Infant Toddler Learning & Development Foundations

8 months
Foundation: Expression of Emotion
The developing ability to express a variety of feelings through facial
expressions, movements, gestures, sounds, or words
At around eight months of
age, children express a variety
of primary emotions such as
contentment, distress, joy,
sadness, interest, surprise,
disgust, anger, and fear.
(Lamb, Bornstein, and Teti
2002, 341)
For example, the child may:
• Exhibit wariness, cry, or turn
away when a stranger approaches.
(6 mos.; Lamb,
Bornstein, and Teti 2002, 338;
Fogel 2001, 297; 7–8 mos.;
Lewis 2000a, 277)
• Be more likely to react with anger
than just distress when accidentally
hurt by another child.
(later in the first year; Lamb,
Bornstein, and Teti 2002, 341)
• Express fear of unfamiliar
people by moving near a familiar
infant care teacher. (8 mos.;
Bronson 1972)
• Stop crying and snuggle after
being picked up by a parent.
• Show surprise when the infant
care teacher removes the blanket
covering her face to start a
game of peek-a-boo.
Chart continues on next page.
18 months
At around 18 months of age,
children express emotions in
a clear and intentional way,
and begin to express some
complex emotions, such as
pride.
For example, the child may:
• Show affection for a family
member by hugging. (8–18
mos.; Lally and others 1995;
Greenspan and Greenspan
1985, 84)
• Express jealousy by trying to
crowd onto the infant care
teacher’s lap when another
child is already sitting there.
(12–18 mos.; Hart and others
1998)
• Express anger at having a
toy taken away by taking it
back out of the other child’s
hands or hitting her. (18 mos.;
Squires, Bricker, and Twombly
2002, 115)
• Smile directly at other children
when interacting with them.
(18 mos.; Squires, Bricker, and
Twombly 2002, 115)
• Express pride by communicating,
“I did it!” (15–24 mos.;
Lewis and others 1989; Lewis
2000b)
36 months
25
At around 36 months of age,
children express complex, selfconscious
emotions such as
pride, embarrassment, shame,
and guilt. Children demonstrate
awareness of their feelings by
using words to describe feelings
to others or acting them out in
pretend play. (Lewis and others
1989; Lewis 2000b; Lagattuta
and Thompson 2007)
For example, the child may:
• Hide face with hands when feeling
embarrassed. (Lagattuta and
Thompson 2007)
• Use words to describe feelings;
for example, “I don’t like that.”
(24–36 mos.; Fogel 2001, 414;
24–36 mos.; Harris and others
1989; Yuill 1984)
• Communicate, “I miss Grandma,”
after talking on the phone with
her. (24–36 mos.; Harris and others
1989; Yuill 1984)
• Act out different emotions during
pretend play by “crying”
when pretending to be sad and
“cooing” when pretending to be
happy. (Dunn, Bretherton, and
Munn 1987)
• Express guilt after taking a toy
out of another child’s cubby without
permission by trying to put
it back without anyone seeing.
(Lagattuta and Thompson 2007)
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT