 Main Menu |
|
|
|
FAQ
Main »» Child Development
| Introduction |
Babies learn by playing, so the more your baby plays, the faster he will learn, and the more fun he will have. Even newborn babies play in their own way - looking and listening, making small movements, learning the invaluable connection between crying and being fed. But no matter how old your baby is, the best way to keep him happy and learning is to make things fun. Remember that any toys you buy need to be age appropriate and safe - you'll find more about this in our section on choosing toys.
A word of warning about the developmental changes mentioned below: all babies follow the same progressive pattern in their development, for example, all babies learn to walk before they can run, but the pace at which babies move from stage to stage is entirely individual. Your baby will learn at his own rate. This means that at best, comparisons with other babies are pointless, and at worst distressing.
However, if you do have concerns about your baby’s development talk to your health visitor. The sooner you voice your concerns, the sooner you will have some answers to your worries. |
| 0-4 weeks |
0-4 weeks
What your baby can do
Recognise and distinguish the smell of your own breast milk from that of other mothers
See, though not very clearly at first. At birth he will focus best at around 20 to 30 centimetres; just about the distance where adults instinctively put their faces when talking to a baby
Hear and recognise the sounds of his mother language. Even before birth babies seem to know when their mother’s own language is being spoken and when she is speaking in another language
By two weeks he may begin to recognise his parents
By six to eight weeks your baby will begin to smile
From six weeks he will follow with his eyes when something moves slowly in front of him
Your newborn baby will be startled by sudden loud sounds, but soothed by repetitive ones
How you can help
During the early weeks the best you can do for your baby is to love him and respond to him when he needs you, whether it is for feeding, changing, cuddling or comforting
Your baby will enjoy being carried in a sling as you move about, especially if you talk to him as you go
The sounds that babies like best are high-pitched, sing-song voices so sing and talk to him as much as you can
Try singing him nursery rhymes like ‘Round and round the garden’ and repeating the same gentle stroking movements each time. This will soothe him and at the same time allow him to begin to anticipate what comes next - a valuable learning experience
Toys for this stage
In these first few weeks the best toys are things that move, are curvy and have high contrast. Many manufacturers now make first toys in black and white. This is because your baby's eyesight isn't finely tuned yet, and simple shapes with a good contrast are easier for him to see.
Faces fit the bill perfectly, and are the ideal ‘toy’ for your newborn
Mobiles: place a black and white mobile above his cot, or if it’s warm enough, roll his pushchair under a tree so that when he wakes from a  he has something interesting to watch |
| 1-3 months |
1-3 months
What your baby can do
He is beginning to uncurl. His closed fists are now more open and will readily grasp a rattle if you touch one to his palm
He can press his palms together and play with his hands
He can hold a toy in his fist, but he cannot look at it as he does so. He has yet to make the connection between the toy he is holding and what he is doing with his hands
He can move his arms around randomly but quite energetically which helps to build up his muscles
He may now suck his thumb or his fingers
By three months your baby will have discovered his hands; these will continue to be invaluable play things for many months. He hasn’t yet realised that his hands are a part of him, but within a few weeks he will gradually understand this
Language development
It may seem a little early to think about language skills, but babies can and do communicate. It’s never too early to talk to your baby and you are laying down the foundations for his language development later.
Initially he is startled by loud sounds
At first your baby will stop still and listen intently when you talk, but won’t look your way
By six weeks your baby will turn to sounds, and begin to watch your face when you talk and smile
How you can help
Carry him around and show him shapes and colours and lights. Everything is fascinating the first few times you see it!
Make conversation whenever you have the chance, but particularly when he makes noises or looks your way
Talk as you do everyday things: ‘Into the bath you go’, ‘Here’s your blue rattle’
Talk to your baby as though he understands you
Try to have at least some of your chats quietly, with just the two of you
Share a book, ideally with simple black and white pictures. Even the youngest baby will gaze at the pictures and enjoy listening to your voice
Toys for this stage
Rattles: as he holds a rattle and waves his hands he will hear the noise and start to make a connection between his moving hand and the rattle; he’s learning that if you can hear something you can probably see it too
Baby gym: he can lie on his back and focus on the brightly coloured shapes
|
| 6-8 week developmental check |
Developmental tests at 6-8 weeks
The timing and the range of these tests do vary a bit from one health authority to another. But your health visitor will be able to tell you what happens where you live.
The six to eight week checks include:
Eyesight tests
Hearing tests
Smiling
A range of physical measurements and checks including weight, joints and the fontanelles
Some health visitors will formally ‘test’ your baby, others will simply watch him at play and ask you questions about his development.
In addition to these reviews your health visitor will encourage you to have your baby’s height and weight measured regularly at your local child health clinic. These measurements give you and your health visitor a good indication of how your baby is developing, so that any problems can be identified early on, and the appropriate help sought if necessary. |
| 3-6 months |
3-6 months
What your baby can do
Follow with his eyes as he passes toys from one fist to the other
Follow toys with his eyes if they drop. However he will forget about them if they fall out of sight
Discover cause and effect - if he swipes a toy it will move
Test things with his mouth - everything will go straight into it!
He will watch your face and copy your mannerisms when you speak
He can turn towards sounds and follow them
He is likely to roll over about now and can push up with his hands and look around him. He may even begin to wriggle and move around
He can turn his head, and begin to twist his body to look at things or follow sounds when you are holding him in your arms
Language development
Most parents worry about their child’s language skills more than any other aspect of development. You’re more likely to have a chatty child if you concentrate on making the process of communicating as fun and rewarding as possible.
He will begin to make conversation; 'talking' and listening in turn
Initially he will make open vowel coo-ing noises like ‘aah’ and ‘ooh’ and later begin to babble as he adds the sounds B, K, M and P to his conversation
By six months he will have picked up a few sounds like ‘ga’, ‘da’ and ‘ma’ which he then strings together into repetitive noises - ‘ga-ga-ga-da-ma’ - especially when someone talks or smiles at him
Of course the most exciting combination is ‘maa’, though he’s a long way from meaning mummy yet
Later he will make more and varied sound strings such as ga-goo-ga-goo-da-doo
Babies also practise ‘chatting’ when they are alone, just because it’s fun
How you can help
Continue to carry him with you as much as possible
Make conversation whenever you have the chance, but give him plenty of time to respond
Talk as you do things and sing or chant nursery rhymes so he gets used to listening to you. He will enjoy the pattern and rhythm of the sounds
Try to have a little face to face chat every day, so he can see your face and tune in to you
Read baby books together: he will love the sound of your voice as well as looking at the bright colours and shapes
Toys for this stage
You are still your baby’s best toy, but a range of toys and playthings will be useful now. Variety is all important; he may examine an object for just a few seconds before losing interest.
Soft toys: at around six months most babies are able to hold on to toys they are given and will enjoy small soft toys, especially ones with interesting bits to discover, like different textures and noises. Avoid hard or heavy toys because at this stage babies may well hit themselves on the head as they wave their hands around holding a toy. You’ll need to offer your baby your outstretched palm or another firm surface to press the toy against before he will be able to release it.
Teether toys: your baby will try to find out about a toy by putting it into his mouth. He uses his mouth to investigate because his tongue has more nerve endings per square centimetre than any other part of his body and is therefore amazingly sensitive. So choose toys that are lightweight, easy to grasp and safe to put in the mouth
Activity centre: once your baby can grasp things in both hands an activity centre tied to the side of his cot will be fun, choose one that makes lots of different noises. These are ideal at this stage because they do not swing away, there’s lots to discover and they can be played with over and over
Board books: your baby is also ready to look at the pictures in a thick board book* with you, especially if they are simple shapes in bright colours
There are no standard developmental tests for this stage.
|
| 6-9 months |
6-9 months
What your baby can do
Many babies are able to sit without support, although for the first couple of weeks you’ll need to stay close by to prevent him nose-diving out of his precarious new position
Many babies try to crawl, although it is often months before they are able to move at all, let alone crawl in the direction they want. Some babies never learn to crawl, but prefer to  shuffle their way around the floor
By around nine months your baby will begin to pull himself up to standing using whatever is handy at the time; perhaps the sofa or your legs. Once he is up he will probably just stand until he bumps down again, but it’s a great new vantage point, and it will increase his urgency to get on the move to examine all those exciting places he can see
Now his fine motor control is developing and he will be able to stretch out with one hand to grasp small toys, pass them from hand to hand, let go with the first hand as the fingers of the other hand close around the toy, and examine them with concentrated interest
He can poke at small things with an index finger, and begin to point. He can also use the pincer grip - holding with the finger and thumb - to pick up small objects
He can put a toy down only when it is pressed against something firm, such as the floor or your hand. (But he won’t yet give the toy to you spontaneously)
Language development 6-9 months
Your baby will love experimenting with sounds and will babble away to himself while in his cot or pram.
He will turn to your voice or a quiet noise from across the room, unless distracted
He will listen and watch adult conversations
He can shout now and will let you know! He can also begin to sing a few notes of a familiar nursery rhyme
He can combine syllables into long patterns and begins to change the pitch and tone just as you do when you ask a question
How you can help
Play ‘This little piggy’ and ‘Round and round the garden’. He will love the actions and the songs
Talk about the objects around you, so that he can match up things with their names
Use your baby’s name when you talk to him: ‘Where’s Jack’s hat?’
Look at picture books together
Toys for this stage
Stacking toys: these make use of his developing ability to organise the world around him, and develop his hand-eye co-ordination. Choose between stacking beakers (which need sorting by size to successfully complete), bricks or a set of rings of different sizes that fit over a pole. At first your baby will not be able to do them and will need you to show him how. He may then copy you or he may just like to watch or to knock yours down. Over the next few months he will get more proficient at stacking and sorting
Soft toys: offer him soft toys with interesting textures and shapes attached. He will use his mouth to explore them, and pass them from hand to hand
Mirror: babies find their own reflection fascinating. Choose a safe, unbreakable mirror specially designed for babies |
| 7-9 month developmental check |
Developmental tests at 6-9 months
The timing and the range of these tests vary from one health authority to another. But your health visitor will be able to tell you what happens where you live.
The tests at six to nine months include:
A hearing test
A check on physical development
An assessment of your baby’s social skills
A check on his hand-eye co-ordination
An assessment of his ability to understand
Some health visitors will formally ‘test’ your baby, others will simply watch him at play and ask you questions about his development.
In addition to these reviews your health visitor will encourage you to have your baby’s height and weight measured regularly at your local child health clinic. These measurements give you and your health visitor a good indication of how your baby is developing, so that any problems can be identified early on, and the appropriate help sought if necessary. |
| 9-12 months |
9-12 months
What your baby can do
He will almost certainly be mobile one way or another by now; either crawling, shuffling or pulling himself up on a firm object and ‘cruising’ - walking around hanging onto the furniture
He will be able to pick up and put down toys at will, as his fingers are now a little more under his control
Your baby will be able to help feed himself and will enjoy picking up finger foods
If he is crawling he will want to explore everywhere
He may wave goodbye when familiar people leave
He may realise he misses you when you leave the room, and cry
He may become shy of strangers and people he does not see often
Language development
He will continue to enjoy your voice and listening to you talking and playing with him. Nursery rhymes and finger games are ideal at this stage.
He can wave goodbye, point, nod and shake his head
He understands the word ‘no’
Sometime before his first birthday he will probably learn to respond to his own name. And round about the same time he may learn to call you by yours, or something like it: ‘Mama’ or ‘Dada’
How you can help
He will enjoy peek-a-boo, where you hide behind your hands for a second or two and then pop out smiling. This game helps him to realise that even when he can’t see you, you are still there. Later he will try the same trick on you
Try books which have a large picture of one thing on each page. Use the name of the things: ‘Look there is the duck; the duck is yellow’
Read the same books over and over again. He will enjoy the familiarity and it will help him develop his language skills
Toys for this stage
Shape sorters: simple posting and sorting games which encourage him to match shapes or increase his dexterity
Activity toys: toys with buttons to press or turn that make sounds so he can learn that doing one thing leads to another thing happening
Bath toys: now he can sit unsupported he will enjoy filling and tipping water from a container and watching it splash
There are no standard developmental tests at this stage. |
| 12-18 months |
2-18 months
What your baby can do
Some babies walk as early as nine months while others don’t take a step until 16 months or so. When he is ready your baby will walk. However, if he is not walking alone by 18 months talk to your GP or health visitor
He will deliberately drop or throw toys down to see where they go or to have you retrieve them; it’s a great game!
He will look in the right direction for toys which have rolled out of sight
He can point to the things he likes
He may show a preference for one hand, but uses both happily
He can hold a small toy in each hand
If you build one first, he can copy a two brick tower
He can hold a crayon in his fist and scribble to and fro
He will also enjoy covering himself, the highchair and the floor in food as he attempts to feed himself with a spoon. By now he will enjoy food as much because it can be squished as because it tastes good, and this sort of exploration is all part of your baby learning through play. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a picky eater around now
Language development
Now is the time for first words, though it may take a while for you to realise that he is saying the same word for the same thing. Babies do vary though; he may be too busy walking and exploring to do much with language yet.
His first words may be slow to come, but new ones will follow rapidly
He will begin to use words for things that excite him such as Dog, Mum, Ball
He can say between 6 and 20 recognisable words, although he understands many more
His pronunciation will be poor and often only you will understand him
He can point to parts of his body when you name them
How you can help
Match what you say with what you do and with your facial expressions or gestures
Look at your child when you speak to him and leave him time to respond
Let your emotions shine through your words; they’ll have more impact that way: ‘Wow, look at that great big tower you’ve built’. ‘Oh no! Your tower’s crashed’
Toys for this stage
What he needs now is your presence, your inspiration and your gentle help when things go wrong.
Make believe toys: a telephone, some plastic food, a teddy. These encourage talking and imaginative play
Building bricks: he may build small towers of his own or prefer simply to knock yours down. Good for hand-eye co-ordination
Play-dough: fun for squishing. A rolling pin and a shaped cutter will extend play. He will enjoy watching you make things too
Push and pull-along toys: good for improving balance and co-ordination. Push alongs give confidence to early walkers while pull alongs are popular when your toddler realises he can walk backwards. Look for ones with a low wide base so they are less likely to tip over
First jigsaws: individual pieces with knobs on to make them easy to hold are ideal at this stage
Musical instruments: children enjoy joining in with making  . First instruments are those to shake or bang
There are no standard developmental tests for this stage. |
| 18-24 months |
18-24 months
What your baby can do
Understand that other people and even toys like his teddy are different and therefore enjoy play that involves make believe and pretend
Begin to understand the concept of time and ideas like later, tomorrow, soon, after tea
Begin to help dress himself but not yet able to deal with buttons or zips. To avoid frustration dress him in the simplest clothes he can pull off himself
He may want to brush his own hair or try to clean his own teeth
He can help you and often likes to do the same as adults; he will try to sweep up a mess with his own dustpan and brush
Turns pages in a book, three or four at a time
He may now discover he can run as well as walk. Prepare for scraped knees!
Language development
Language begins to develop rapidly now and he will take pleasure in learning and saying new words.
He will put two words together such as ‘daddy gone’ or ‘shoes off’
He may have his own idiosyncratic words that you and he understand but others don’t
He will begin to use language in make-believe play
How you can help
Accept and respond to his nonsense words, but repeat the word correctly in response. For example, Baby: ‘Geddy’. You: ‘Here’s your teddy’
Ask questions when you are looking at books together: ‘Can you see the dog?’, ‘What’s this here?’
Send him on simple errands; he’ll enjoy getting it right and being helpful. ‘Can you find your hairbrush over there and bring it to me?’
Toys for this stage
Make believe toys: imitating and pretending will encourage language skills, thinking through and sorting out ideas and social skills. Toy versions of adult household tools are fun but toddlers are usually happy to use imaginary props or to borrow yours - you’ll need to check for safety first
Role play toys: toys which allow your toddler to be in charge of his world. For example a bus with people to put in and take out, a doll to put in a buggy, a few plastic plates and cups to feed the teddies. This organising allows him to experiment with how the world works and to be in control for a while
Crayons: chunky wax crayons are easy to grip and they make a mark no matter how they are held. Initially your toddler will grab a crayon in his fist and make lines from side to side. Up and down lines, dots and circles all come later. It’s the joy of producing a mark, not what it looks like, that matters
Balls: large soft balls to kick or throw. A beach ball or foam ball is ideal. Just as with everything else, the more fun practice he has, the quicker he’ll develop his skills
Dressing up clothes: dressing up is a fun way of exploring what it’s like to be someone else. Old hats, scarves, bags and jumble sale finds are enough to inspire a good game
Ride on toys: he will now be able to sit astride a four-wheeled riding toy and maintain his balance while he pushes himself along with his feet |
| 18-24 month developmental check |
Development tests at 18-24 months
The timing and the range of these tests varies from one health authority to another. Your health visitor will be able to tell you what happens where you live.
The 18 to 24 month test includes:
Hearing and speech tests
Tests of dexterity possibly including the use of building blocks
An assessment of social development
Some health visitors will formally ‘test’ your baby, others will watch him at play and ask you questions about his development.
In addition to these reviews your health visitor will encourage you to have your baby’s height and weight measured regularly at your local child health clinic. These measurements give you and your health visitor a good indication of how your baby is developing, so that any problems can be identified early on, and the appropriate help sought if necessary. |
The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
|
