Infant Toddler Learning & Development Foundations

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
18
Foundation: Interactions with Peers
The developing ability to respond to and engage with other children
8 months 18 months 36 months
At around eight months of
age, children show interest in
familiar and unfamiliar peers.
Children may stare at another
child, explore another child’s
face and body, and respond
to siblings and older peers.
(8 mos.; Meisels and others
2003)
For example, the child may:
• Watch other children with interest.
(8 mos.; Meisels and others
2003)
• Touch the eyes or hair of a peer.
(8 mos.; Meisels and others
2003)
• Attend to a crying peer with a
serious expression. (7 mos.;
American Academy of Pediatrics
2004, 212)
• Laugh when an older sibling
or peer makes a funny face.
(8 mos.; Meisels and others
2003)
At around 18 months of age,
children engage in simple
back-and-forth interactions
with peers for short periods
of time. (Meisels and others
2003, 35)
For example, the child may:
• Hit another child who takes a
toy. (18 mos.; Meisels and others
2003, 35)
• Offer a book to another child,
perhaps with encouragement
from the infant care teacher.
(18 mos.; Meisels and others
2003, 35)
• Tickle another child, get tickled
back, and tickle him again.
(18 mos.; Meisels and others
2003, 35)
• Engage in reciprocal play, such
as run-and-chase or offer-andreceive.
(12–13 mos.; Howes
1988, v; 10–12 mos.; Ross and
Goldman 1977)
• Play ball with a peer by rolling
the ball back and forth to each
other. (12–15 mos.; Parks 2004;
9–16 mos.; Frankenburg and
others 1990)
At around 36 months of age,
children engage in simple
cooperative play with peers.
(36 mos.; Meisels and others
2003 70)
For example, the child may:
• Communicate with peers while
digging in the sandbox together.
(29–36 mos.; Hart and Risley
1999, 124)
• Act out different roles with
peers, sometimes switching in
and out of her role. (By 36 mos.;
Segal 2004, 44)
• Build a tall tower with one or
two other children. (36 mos.;
Meisels and others 2003, 70)
• Hand a peer a block or piece of
railroad track when building.