Infant Toddler Learning & Development Foundations

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
14
Foundation: Interactions with Adults
The developing ability to respond to and engage with adults
8 months 18 months 36 months
At around eight months of
age, children purposefully
engage in reciprocal interactions
and try to influence the
behavior of others. Children
may be both interested in and
cautious of unfamiliar adults.
(7 mos.; Lamb, Bornstein,
and Teti 2002, 340) (8 mos.;
Meisels and others 2003, 16)
For example, the child may:
• Attend to an unfamiliar adult
with interest but show wariness
or become anxious when that
adult comes too close. (5–8
mos.; Parks 2004; Johnstone
and Scherer 2000, 222)
• Take the infant care teacher’s
hands and rock forward and
backwards as a way of asking
her to sing a favorite song.
(8 mos.; Gustafson, Green, and
West 1979; Kaye and Fogel
1980)
• Engage in games such as pata-cake
and peek-a-boo. (7–9
mos.; Coplan 1993, 3)
• Make eye contact with a family
member.
• Vocalize to get an infant care
teacher’s attention.
At around 18 months of age,
children may participate in routines
and games that involve
complex back-and-forth interaction
and may follow the gaze
of the infant care teacher to an
object or person. Children may
also check with a familiar infant
care teacher when uncertain
about something or someone.
(18 mos.; Meisels and others
2003, 33)
For example, the child may:
• Move close to the infant care
teacher and hold his hand when
a visitor enters the classroom
but watch the visitor with interest.
(18 mos.; Meisels and others
2003)
• Bring a familiar object to an
adult when asked. (15–18 mos.;
Parks 2004)
• Allow an unfamiliar adult to get
close only after the adult uses
an object to bridge the interaction,
such as showing interest in
a toy that is also interesting to
the child. (18 mos.; Meisels and
others 2003)
• Watch, and then help the infant
care teacher as she prepares
snack.
• Seek reassurance from the
infant care teacher when unsure
if something is safe. (10–12
mos.; Fogel 2001, 305; Dickstein
and Parke 1988; Hirshberg and
Svejda 1990)
At around 36 months of age,
children interact with adults
to solve problems or communicate
about experiences or
ideas. (California Department
of Education 2005, 6; Marvin
and Britner 1999, 60).
For example, the child may:
• Participate in storytelling with
the infant care teacher. (30–36
mos.; Parks 2004)
• Tell a teacher from the classroom
next door about an
upcoming birthday party.
(36 mos.; Parks 2004)
• Help the infant care teacher
bring in the wheeled toys from
the play yard at the end of the
day.
• Ask a classroom visitor her
name.