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Infant/Toddler Language Development

Language Development and Young Infants

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Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to: • Explain how young infants are able to

communicate in several ways – by crying, cooing, babbling, and using facial expressions.

• Recognize that the care teacher contributes most to young infants’ learning by responding naturally and with authentic interest to infants’ attempts at communication.

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Learning Objectives (cont’d)

Participants will be able to: • Demonstrate how responding to young infants’

communications helps young infants learn that they are competent, (e.g., they can engage the attention of the caregivers).

• Demonstrate how, through one-on-one play and conversations, a care teacher conveys to the young infant the rhythms of conversation and exposes the infant to words in meaningful context.

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Young Infant Abilities - Seeing

Nature has equipped infants with the following abilities:

• Seeing – Infants see best at a distance of about 8 to 15 inches, just about the distance a caregiver’s face will be when feeding or playing with them. Babies like to look at the human face.Adapted from PITC Trainer’s Manual, Module III: Learning and

Development, Lesson 11 pg. 113

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Young Infant Abilities - Hearing• Hearing – Young infants hear sounds, such as their mother’s voice and heartbeat, before they are born.

Newborns are especially fascinated with the human voice. They are capable of hearing all speech. If they do not hear lots of language, the brain area for the perception of speech does not develop.

Adapted from PITC Trainer’s Manual, Module III: Learning and Development, Lesson 11 pg. 113

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Young Infant Abilities - Communicating

Communicating – Infants are able to communicate in many ways, i.e., crying, cooing and babbling. Babbling is how infants experiment with the feelings and sounds of their own voices. It happens both socially and when they are alone. Babbling usually begins around 6 months of age.

Adapted from PITC Trainer’s Manual, Module III: Learning and Development, Lesson 11 pg. 113

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Video - The First Four Months

• Reflect on how the infants in the video are using their sight, hearing, bodies, cries, and cooing, to communicate their needs and wants.

• How are the caregivers giving the message that they value and understand the infant?

Foundations DVD, Disc 3– Birth to Four Months

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Practice Activity

• Each group has a doll that is their “infant.”

• You will take turns doing a routine, such as diapering, feeding or putting a young infant down for a nap. You will each take 3 minutes with your infant.

• As you do this routine, practice “talking with” this infant.

• Group members observe and reflect on how the caregiver is demonstrating the following:

1. Communication matters2. People take turns talking3. “Sounds” are an important part of routines

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BREAK

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Jigsaw ActivityRead your assigned section from “Emergence of

Communication: Earliest Signs”, by Jacqueline Sachs

Each group is to answer the following questions:• What were the key points from the section that

you read?• What did you learn that will be helpful in

understanding how to facilitate mobile infants’ language development?

• How will you share this information with families?

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Ages of Infancy

• As you watch the video clip, observe how the young infant is communicating with the caregiver.

• How does language help to develop and promote security for the young infant?

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Reflection & Discussion

• Read and individually answer the first two questions in Handout #26 – Points to Consider in Your Caregiving Practice with Young Infants

• Find a partner and discuss your response to question #1.

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Summary

• Young infants learn to communicate when caregivers respond to their verbal and nonverbal cues.

• Young infants learn that they can affect their environment and that people take turns communicating.

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Summary (continued)

• It is important to remember that, at this stage, infants begin to learn language through the repeated use of sounds and words during care giving routines.

• Infants need to hear words, and these words need to be related to real experiences.