| Stage One |
From Birth to about Three Months, Many
Newborns: |
Adults Can: |
| I communicate
through
reflexes.
|
- Communicate reflexively through crying and other actions
- Cry in different ways, depending on what is needed (diaper
change, food, company)
- Appear startled by loud noises
- Turn head toward familiar voices
- Show a preference for human voices and music
- Coo, gurgle, smile, and laugh to themselves
- Coo and smile back and forth with adults
- Smile upon hearing friendly voices
- Listen and respond to sounds and voices
- Start interactions with other people
- Enjoy listening to a favorite person read aloud
|
- Respond as if babies know the effect of their sounds and
actions
- Smile and coo back at babies' smiles and coos to introduce
the give and take of human communications
- Smile with and talk to babies so they know they are loved
- Recite rhymes and sing songs with babies
- Read aloud to babies
|
| Stage Two |
From about Three to Eight Months, Many
Babies: |
Adults Can: |
| I discover that
other people are
interesting. |
- Cry, make sounds, move their bodies, and use facial
expressions to communicate (for example, wave their arms
when excited)
- May not know that they can send direct messages to other
people
- Understand nonverbal cues such as smiles even though they
do not understand the meaning of spoken words
- Smile and frown
- Gurgle, growl, and squeal to themselves
- Respond to simple, familiar requests and their own names
- Respond to nonverbal cues such as pointing
- Begin babbling at six or seven months
- Repeat consonants and vowel sounds such as mamama
- Produce all the sounds found in their home language
- Use their senses to explore books
- Listen to rhymes and songs
|
Continue using any of the above strategies that are still
appropriate for this age group
Interpret babies' communications and respond accordingly
Play games such as peek-a-boo and make sounds back and
forth
Communicate with words and nonverbal cues (for example,
point to the high chair and say, Are you ready to eat?)
Use babies' names when talking with them
Continue reading, talking, and singing with babies
Provide cloth, soft vinyl, and/or cardboard books (expect
that babies will put them in their mouths) |
| Stage Three |
From about Eight to Thirteen Months, Many
Babies: |
Adults Can: |
| I use gestures to
tell you many
things. |
- Understand that their sounds and actions cause others to
respond
- Use gestures--pointing, shaking their heads, and looking
back and forth at another person--to ask questions, make
requests, seek attention, say hello, and get someone to pay
attention to the same thing they are looking at
- Understand and respond to gestures, facial expressions, and
changes in voice tone
- Understand the meaning of a few words
- Babble to themselves and other people
- Produce long strings of sounds that sound like real words;
use some sounds as if they were words
- Imitate sounds made by other people
- Take turns while talking, playing, and singing with another
person
- Use a finger and thumb to pick up objects; hold and use
toys and objects such as rattles, spoons, and large crayons;
and transfer objects from one hand to the other
- Enjoy looking at books and listening to stories with adults
- Turn pages in sturdy board, cloth, and vinyl books
- Begin to understand that objects and events pictured in
books are the same as those in their own world
|
- Continue using any of the above strategies that are still
appropriate for this age group
- Respond to babies' requests so they know they are loved
and cared for
- Talk to babies about what they seem to be saying--Do you
want to sit in my lap? Let me lift you up so we can cuddle
together.
- Look at and name things with a baby (for example, hold a
baby at the window to watch a truck go by)
- Continue using speech and gestures when talking with
children or giving simple directions (for example, Now use
the paper towel to wipe your other hand.)
- Sing songs and play games that involve taking turns and
handing objects back and forth
- Continue reading, talking, and singing with babies
- Provide books with easy-to-turn pages (expect that babies
will put them in their mouths.)
- Introduce large crayons and paper and demonstrate how to
use the crayons to make marks on paper
- Name the objects babies point to--That's a banana. Do you
want some banana?
|
| Stage Four |
From about Twelve to Eighteen Months,
Many Toddlers: |
Adults Can: |
| I begin to talk. |
- Say a few words that refer to interesting people, things,
and actions
- Use the same word to mean different things by varying the
tone of their voices and adding gestures
- Point to pictures in books or to objects, upon request
- Continue to babble while learning to speak
- Use a single word to refer to a specific person or object
(bankie means a blanket) or to refer to things with similar
characteristics (doggie means all four-legged animals)
- Understand and respond to their own name, a few familiar
words, and simple requests
- Repeat themselves or try a different approach if their
communications do not get the desired response
- Like books about familiar objects, animals, people, and
events
- Jump up to get an object like the one pictured in a book
- Enjoy bedtime reading sessions
- Scribble with crayons and markers
|
- Continue using any of the above strategies that are still
appropriate for this age group
- Show excitement when toddlers learn new words
- Continue providing the names for objects and actions
- Respond to a toddler's one-word communication by stating
it as a full sentence (for example, a child says, Mama while
pointing at the door and tilting her head to one side. Her
teacher responds, That's right. Your mama went to class.
She'll be back soon.)
- Congratulate toddlers when they follow directions--Thank
you for handing me the diaper.
- Pay attention to toddlers to learn what they are trying to
say (Be patient. It may take time to understand their
communications.)
- Continue reading, talking, and singing with toddlers
|
