Domain 5: Communication, language, and literacy: 0-9 months

A child reads to an infant

Goal 48: Children demonstrate understanding of social communication

BABIES MAY

  • Study caregiver’s face.
  • Show preference for familiar human voices to other sounds (animal sounds).
  • Pay attention to what the speaker is looking at or pointing to.
  • Vocalize or gesture in response to another person’s voice or gesture.
  • Quiet/calm body movement at the sound of a recognized caregiver’s voice.
  • Shift listening attention to a variety of sounds (caregiver’s singing/words/making environmental sounds to attract baby).
  • Use eyes and move head to look for caregiver’s voice. 
  • Begin to anticipate caregiver’s actions in routine game (shows excitement when hearing “peek a boo”).
  • Start to respond to their name when called by looking and smiling at caregiver.
  • Make sounds/facial expressions/gestures to communicate feelings such as giggles, laughs, squeals, screech to show excitement, joy, discomfort.
  • Change volume and pitch to convey meaning.
  • Play with speech sounds in crib or during quiet time.
  • Imitate words and/or beginning sign (simple greetings, sign for more) and gestures. Start to wave “bye” with support.
  • Participate in turn-taking during one-on-one communication by making sounds or using words.

YOU CAN

  • Play and interact face to face to encourage infant to watch your face, body language and facial expressions to model and encourage turn taking (wait for the child to make a sound or movement or expression).
  • Introduce simple baby games (Peek-a-boo, Pat-a-cake).
  • Carry the child in a snuggly or other device to keep them close as much as possible as you talk and interact during routine activities (diapering, cooking, household chores). Avoid using a car seat, stroller or other carrier when possible.
  • Respond to the child’s cues regarding needs for comfort, diapering, food, etc.
  • Interact with child during play with toys, books, and pictures familiar to the child.
  • Tell child stories, sing songs, and repeat rhymes from the child’s own culture and language while cradling baby in arms.
  • Use talking throughout the day during daily routines and play (“Now I’m changing your diaper”).
  • Introduce simple sign language along with spoken word.
  • Interpret and give meaning to what child says (“You are saying ‘baba.’ Do you want some water?”).
  • Repeat child’s sounds playfully, using different types of voices.
  • “Tune in” and match facial expressions to the different ways child attempts to communicate with appropriate response (match feelings, verbal response, gesture).
  • Assist child to use nonverbal ways to express self so he/she feels that attempts to communicate are valued (sign language, show, point).
  • Engage in turn-taking play with the child, (simple games requiring turn taking such as rolling a ball back and forth and watching for child’s communication to request another turn).
  • Provide daily opportunities to join baby on the floor for joyful and interactive play based on the baby’s interests and attention (play with crinkly paper together).
  • Avoid screen time, other than video chatting with caregivers and relatives.

Goal 49: Children listen and understand communication (receptive language)

BABIES MAY

  • Startle to loud and unexpected sounds.
  • Alert to sounds and older infant will turn to locate source of a sound.
  • Turn to look toward caregiver calling their name.
  • Recognize songs by smiling, singing or joining in finger play or body movements.
  • Follow early directions, such as “Give me the block” (caregiver may extend hand).
  • Respond to voices by quieting or calming
  • Respond differently to familiar and unfamiliar voices
  • Look for sound source (hears a dog bark and looks for dog).
  • Start to respond differently to firm voice vs. playful voice.
  • Turn to look at familiar object when it is named.
  • Imitate adult actions that go along with simple songs, rhymes and traditional songs (“Row, row, row your boat”).
  • Follow single-step directions (“Please bring me the ball.”).

YOU CAN

  • Explain what daily routines are being done so words are linked with the actions as they occur (“I’m washing your face and hands”).
  • Tell child what you think they’re saying with their gestures or expressions.
  • Engage in conversations with child about things seen or experienced in familiar environments.
  • Repeat questions and instructions as needed.
  • Play early listening games, such as peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake or “Where is daddy?”.
  • Explore and play with sound makers and musical instruments. 
  • Use singing to help baby calm, ready for bed, routines (diapering song).
  • Share books together, following baby’s lead to flip through pages and simplifying story as needed.
  • Keep language and sounds simple, watching for baby’s interest and understanding.

Goal 50: Children communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas with others (expressive language)

BABIES MAY

  • Cry when hungry or uncomfortable.
  • Have cries varying in pitch, length, and volume to indicate different needs (hunger, pain, discomfort).
  • Join in singing songs using rhythm of actual words.
  • Play with speech sounds in crib or during quiet time.
  • Make facial expressions, gestures and changes tones.
  • Coo, make vowel sounds and progress to babbling.
  • Babble using two-lip sounds such as: “p,” “b,” and, “m” followed by a vowel sound (“Ba ba ba da da da...”).
  • Begin to combine sounds together consistently to indicate a few specific objects or people (e.g. “baba” for bottle).
  • Combine vocalizations and gestures (“uh” and pat mother’s chest to request nursing).
  • Enjoy playing back-and-forth games with caregiver using sounds.

YOU CAN

  • Recognize and appreciate child’s efforts to use new words or emergent sign language.
  • Assume child has something important to say and listen carefully.
  • Expand upon child’s attempts to use words (child says “Baba,” you say, “yes, here is the bottle” or “your bottle is empty” and combine words with signs).
  • Respond to child’s use of gestures and “signs” by using the word (“I see you want ‘more’”).
  • Expose child to language by talking, singing and reading with him/her.
  • Try to understand the meaning of what the child is trying to say before responding.
  • Imitate child’s speech sounds and see if it can be turned into a back-and-forth game.
  • Work with all child’s caregivers to identify and use words, signs, gestures familiar to child (when she says “baba,” she means her
    pacifier”).

Goal 51: Children demonstrate appreciation and enjoyment of reading

BABIES MAY

  • Show beginning sound awareness by reacting differently to different sounds.
  • Imitate vocalizations and sounds.
  • Recite last word of familiar rhymes, with assistance.
  • Imitate sounds when looking at words in a book.
  • Pay attention to and/or pat pictures in book with help of caregiver.
  • Explore physical features of books by touching, flipping through board book pages, patting or putting in the mouth, (chews on cloth books).
  • Use interactive books, with assistance (opens flaps on flap books, feels soft fur).
  • Identify familiar people and objects in photographs (pats picture when asked “Where is Grandma?”).
  • Enjoy books about daily routines (eating, toileting).
  • Hand or offer book to an adult to read.
  • Show recognition of certain preferred or favorite books.
  • Focus attention for short periods of time when looking at books.
  • Show pleasure when read to (smiles, vocalizes).

YOU CAN

  • Make a photobook of family, toys, pets, cultural background, home language and places. Look at the book together and pat pictures as you talk about what you see together.
  • Provide books at baby’s level on floor or low shelves so baby can access and look at books.
  • Combine gestures and baby signs while reading books together (Make sign for “fish” when looking at pictures of salmon and fishing).
  • Create family routines with reading time. For example, after meals or before bed is “book time.”
  • Engage in familiar sound play with child (tap drums at different tempos).
  • Practice and play with words with child.
  • Read books with rhymes, songs, and repetitive language with child.
  • Read with child one-on-one, so the child observes and handles books often.
  • Engage child in playing with board books, cloth and plastic books, that can be manipulated and explored with assistance.
  • Read wordless or simple books, talking about what they see.
  • Point to pictures while reading and encourage child to do so as well.
  • Explore pictures and print that might be of interest to child (labels, boxes, mail, magazines, newspapers).
  • Read with child daily in a relaxed and fun manner (sitting on your lap or together on the floor). Re-read favorite stories.
  • Let child observe you reading daily.
  • Place interesting books where children can reach them.
  • Provide a variety of multicultural books from home culture and other cultures.
  • Use books with photographs or drawings of animals, people, and single brightly-colored objects to draw child’s attention and interest.
  • Use books that are easy to hold and can withstand lots of wear and tear.

Goal 52: Children use writing for a variety of purposes

BABIES MAY

  • Enjoy exploring a variety of sensations and materials with their hands (for example, using a finger to make a mark in soft food item or smearing food on tray).
  • Develop a grasp to pick up and drop toys, start to transfer toys and objects from one hand to other (early developmental precursors to grasping writing tools).
  • Experiment with grasp when using different writing tools (crayon, paint brush, marker).
  • Focus on marks on paper.
  • Make marks on paper with a variety of writing tools (finger paints, paintbrush) without regard to location.
  • Scribble on paper spontaneously.

YOU CAN

  • Provide writing and drawing tools (crayons, chalk, finger paint) that can be used both indoors and outdoors.
  • Provide opportunities to “write.”
  • Write child’s name saying each letter out loud.
  • Display pictures and posters with word labels in home language.
  • Engage child in writing, scribbling, and drawing; acknowledge their work and comments without trying to interpret.
  • Provide sensory experiences during play and outings by allowing child to explore with hands and feet while in indoor and outdoor environments.