Assessment Instructions

In preparation for this assessment, take some time to visit an infant toy section at a local store or on a website that features toys for young children. Survey the toys available for children from birth to age 24 months. Note the kinds of toys that are labeled educational and the features that manufacturers say will enhance learning and development. Reflect on what you know about child development to critically evaluate the claims of these toys.

Imagine that you will serve as an advisor to a group of parents who are wondering what kinds of toys to buy for their infants or toddlers (somewhere between birth and age two). As such, write a 3–4 page article, with citations, suitable for publication in a parenting newsletter. Highlight a toy recommendation for a specific age group (birth to six months; 6–12 months; 12–18 months; or 18–24 months); support your recommendation thoroughly with citations from the Resources or other scholarly sources. Keep in mind that Piaget’s theory of cognitive development could be a helpful resource in framing your recommendations.

Include the following in your finished article: Identify the specific age range you are addressing. Choose from birth to six months, 6–12 months, 12–18 months, or 18–24 months. Describe the key developmental milestones associated with the specific age range you are addressing. Address each of the following areas of development.  Cognitive: language and thinking skills. Physical: gross and fine motor. Social and emotional. Biological: reflexes, sensory systems, and so forth. Describe the research methods used by child development experts aiming to investigate developmentally appropriate toys. Highlight a toy that you believe would work to support the development of children in the range you selected. Draw on the ideas you gathered in your assessment preparation to select the toy you would like to feature. Assess how this toy addresses each of the developmental domains—cognitive, physical, social and emotional, and biological—for a child at the specific age you have selected. Explain how theory or theories of child development justify your toy selection. What evidence do these theories provide that supports your case?

Be sure to cite all scholarly sources throughout your article.

You are urged to use Capella University’s Writing Center to help you develop clear and effective writing. Through the Writing Center, you will be able to receive feedback on your writing, use writing resources, discover new writing strategies, and explore different ways to draft, revise, edit, and proofread your own work.

If you wish, you may use the APA Paper Template, linked in the Resources, to complete your assessment. Additional Requirements Written communication: Ensure that your writing is free of errors that detract from the overall message. APA formatting: Format your paper according to APA style. Length: Write 3–4 typed and double-spaced pages. Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Portfolio Prompt: You may choose to save this learning activity to your ePortfolio.