School Readiness Starts at Home, Curiosity & Problem Solving, Insights and tips for Parents and Caregivers

Age: 6 Months Insights: Babies explore with their senses—looking, touching, mouthing. Curiosity drives learning.

Tips for Parents: Provide safe toys with different textures, encourage reaching and grasping.

Typical Behavior: Reaches for new objects, shows excitement when exploring.

Atypical Behavior: Little interest in exploring or responding to new items.

Age: 18 Months Insights: Toddlers persist in trying things, even when frustrated.

Tips for Parents: Offer toys that require trial-and-error, like stacking or shape sorters.

Typical Behavior: Keeps trying to solve simple problems (e.g., fitting shapes).

Atypical Behavior: Gives up immediately or shows little persistence.

Age: 2 Years Insights: Children begin to solve simple problems with support.

Tips for Parents: Ask open-ended questions ('What happens if…?'), provide puzzles.

Typical Behavior: Enjoys experimenting, shows pride in solving problems.

Atypical Behavior: Rarely attempts new tasks, avoids challenges completely.

Age: 3 Years Insights: Preschoolers use imagination and strategies to solve problems.

Tips for Parents: Encourage pretend play, provide building sets, praise persistence.

Typical Behavior: Tries different solutions, asks 'why' questions.

Atypical Behavior: Shows little curiosity or avoids problem-solving.

Normal child development varies among children. Feel free to reach out to the Judy Center if you have questions or concerns about your child's behavior or development.