Practical Activities for Stimulating Infant Development

Baby's Brain - At Birth

25% of adult's weight

Motor Milestones

- At 3 months, babies begin to reach for and grasp objects - At 5 months, babies sit up with slight support

If a child doesn't imitate you..

- roll a ball back & forth - take turns putting blocks on tower - make sand castle together taking turns - make animal noises - wave hello, bye bye, and other motions

First words

1) Pointing 2) Vocalization w/ pointing 3) Verbalization w/ 1st word at 12 mo.

Practical Activities

1) Start talking to baby at birth 2) Begin reading to baby early 3) Introduce Music 4) Ask questions 5) Introduce 2 languages at birth 6) Introduce rattles, different noises 7) Play turn-taking games 8) Expose them to black and white pictures and crib mobiles 9) Safe glass mirror 10) Imitate sounds the baby is making 11) Use greetings and expressions 12) When doing chores, describe what you're doing, Intro baby to new people 13) Provide many opportunities 14) Provide safe, fun, interesting toys 15) Let the baby be in nature 16) Start scrapbook

Cooing occurs at

2 months of age, in face to face interactions with caregiver

Joint Reference

2 or more individuals share a common focus on one entity, lack of this is first marker of autism.

Baby's Brain - 2 1/2 yrs old

75% of adult's weight

Baby's Brain - 6 yrs old

90% of adult's weight

With 7-12 months

> Develops intentionality (8-9 mo.) > Imitate simple motor behavior (8-10 mo.) > Follow maternal pointing and glancing (9 mo.) > Babies often use jargon, or strings of syllables (9-12 mo.) > Babies point w/ full intention (12 mo.)

Diminutives and Reduolication

> Dolly, Daddy, Doggy >Choo - Choo, night - night, din - din - Cause babies vocabulary to grow faster

William Fowler Research

> labeling play > engage baby's attention to an object, action or event > Label in moment > Start with short sentences

Primary caregivers

Anyone could fulfill this role, good to refer as a "grown up" > In US mother is primary taker > In other cultures, extended families more common

Ordinary Conversation (Abstract)

Complex, difficult words and sentences

Stressed Parents

Decrease parental responsiveness, verbally, physically causing child may have decreases receptive and expressive language skills

Joint Attention

Develops in the 1st 6 months of life, adult and baby look at the same thing

Infant-Directed Speech

Focuses on small core vocabulary, simple syntax, short utterance length, repeats & paraphrases, long pauses

Tamis - LeMonda

Found the more responsive caregivers are, the earlier babies say their first words & put two together

Fowler Study

Group A: Language stimulated at 4 months Group B: 12 months > Group A achieved more in every area, cognitively and linguistically

Dialogue

Important because it set the stage for discourse (peek - a - boo, patty cake)

Moving a baby from babbling to fluent speech

Is much easier when a child's parent responses to vocalizations in the moment

Iconic Gestures

Mime an objects use or action to predict early learning

Ordinary Speech

Proceeds in background, unrelated to baby's attention or interest

Joint Action

Routine activities or shared behavior in familiar contexts

LENA Devices

Show parents how many words they used

Word Labeling (Concrete)

Simple, decreases complexity of language baby hears

Low-SES Mothers

Use more commands w/ child. May use physical punishment & reprimands