express a whole idea. For example, saying “ball” to ask for their ball.

Keep our communication simple and clear so it is easy to understand and learn from. By 15 months children can listen to an adult’s request, understand it and carry it out.

At 12 months they step sideways while holding on

We have reached the first steps, which at first happen while holding on, with uncertain movements and wobbly balance. When standing and holding on, children often let go with one hand without realising, simply because they want to grab a toy. So they spend longer holding with one hand, for longer and longer bursts. Parents watch for the moment when both hands let go.

They do not only stand up by holding on. They also practise getting upright in the middle of the room without help, then stand, balance and sit. Standing times lengthen. From here it is only moments to the first unaided steps. They learn that if they lose balance, they can tip forward and use their hands to brace, or sit down. With this safety, they set off more boldly from one piece of furniture or parent to the other. The start of independent walking can come across a wide age range.

As months pass, coordination becomes finer and balance develops further. They can throw a ball while keeping balance. At first they walk in a wide stance, swaying slightly. By around eighteen months the stance narrows and the steps lengthen.

Try to remove obstacles in their path, as they do not easily notice them yet. Just as a threshold can trip them up if they do not look down, so can any object in front of them. They still crawl at times because all fours can feel safer.

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Fine motor play now centres on grasping, releasing and placing objects. These are favourite activities. Children explore every corner. They climb and hold on, so take care. Tool use develops and they learn what certain objects can do. After one year old they love ball play. It is also time to create. Drawing, scribbling and salt dough bring joy and a sense of achievement.

They sort, build, pour, unwrap and pack. Everything is interesting and many tasks can already be done alone.

How does social development progress at this age

When they want something, they point at it with a finger. They point out familiar figures in books in the same way. A sense of humour appears. They laugh at situations even when they happen to others and they are watching from the outside.

They are attached to parents and toys, and like sleeping with a favourite soft toy. It is important for children to meet other family members and friends regularly as well as spending time with parents.

Around 15 months, separation anxiety can reappear, the fear of parting from the parent. Children enjoy copying simple actions learned from adults, such as stirring food with a wooden spoon in a little bowl or combing a doll’s hair.
A strong wish for independence shows. They often take off clothes themselves and are very cooperative with dressing. They try to feed themselves, which calls for patient parental help.

This is the problem solving stage 

They are always on the move, loading, clearing, carrying, building, taking things apart and creating. Offer kitchen items that are safe for play and can be banged and sorted to their heart’s content. Shape sorters are ideal. They may find them hard at first, but with time they sense sizes, shapes and colours. If the room has a toy storage box, they will happily pack their toys away into it.

We present development stage by stage across our blog. If you would like a broader overview of baby development, you will find it here too.

References:

NHS Start for Life — First words and little sentences (1 to 2 years)

Great Ormond Street Hospital — Speech and language development (12–24 months)