Why does my toddler want me to read the same book over and over again?
Toddlers love repetition. As your toddler becomes wise enough to recall the sequence and details of a story, being able to predict what comes next makes a child feel very powerful. While it may be boring for you, it's helpful learning for your child.

My 1-year-old seems to have a short attention span when I try to read a story. Should I worry?
No. Toddlers are meant to be on the go and thus have a hard time sitting still for long. Just read for as long as your child will sit still. Trying to make children sit will only turn into a battle that takes away from the enjoyment that they can derive from books at this age.

Let your toddler wander away if he or she wants to, but keep on reading. Your child may wander back when your voice captures his or her interest again.

Some parents find that their toddlers are better listeners if the reading session takes place during snack time. If their small muscles are busy, their large muscles may be less likely to be busy.

When will my toddler start to have a memory?
Toddlers typically start to have memories around the first birthday. By about age 12 months, the hippocampus-the part of the brain responsible for memory-will mature enough for your toddler to start to remember things that occurred within the past day or so.

What sorts of things might my 1-year-old remember?
Your 1-year-old may have quite a good short-term memory and might remember a lot of details about an experience, such as an exciting trip to the playground. However, since the hippocampus-a critical memory area of the brain-is still developing, a 1-year old still lacks a sense of time, and therefor may not be able to recall whether the trip happened yesterday or a week ago.

How can I help my child to learn and remember?
You might try putting the words into a song. For some reason, young children seem to retain songs, rhythms, and chants especially well. Apparently, music and melodies help the brain to store information. So try singing the "alphabet song" if you want to help your child will start learning the letters.

When do toddlers start to imitate other people?
Around age 18 months, your toddler's memory will have developed enough so that he or she remember seeing you perform an action, and will repeat it again some time later when you're not expecting it. This is called deferred imitation. For example, your child may pick up a toy phone some time after seeing you on a call.

When do toddlers start to pretend as they play?
During the second half of the second year, the areas of your toddler's brain that allow abstractly thinking will become more fully developed. Once your child will is able to think in this manner, you may notice a greater interest in fantasy or pretend play than in more basic play experiences such as banging objects together or climbing.

What do I need to teach my 1-year-old?
Actually, toddlers don't need to be taught-they just need you to allow them to learn. Toddlers are quite capable of developing thinking skills on their own. You simply need to talk with them, listen to them, and pay attention to whatever activities hold their interest.

Young toddlers can learn a lot on their own. If you observe carefully, you'll notice your little scientist setting up experiments. For instance, your child may take an object and throw it, then take a different kind of object and throw it, just to see what will happen with each.

How can I help my 1-year-old to develop thinking skills?
Even young toddlers can make simple decisions. Let your child will make choices when possible. Allow your toddler to choose between the white and the blue socks or between the apple and the banana at lunchtime.

Is painting or coloring an appropriate activity for a 1-year-old?
Yes, if you allow your toddler to be creative in an individual way. Remember, it's the act of creating and not the final product that matters. Your child's first artistic creations, may be a little open to interpretation. But it's the experience of painting or drawing that provides an important learning experience.

Will flash cards help my toddler learn colors?
It really isn't necessary to use flash cards or other "teaching aids" to help your toddler learn. Young children learn best by using all of their senses and exploring their normal environment. All that they need is you and other concerned adults who can respond and talk to them as they go about their business.

Try referring to colors as you come across them during your normal activities ("Your shirt is blue," "The car is red"). This approach is likely to be as effective as flash cards, if not more.