SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Playing with friends, washing hands and holding a pencil -- everyday activities in the life of a toddler that also signal big changes in the development of the child's brain.
By age 4, for example, children should begin to use utensils and pour liquid, enjoy interactive play with friends, and sing songs from memory.
These new skills and developments are the result of millions of tiny neural connections forming in the brain, building an internal framework. When the connections go awry, learning impediments or disabilities can arise.
In order to detect potential problems, it's important for parents to know and be able to identify developmental milestones at every age. The earlier parents address issues, the more likely they are to rectify them.
In the video above, Shaker Heights preschoolers demonstrate some of the milestones parents should look for.
This is the latest installment of Cleveland Connects: The First 2,000 Days, a series sponsored by PNC Bank and produced in partnership with The Plain Dealer and ideastream, the public broadcasting entity that includes WVIZ/PBS Channel 25, WCPN FM/90.3 and WCLV FM/104.9, to educate the community about the importance of investing in the first 2,000 days of a child's development.