Infant Toddler Learning & Development Foundations

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
48
Receptive Language
Behaviors leading up to the
foundation (4 to 7 months)
During this period, the child
may:
• Vocalize in response to the
infant care teacher’s speech.
(3–6 mos.; Parks 2004)
• Quiet down when hearing the
infant care teacher’s voice.
(3–6 mos.; Parks 2004)
• Turn toward the window when
hearing a fire truck drive by.
(4–6 mos.; Coplan 1993, 2)
• Quiet down and focus on the
infant care teacher as he talks
to the child during a diaper
change. (4 mos.; Meisels and
others 2003, 10)
• Look at or turn toward the
infant care teacher who says
the child’s name. (Mean for
5 mos.; Bayley 2006, 86; by 7
mos.; American Academy of
Pediatrics 2004, 209; 9 mos.;
Coplan 1993, 2; 12 mos.;
Meisels and others 2003, 27;
5–7 mos.; Parks 2004)
Behaviors leading up to the
foundation (9 to 17 months)
During this period, the child may:
• Follow one-step simple
requests if the infant care
teacher also uses a gesture
to match the verbal request,
such as pointing to the blanket
when asking the child to get it.
(9 mos.; Coplan 1993, 2)
• Look up and momentarily stop
reaching into the mother’s
purse when she says “no no.”
(9–12 mos.; Parks 2004, 95)
• Show understanding of the
names for most familiar
objects and people. (Scaled
score of 10 for 16:16–17:15
mos.; Bayley 2006, 90; 8–12
mos.; Parks 2004, 94)
Behaviors leading up to the
foundation (19 to 35 months)
During this period, the child may:
• Show understanding of pronouns,
such as he, she, you, me, I, and
it; for example, by touching own
nose when the infant care teacher
says, “Where’s your nose?” and
then touching the infant care
teacher’s nose when he says,
“And where’s my nose?” (19 mos.;
Hart and Risley 1999, 61; 20–24
mos.; Parks 2004, 96)
• Follow two-step requests about
unrelated events, such as, “Put
the blocks away and then go pick
out a book.” (24 mos.; Coplan
1993, 2; by 24 mos.; American
Academy of Pediatrics 2004, 270;
24–29 mos.; Parks 2004, 104;
three-part command by 36 mos.;
American Academy of Pediatrics
2004, 307)
• Answer adults’ questions; for
example, communicate “apple”
when a parent asks what the child
had for snack. (28 mos.; Hart and
Risley 1999, 95)