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Benchmarks For an infant or toddler, everything is new and therefore exciting! Their sense of awe and wonder is contagious as they discover what it feels like to laugh, tumble, learn, and communicate. As faith is woven into their conversations and activities, infants and toddlers are able to learn about and love our great God too. Spiritual The early years are about establishing relationships of trust and love. Children learn to trust and love God at this age too. Where God's Word is spoken, it's always at work, even in the littlest of children. They hear that Word through Bible story books and weekly worship. Toddlers imitate praying hands in addition to other basic gestures they are learning. Social From just a few months of age, children act as little copycats. As infants, they imitate facial expressions and movements. As they grow into toddlers, they begin imitating more complex movements and sounds that become words. This imitation is a form of social play, as it involves interaction with others. Emotional This is a time when very little people are feeling and learning to manage very big emotions. Infants express the basics of joy or distress. Toddlers, however, experience frustration as well as possible shyness or fear in addition to the contagious joy, laughter, and wonder they feel. Intellectual Babies are born with curiosity. They have a whole world to explore and experience! Infants start by recognizing familiar objects, and then explore by holding, shaking, and manipulating. Toddlers continue to learn and sharpen problem-solving skills as they sort shapes and build with blocks. They can also point to body parts and follow simple directions. Physical The number of physical milestones that a child meets in the first few years is incredible. From discovering their fingers to developing the ability to sit, crawl, walk, climb, and run, children in this stage are discovering how to use the body God has given them. Infants & Toddlers • 2 • cph.org • Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House

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