Infant Development: From 1 to 24 months

THE FIRST MONTH

PHYSICAL	Arm and leg movements are reflexes Head flops if not supported Can see things about 10 inches away Stares at objects but does  not reach Loves skin-to-skin contact
MENTAL	Prefers to look at high-contrast patterns and faces Alert 1 out of every 10 hours Begins to trust the caregiver Most behavior is reflexive Will cry if understimulated or overstimulated
LANGUAGE	Responds to voices Small cooing begins Likes it when you talk to him
SOCIAL	Enjoys eye contact Smiles at faces Recognizes parent’s voices
TOYS	Infants enjoy seeing and hearing interesting things Toys for this age are primarily for looking listening, sucking, or fingering

THE SECOND MONTH

PHYSICAL	Muscles relax and twitch less Can lift head 45 degrees Hands start to unfold Can briefly hold a rattle Tracks moving objects
MENTAL	tarts to make associations such as: crying gets a need met Protests if needs aren’t met Wants visual stimulation
LANGUAGE	Gurgles, coos, and squeals Exhibits emotions
SOCIAL	Responsive smiling Communicates moods Studies face Your baby’s personality becomes more obvious
TOYS	Clutch balls Texture balls Soft squeeze balls (All balls given to this age group should be at least 1-1/4 inches in diameter, however, if any object appears to fit easily in the child’s mouth keep it away from the child)

THE THIRD MONTH

PHYSICAL	Can stretch limbs all the way out Can roll back to side, holds head up to search Plays with hands Can hold rattle longer swipes with arms can briefly bear weight on legs
MENTAL	Learns cause and effect Discovers hands and feet likes detailed high-contrast images
LANGUAGE	Begins extended vowel sounds Starts to laugh Has different cries for different needs
SOCIAL	Makes eye contact Smiles at faces Knows the difference between parents and strangers Stops crying when you come in the room
TOYS	Discs, keys on a ring Interlocking plastic rings Small hand-held manipulables toys on suction cups Floor pay gyms Construction toys-soft blocks

THE FOURTH MONTH

PHYSICAL	Can stand up with help Rolls front to side Lifts head 90 degrees Sits with arms propped Reaches for objects
MENTAL	Froms mental images of what your baby expects when giving a cue Is aware that people and things have labels (dadda) Starts to explore things by tasting them
LANGUAGE	Changes shape of mouth to change sounds Sputters
SOCIAL	Laughs hard when tickled Greets caregiver Social gestures - moves arms to signal “pick me up“ Likes social interaction
TOYS	Manipulative Toys Simple rattles Teethers Light sturdy cloth toys Squeeze toys Toys suspended for batting & grasping Mouthable toys should have all safety features No sharp points or edges No small parts Nontoxic materials No glass or brittle plastic No parts to entrap fingers, toes, hands No long strings

THE FIFTH MONTH

PHYSICAL	Rolls over from front to back Grabs toes Can wiggle forward on the floor Reaches with a good aim Transfers objects from hand to hand
MENTAL	Shows interest in colors Pushes away disliked actions (wiping nose) Displays expression of decision-making
LANGUAGE	Babbles (baba) Tries to mimic sounds
SOCIAL	Turns head toward the speaker Watches your mouth movements
TOYS	Show growing interest in touching, holding, batting, turning, shaking, kicking, mouthing, and tasting objects Infants like to see: Bring primary colors High contrast Simple designs Clear lines and features Human facial features (esp eyes) Bull’s eye pattern Infants enjoy: Watching objects that move by wind, wind-up action, or the infant’s activity Toys that move and make noise Variety, and producing effects on toys through their activity Toys should be light and easy to grasp

THE SIX - NINE MONTHS

PHYSICAL	Can sit unsupported Rolls over both ways Can stand if leaning on another object Points at objects Picks up small objects with a thump and finger Reaches accurately Can feed herself Can drink from a cup Gets up on all fours and rocks
MENTAL	Studies objects Concentrates on one toy at a time Analyses what to do with her toy Understand the nesting of objects Understands an object might be behind something
LANGUAGE	Longer and more varied sounds experiment with different volumes and pitches of sounds Makes two-syllabled sounds
SOCIAL	Mimics facial expressions Exhibits moods with varied sounds and body movements May be shy or afraid of strangers Responds to his name Raises arms to signal his wanting to be picked up Likes his reflection
TOYS	Talk and sing to the babies when you feed, change diapers, and clean them Imitate the sounds that the babies make Point to and say the names of the baby's mouth, ears, nose, fingers, etc Place toys and other colorful objects where babies can see and/or touch them Shake a rattle behind a baby’s head and let the baby turn and grab the rattle When you hold or rock the baby, sing lullabies or other soothing songs Place babies in different positions. For example, place them on their stomach so they can practice lifting their head and rolling over Encourage hand clasping and kicking Take care of babies' needs promptly; for example, feed a hungry baby or comfort a scared  baby

THE NINE - TWELVE MONTHS

PHYSICAL	Masters crawling Can stand when supported Climbs on furniture Walks with help
MENTAL	Start to understand phrases (like “come here“) Wants to explore things by touching everything Build, stacks, and disassemble
LANGUAGE	Says simple words (“dog“, “hot“) Understands “no” Mimics sounds like tongue-clicking, raspberries, and cough
SOCIAL	Enjoys mimicking Points to things he wants Feels pride (especially when praised) Likes games (peek-a-boo)
TOYS	Puzzles: bring colored, lightweight (few pieces) Manipulative Toys: Teethers Tight sturdy clothed toys Toys on suction cups Small, hand-held manipulables Disks/Keys on rings Squeeze-squeak toys Roly-poly toys Activity boxes and cubes Pop-up boxes (easy operation) Containers with objects to empty and fill Large rubber or plastic pop beads Simple nesting cups Stacking ring cones (few rings and safe stick) Graspable (unbreakable) mirror toys that can be held and played with Sand and water play toys: Activity boxes for bath Simple floating toys

THE TWELVE - FIFTEEN MONTHS

PHYSICAL	Walks alone Can climb up stairs Can grip a crayon Can run Bounces to music
MENTAL	favors one hand Understands a word in context Understands cause and effect Starts pretending Remembers
LANGUAGE	Likes to sing Says several words Says “no“and shakes his head Can follow simple directions
SOCIAL	Copies and imitates Likes to look at books together Starts to exhibit a temper when angry Waves good-bye Laughs at funny things
TOYS	Play peekaboo or other games in which you disappear and reappear Give babies a safe place where they can crawl, creep, and pull themselves up Roll a ball or place a toy where babies have to reach or crawl for it Give babies teething toys Read aloud books that have large pictures and not much writing Talk to babies and name objects as you and the babies handle them Begin to teach what is allowed and what is not allowed Do not force the baby to interact with strangers When babies indicate that they want help, provide it Rock and hold babies when they are upset Let babies fill containers with objects and then dump them out Change toys often when babies get bored with them

THE EIGHTEEN - TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS

PHYSICAL	Can jump Climbs (out of highchair and crip) Can take clothes off Opens doors
MENTAL	Can understand 2-step directions Can draw circles and lines on paper
LANGUAGE	Says 20-50 words Makes 3-word sentences
SOCIAL	Understands more than he says Likes to sing
TOYS	At this age, children learn best from unstructured play Toys to play house Large and small blocks Toy instruments: children love music and the chance to create their own sound Puzzles: Choose puzzles that have very few pieces and are made of easy-to-manipulate blocks of wood Illustrated books and CDs Train sets Balls: Play with your child Crayons and paper