Sample Solution

Toddler development is a complex process that encompasses physical, cognitive, and social-emotional milestones. One effective way of assessing this growth in toddlers is Gordon’s functional health patterns – an 11-part tool designed to identify issues related to the individual’s functioning (Gordon, 1994). Through careful examination of these patterns, healthcare professionals such as nurses or physicians can better understand commonly observed changes at different stages in early childhood development.

For example; comparison between a 1 year old and 4 year old child may reveal significant differences in their motor behavior: while the 1 year old may be still learning how to walk with assistance ,the 4 year old would already be able to independently move around on two feet . Similarly communication abilities vary dramatically across both age groups : A one year old will typically only babble incoherently while the four year old might already be able form simple sentences .

Regarding self concept/self esteem ; a toddler between 12-36 months tends to explore his environment more freely by trial and error resulting in increased autonomy (Carlson & Crockenberg , 2012) . On the other hand; children aged 3-4 years often rely less on caregivers for direction which allows them develop stronger feelings of independence, control and self worth (Lambourn et al., 2018)

Overall; through careful observation it becomes clear that there are visible differences between children of varying ages when it comes to physical , cognitive and emotional aspects so using Gordon’s functional health patterns is an effective method for monitoring growth and development in toddlers during early stages of life.