Parent Resource Hub

Highlights!

During the first 6 months of life, your baby’s brain is developing connections at a rapid pace. You’ll observe much of this development in your regular routines of feeding, changing, and bathing, and as you cuddle, sing, and play. As the weeks go by, she’ll begin to coo, gurgle, and babble, and she’ll respond more and more to the sounds of her world. You’ll notice your baby more and more focused on faces, and familiar caregivers and family members, in particular.  She’s likely to follow familiar faces and to respond by mirroring their facial expressions. All of this growth will eventually support her language and literacy development.

Listening

• Startles or reacts to loud sounds
• Turns head or moves eyes toward direction of sound
• Listens to conversations
• Notices that some toys make sounds
• Pays attention to music
• Watches your face when you speak
• Calms down, smiles, or makes noise when spoken to
• Recognizes your voice and quiets if crying
• Responds to changes in the tone of your voice

Speaking

• Coos and makes pleasure sounds
• Makes gurgling sounds when alone or playing with you
• Has a special way of crying for different needs
• Uses voice to express joy and displeasure (laughs, giggles, cries, screams, or fusses)
• Makes noise when talked to
• Attempts to imitate or repeat sounds
• Babbles in a speech-like way and uses many different sounds, including sounds that begin with p, b, and m
• Babbles when excited or unhappy

Thinking (Cognition)

• Smiles when she sees you and when smiled at
• Smiles at herself in the mirror
• Explores with hands and mouth
• Can briefly calm themselves (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand)
• Turns head toward bright colors and lights
• Prefers black-and-white or high-contrast patterns
• Prefers the human face to all other patterns
• Knows familiar faces
• Copies some movements and facial expressions
• Responds with facial expressions to strong stimuli (like odors or tastes)
• Enjoys playing with people

Reading

• Eyes wander and occasionally cross
• Focuses 8 to 12 inches (20.3 to 30.4 cm) away and sees clearly
• Watches a person’s face closely
• Sees all colors and distinguishes hue and brightness
• Prefers high contrast items and geometric shapes
• Follows moving things with eyes from side to side

Writing

• Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
• Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it

Highlights!

The second half of a baby’s first year of life is all about connecting with their world. His exploration will expand to a broader range of people and things. He’ll listen when spoken to and respond to his own name. His babble will begin to sound like real talking, and will eventually turn into real words like “Mama” “Dada” and “Hi”. He’ll be able to handle board books now and will likely recognize his favorite. Your baby will be connected to his world in a whole new way.

Listening

• Listens when spoken to
• Responds to gestures and facial expressions
• Responds to own name
• Recognizes family member’s names
• Responds to music with body motion
• Distinguishes emotions by your tone of voice
• Answers simple questions nonverbally (e.g., nods or shakes head)
• Responds to requests (“Come here” or “Want more?”)
• Understands simple instructions (“Please drink your milk”)
• Carries out simple action on verbal request (e.g., wave bye when she hears the word)
• Understands words for common items (“cup,” “shoe,” or “juice”)

Speaking

• Babbles (says “ba-ba-ba” or “ma-ma-ma”)
• Babbles (speech or non-crying sounds) to get and keep attention
• Babbles, but it sometimes sounds like talking
• Strings vowels together when babbling (e.g., ah, eh, oh) and likes to take turns with parents when making sounds
• Tries to repeat your words and speech sounds
• Tries to communicate with actions or gestures (e.g., waving, holding up arms, pointing to something she wants)
• Purposefully say, “mama” or “dada” as a greeting or to call a parent to her
• Has one or two words (“Hi,” “dog,” “Dada,” or “Mama”) by first birthday

Thinking (Cognition)

• Shows affection to familiar adults
• Shy or anxious with strangers
• Prefers certain people and toys
• Raises her arms when wants to be picked up
• Tries to accomplish simple goals (seeing and then crawling to a toy)
• Looks for an object that falls out of sight
• Easily finds hidden objects
• Explores objects in different ways (shaking, dropping, hitting, banging)
• Imitates others in play
• Imitates gestures (e.g., waving, clapping)
• Likes to look in the mirror
• Associates gestures with words (e.g., hi, and bye-bye)
• Stares longer at impossible events (e.g., an object being suspended in mid-air)
• Reveals growing curiosity by visually and manually exploring toys
• Shows recognition of familiar people by facial expression or by approaching them
• Holds out arms and legs while being dressed
• Understands an object still exists even when it’s not in view
• Experiments with the physical properties of objects (e.g., seeing how objects fit into a container or turning over a container to see what happens)

Reading

• Looks at correct picture when the image is named
• Points to pictures
• Handles objects such as board books and alphabet blocks in her play
• Turns pages of a board or thick plastic book
• Recognizes certain books by their cover
• Handles an object with both hands while sitting independently

Writing

• Picks up things like cereal o’s between thumb and index
• Uses both hands equally well
• Begins to pass things from one hand to the other
• Holds cup with two hands and drinks with assistance

Highlights!

As your baby passes the one-year mark, you’ll notice it’s all about moving! She’ll be able to listen to and follow simple instructions. She’s likely to “talk” in long, jabbering sentences with lots of hand gestures and body language that mimic what she’s observed in adults. She’ll probably bring you books to read if you have them at her disposal, but watch out! If the crayons are also within reach she may add her own illustrations. Your baby is on the move!

Listening

• Looks at a person who’s talking to them
• Responds to “no” by stopping what they’re doing
• Follows simple instructions (“Roll the ball” or “Pick up the toy”)
• Understands simple questions (“Where’s your shoe?”)
• Pays increasing attention to speech
• Begins to associate words they hear frequently with what the words mean
• Listens to short stories
• Recognizes names of familiar objects and body parts
• Points to objects and family members
• Points to some body parts when asked
• Enjoys simple songs, stories, and rhymes

Speaking

• May say as many as 6-10 words
• Says a few words like “dada,” “mama” and “uh-oh”
• “Talks” in long, jabbering sentences as if holding a conversation with you
• Tries to imitate simple words
• Labels some common objects
• Uses “my” or “mine” to indicate possession
• Begins to use “me,” “I,” and “you”
• Uses simple gestures like shaking head for “no” or waving “bye”
• Repeats sound or actions to get attention
• Asks for mom or dad
• Uses “hi,” “bye,” and “please” with reminders
• Asks for something by pointing or saying one word

Thinking (Cognition)

• Copies gestures
• Starts to use things correctly (e.g., drinks from a cup, brushes hair, dials a phone)
• Bangs two things together
• Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container
• Pokes with index (pointer) finger
• Plays games such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”
• Cries when mom or dad leaves
• Shows fear in some situations
• Directs another’s attention to an object or action
• Brings toys to share with parent
• Acts out a familiar activity in play (as in pretending to take a bath)
• Plays alone on the floor with toys
• Competes with other children for toys
• Recognizes self in the mirror or in pictures
• Puts a round lid on a round pot
• Laughs at silly actions (e.g., wearing a bowl for a hat)

Reading

• Enjoys looking at picture books
• Enjoys being read to
• Hands you a book when they want to hear a story
• Distinguishes among pictures that show different numbers of items
• Points to at least two pictures on request
• Recognizes and identifies familiar objects in storybooks with adult help

Writing

• Scribbles with a large crayon
• Uses increasingly purposeful scribbling on their own

Highlights!

These next six months will be a continuation of the last, as your baby becomes more and more mobile and independent.  He is likely to venture out to explore his environment more than ever before, and this means lots of expansion in language. He will enjoy being read to, and your read aloud times will include more back and forth between baby and adult. Even his scribbles will become more purposeful. Your baby is becoming quite the little communicator!

Listening

• Gets objects from another room when asked
• Begins to be helpful by putting things away when asked
• Follows 1-step instructions without a gesture (“Put your cup on the table”)
• Listens to a short rhyme
• Listens to longer stories
• Responds correctly when asked, “where?”
• Understands simple verbs (e.g., eat and sleep)
• Understands words and commands and responds appropriately
• Distinguishes between “you” and “me”

Speaking

• Imitates adult language
• Says about 50 words and understands more
• Understood by adults about half the time
• Acquires new words on a regular basis
• Says a few prepositions (“on,” “in,” or “under”)
• May say, “more” and “all gone”
• Says successive single words to describe an event
• Refers to self by name
• Verbalizes desires and feelings (“I want cookie” or “more milk”)
• Uses 2-3 word sentences and phrases like “Daddy go,” “Doll mine,” and “All gone”
• Says names of toys
• Asks for information about an object (asks, “Shoe?” while pointing to shoe box)
• Asks for common foods by name
• Asks one- to two-word questions, such as “Go bye-bye?”
• Correctly pronounces most vowels and n, m, p, h
• Makes animal sounds (“moo” and “baa”)
• Names common objects and pictures
• Hums or tries to sing

Thinking (Cognition)

• Like to take things apart
• Explores surroundings
• Sometimes gets angry and has temper tantrums
• Comforts a distressed friend or parent
• Takes turns in play with other children
• Treats a doll or stuffed animal as though it were alive
• Applies pretend action to others (as in pretending to feed a doll)
• Imitates adult behaviors in play
• Shows awareness of parental approval or disapproval for her actions
• Likes to hand things to others in play
• Expresses negative feelings
• Shows pride and pleasure at new accomplishments
• Matches similar objects

Reading

• Enjoys looking at picture books
• Enjoys being read to
• Hands you a book when they want to hear a story
• Distinguishes among pictures that show different numbers of items
• Points to at least two pictures on request
• Recognizes and identifies familiar objects in storybooks with adult help

Writing

• Scribbles with a large crayon
• Uses increasingly purposeful scribbling on their own

Highlights!

Congratulations, there’s a toddler in the house! And toddlers are natural explorers, so be ready. The good news about this next stage is that as your toddler’s language development increases, so does a parent’s ability to be responsive to her ever-fluctuating moods. They have a knack for getting their point across. At the same time, your toddler will be able to engage in more give and take conversation. She’ll likely love rhyming games and listening to longer stories, so you’ll have lots of opportunities to connect with her in fun ways. Your toddler knows how to express herself!

Listening

• Recognizes sounds in the environment
• Pays attention for about 3 minutes
• Follows two-step instructions (“Pick up your shoes and put them in the closet”)
• Enjoys listening to stories and rhymes
• Knows their first and last name
• Knows if they are a boy or girl
• Points to eyes, ears, or nose when you ask
• Points to common objects when they’re named
• Knows some spatial concepts (“in,” “on,” “under)
• Knows pronouns (“you,” “me,” “her”)
• Knows descriptive words (“big,” “happy”)
• Understands “I,” “you,” “he,” and “she”
• Understands “now,” soon,” and “later”
• Shows awareness of feelings

Speaking

• Speech is becoming more accurate but may still leave off ending sounds
• Has a word for almost everything
• Speaks in a way that is understood by family and friends
• Answers simple questions
• Begins to use more pronouns such as “you,” “I”
• Uses some adjectives (big, happy)
• Refers to self by name and uses “me” and “mine”
• Uses question inflection to ask for something (e.g., “My ball?”)
• Begins to use plurals such as “shoes” or “socks”
• Uses regular past tense verbs such as “jumped”
• Uses 3-5 word sentences
• Asks short questions
• Names at least 10 familiar objects
• Repeats simple rhymes
• Repeats words overheard in conversations
• Names at least one color correctly
• Names objects to ask for them or direct attention to them
• Names objects based on descriptions
• Retells events that happened that day
• Says “no” to adult requests
• Displays aggressive feelings and behaviors
• Tells others what they’re doing
• Talks about feelings

Thinking (Cognition)

• Remembers what happened yesterday
• Knows what is food and what is not food
• Knows some numbers (but not always in the right order)
• Knows where things usually belong
• Understands what “1” is
• Substitutes one object for another in pretend play (as in pretending a block is a “car”)
• Laughs at silly ideas (like “milking” a dog)
• Matches shapes and colors
• Matches objects that have same function (as in putting a cup and plate together)
• Counts 2 to 3 objects
• Avoids some dangers, like a hot stove or a moving car
• Imitates housework or help with simple tasks
• Asks to use the toilet almost every time
• Talks about feelings and mental states (e.g., remembering)
• Tries to make others laugh
• Plays mostly beside other children but is beginning to include others in play (e.g., chase)
• Plays spontaneously with two or three children in a group
• Assigns roles in pretend social play (“You be mommy;” “I be daddy”)
• Believes everything centers around them (“if I hide my eyes, no one will see me”)
• Finds things even when hidden under 2-3 covers
• Builds towers of 4 or more blocks
• Plays simple make-believe games
• Shows defiant behavior (e.g., does what she’s asked not to do)
• Stacks rings on a peg in order of size
• Imitates complex adult actions (e.g., imitates housekeeping play)
• Experiences mood shifts, and fear of certain things

Reading

• Enjoys listening to stories and asking for favorite stories
• Shares books with an adult as a routine part of life
• Looks through a book alone and pretends to read
• Looks at pictures in books and realizes they are symbols for real things
• Points to things in a book
• Matches an object to a picture of that object
• Talks about characters in books
• Completes sentences and rhymes in familiar books
• Names items in a picture book such as a cat, bird, or dog
• Begins to pay attention to specific print (the letters in their name)
• Chooses picture books, names pictured objects, and identifies several objects within one picture
• Asks or demands that adult read with them

Writing

• Makes and copies straight lines and circles with pencil or crayon
• Scribbles with a purpose (tries to draw or write something)
• Occasionally distinguishes between drawing and writing
• Asks or demands that adult write with them
• Might use one hand more than another

Highlights!

This next stage brings your child from toddler to young preschooler, and the transition is quite an adventure! While many children transition into some form of early education during this stage, the family still plays an important role in development. His vocabulary will continue to grow dramatically. Now he will love to take on the role of storyteller. In fact, imaginary play will become your family’s new pastime. He is also likely to pay more attention to print he sees in his environment, and he will begin to notice that those squiggly marks mom calls “letters” represent spoken words. Watch out world, this preschooler knows how to ask questions. Lots of them!

Listening

• Hears you when you call from another room
• Hears the television or radio at the same sound level as others
• Attends to an activity for a longer stretch of time (between 5 and 15 minutes)
• Enjoys rhyming and nonsense words
• Begins to attend to beginning or rhyming sounds in words
• Pays attention to separable and repeating sounds in language (e.g., in Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater: Peter Eater)
• Understands “big,” “little,” “tall,” and “short”
• Understand “next to”
• Understands the idea of “mine” and “his” or “hers”
• Understands size comparisons (e.g., big and bigger)
• Understands sentences, including sentences involving time concepts (e.g., “Grandma is coming tomorrow.”)
• Understands relationships expressed by if…then or “because” sentences
• Learns both by observing and listening to adults’ explanations

Speaking

• Says about 200 to 500 different words
• Strangers are able to understand most of what is said
• Often uses good grammar
• States first name and age
• Answers simple “Who” “What” “Where” and “Why” questions
• Answers simple questions such as “What do you do when you are hungry?”
• Talks about activities at daycare, preschool, or friends’ homes
• Speaks in 4 and 5-word sentences
• Carries on a conversation using 2 to 3 sentences
• Speaks easily without having to repeat syllables or words
• Identifies some colors (red, yellow, and blue)
• Identifies familiar signs and labels
• Uses verbs that end in “ing” (“walking,” “talking”)
• Uses regular past tenses of verbs (“pulled,” “walked”)
• Uses “a,” “an,” and “the” when speaking
• Uses new words
• Uses pronouns (I, you, we, they) and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats)
• Names most familiar things and can name a friend
• Able to describe the use of objects such as “fork,” “car,” etc.
• Enjoys poems and recognizes language absurdities such as, “Is
  that an elephant on your head?”
• Expresses ideas and feelings rather than just talking about the world around them
• Asks direct questions (“May I?” “Would you?”)
• Often talks about action in conversation (“go,” “do,” “make”)

Thinking (Cognition)

• Groups objects such as foods, clothes, etc.
• Counts up to 5 objects
• Does puzzle with 3-4 pieces
• Builds tower of more than 6 blocks
• Identifies situations that would lead to happiness, sadness, or anger
• Helps clean up toys at home or school when asked
• Pretends to play with imaginary objects
• Acts out elaborate events which tell a story (as in serving an imaginary dinner)
• Often prefers playing with other children to playing alone
• Changes the rules of a game as they go along
• Tries to bargain (“I’ll give you this toy if you’ll give me that one”)
• Shares when asked
• Enjoys tag, hide-and-seek and other games with simple rules
• Likes moderate “rough and tumble” play
• Likes to do things for themselves
• Acts as though a doll or stuffed animal thinks and feels on its own
• Copies adults and friends
• Shows affection for friends without prompting
• Takes turns in games
• Shows concern for crying friend
• Shows a wide range of emotions
• Separates easily from mom and dad
• May get upset with major changes in routine
• Dresses and undresses self
• Can work toys with levers, buttons, and moving parts
• Understands what “2” means
• Washes hands and blows nose without assistance
• Show awareness of past and present

Reading

• Enjoys listening to and talking about storybooks
• Understands how to handle books
• Turns book pages one at a time
• Makes attempts to read
• Understands that print carries a message
• Participates in rhyming games
• Can identify about 10 alphabet letters, especially those from own name
• Identifies some letters and make some letter-sound matches
• Recognizes print in the local environment
• Knows that it is the print that is read in stories
• Wants to know what will happen next
• Is sensitive to some sequences of events in stories
• When being read a story, connects information and events to real-life experiences
• Questions and comments demonstrate understanding of literal meaning of story being told
• Displays reading and writing attempts, calling attention to self: “Look at my story.”

Writing

• Holds a pencil
• Draws with the arm and not small hand movements
• Draws a circle with pencil or crayon
• Draws, names, and briefly explains somewhat recognizable pictures that are meaningful
• Draws a face
• Tries to write their name
• Uses known letters (or makes best attempt to write the letters) to represent written language especially for meaningful words like their name or phrases such as “I love you”
• Writes (scribbles) message as part of playful activity
• Tries to cut paper with blunt scissors

Highlights!

The older preschool years represent a special time, as families adjust to having a real little person in the mix. Her ability to listen and speak has grown to where she will understand complex questions and can form coherent responses. Her understanding of books can be quite complex as well. She’ll be able to make predictions and retell parts of the story (even though she may still mix things up a bit). She’ll begin to learn letters and sounds too, and will even able to write the ones she sees most often, such as the letters in her own name. Your preschooler is well on her way to becoming a reader!

Listening

• Follows three instructions given at one time (“Put the toys away. Wash your hands, and come eat dinner.”)
• Begins to show understanding of rhyming and beginning sounds
• Understands sequencing of events when clearly explained (for example, “First we plug the drain, then we run the water, and finally we take a bath”)
• Listens to long stories (but may misinterpret the facts)
• Understands complex questions
• Understands spatial concepts such as “behind,” “next to”
• Understands the idea of “same” and “different
• Understands comparatives (e.g., loud, louder, loudest)

Speaking

• Says about 300 – 600 different words
• Speech is understandable but makes mistakes pronouncing long, difficult words such as “hippopotamus”
• States full name and address
• Combines thoughts into one sentence
• Uses some irregular past tense verbs such as “ran,” “fell”
• Describes how to do things such as painting a picture
• Defines words
• Lists items that belong in a category such as animals, vehicles, etc.
• Uses prepositions (under, beside, in front)
• Uses future tense
• Refers to causality by using “because” and “so”
• Talks about what they like and what they are interested in
• Knows some basic rules of grammar, such as correctly using “he” and “she”
• Uses imagination to create and tell stories
• Plays with words, mimicking and creating sounds, and making rhymes
• Names some colors and some numbers
• Counts to 5
• Asks “when,” “why,” and “how” questions
• Uses words like “can,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” and “might”
• Sings a song or says a poem from memory such as the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or the “Wheels on the Bus”

Thinking (Cognition)

• Understands order and process
• Has some understanding of moral reasoning (exploring ideas about fairness and good or bad behavior)
• Knows about things used every day, like money and food
• Compares self with others
• Develops friendships
• Expresses more awareness of other people’s feelings
• Enjoys imaginative play with other children, like dress up or house
• Brings dramatic play closer to reality by paying attention to detail, time, and space
• Would rather play with other children than by themselves
• Cooperates with others
• Often can’t tell the difference between real and make-believe
• Understands the idea of counting
• Understands time
• Plays board or card games

Reading

• Enjoys listening to long stories, but may misinterpret facts
• Tells you what she thinks is going to happen next in a book
• Remembers parts of a story
• Retells a story (but may confuse facts)
• Sounds like they is reading when pretending to read
• Understands that print is read left-to-right and top-to-bottom
• Begins to match spoken words with written ones
• Recognizes some letters and letter-sound matches
• Uses imagination to create stories

Writing

• Starts to copy some capital letters
• Draws a person with 2-4 body parts
• Draws, names, and describes pictures
• Begins to write letters of the alphabet and some words they use and hear often
• Begins to write stories with some readable parts
• Uses scissors with supervision