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Learning the Basics
Your little one’s world is expanding by the day and he becomes attuned to new sensations, enjoys a newly gained understanding of the order that governs his world and enjoys interaction with the loving people around him.
Ground Rules: Knowing What Comes Next
Your baby begins to perceive the order and rules that govern his world, and adjusts to them. For example, when he learns that a certain cry brings him food, he will return to this behavior again and again whenever he feels hunger. He quickly remembers the sequence of actions and can predict what may happen in the future. For example, after he cries and you pick him up, you may notice that he begins sucking in anticipation even before the nipple reaches his mouth.
Body Awareness or Learning to Bat a Toy
He begins to become aware of the parts of his body. He begins to notice that he can use his body to move things. For example, he sees that he can shake a dangling toy by moving his hand. At the end of this period, directed behavior begins to replace automatic reactions. This is evidence that he has acquired basic understanding of the relationship between an action (extending his hand) and the result (the toy moves).
- Puts her hands in her mouth.
- Begins to bang suspended objects with her hands.
- Social smiles appear.
- Gazes at pleasant objects.
- Suspend toys in front of your baby’s hands, so that when he extends his hand by chance, she touches a toy. This way she will slowly learn to extend her hand purposely in order to make the toy move or twirl, and she will learn about her social environment.
- Avoid over-stimulation. Your baby cannot concentrate on more than one activity at a time and only for a very short time. Over-stimulation can easily cause distress.
