Ch. 6 First Two Years: Cognitive

Babies distinguish the difference between sounds, by 6 months their brains are already attuned to sounds in their native language, and begin to:

sort out the indications that each word is distinct

• segment words like beads on a string

• brain is attuned to sounds in their native language

The more they hear one language, the ___ ability they have to attune to other languages

less

Entrainment

when infants get on the same train of thought and language as others and

• learn where one word stops and another begins

• ignore cues that don’t matter

Infant Memory

• memories that are not verbal

• memories for movement, emotions, and impulses

• develop in the first months of life

• begins to improve at 12 months

Sensorimotor intelligence

• Piagets term for the wya infants think- by using their reflexes, senses, and motor skills - during the first period of cognitive development

• divided into 6 stages

  • primary circular

  • secondary circular

  • tertiary circular

• no beginning and no end, one thing leads to another and then loops back

Primary Circular

• the first two stages involve the infant’s responses to their own body

  • stage 1 (birth to 1 month)

  • stage 2 (1-4 months)

Stage 1 (birth to 1 month) - reflexes

• reflexes

  • sucking, grasping, staring, listening

  • ex. sucking anything that touches the lips or cheek

• lasts only a month

Stage 2 (1-4 months) - first acquired adaptations

• the first acquired adaptations: accommodation and coordination of reflexes

• ex. sucking a pacifier differently from a nipple

Secondary Circular Reactions

• the next two stages involve the infant’s responses to objects and people

• stage three (4-8 months)

• stage four (8-12 months)

Stage three (4-8 months) - making interesting sights last

• making interesting sights last: responding to people and objects

• ex. clapping hands when a caregiver says “patty-cake”

Stage four (8-12 months) - new adaptation & anticipation

• new adaptation and anticipation: becoming more deliberate and purposeful in responding to people and objects

• ex. putting the caregiver’s hands together in order to make them start playing patty-cake

Tertiary Circular reactions

• the last two stage are the most creative, first with action and then with ideas

• stage five (12-18 months)

• stage six (18-24 months)

stage five (12-18 months) - new means through active experimentation

• new means through active experimentation: experimentation and creativity in the actions of the “little scientist”

• ex. putting a teddy bear in the toilet and flushing it

stage six (18-24 months) - new means through mental combinations

• new means through mental combinations: thinking before doing; new ways of achieving a goal without resorting to trial and error

• ex. before flushing the teddy bear again, hesitating because of the memory of the toilet overflowing and parent’s anger

Object permanence

• the concept that objects or people continue to exist when they are not visible

• occurs at about 8 months

Babbling

• an infant’s repetition of certain syllables, such as ba-ba-ba, that begins when babies are between 6 and 9 months old

• predicts later vocabulary

Gesturing

• when caregivers teach “baby signs” to their 6-12 months old, who communicate with hand signs months before they move there tongues, lips, and jaw to make words

• may make parent more responsive

• are powerful means of communication

  • give and take

  • pointing

Naming Explosion

• a sudden increase in an infant’s vocabulary, especially in the number of nouns, that begins at about 18 months of age

• builds rapidly once the first 50 words are mastered

• babies start with names, and significant caregivers, favorite foods,

• often have identical syllables

Grammar

• includes all of the methods that languages use to communicate meaning

  • word order, prefixes, suffixes, intonation, verb forms, pronouns and negations, prepositions, and articles

• babies combine words around 18-24 months

• age 2 they can combine 3-4 words

Communication milestones (CM) 2 months

• make sounds other than crying

• reacts to loud sounds

• watches as you move

• looks at toy for several seconds

CM 4 months

• makes cooing sounds

• makes sounds back when talked to

• turns head toward sound of voice; opens mouth when see breast or bottle

• looks at hands with interest

CM 6 months

• blows raspberries

• squeals

• puts things in mouth to explore

• reaches for toy

CM 9 months

• makes sounds like mama mama

• lifts arms to be picked up

• looks for objects when dropped out of sight

• bangs two things together

CM 12 months

• waves bye bye

• calls parent mama or dada or another special name

• understands “no”

• puts something in container

  • like block in a cup

• looks for things he sees you hide

CM 15 months

• tries to say one or two words besides mama or dada

  • like ba for ball or da for dog

• looks at familiar object when you name it

• follows directions when given a gesture and words

• points to ask something or get help

• tries to stack two small objects like blocks

• tries to use things the right way

CM 18 months

• tries to say 3+ words besides mama or dada

• follows 1 step directions without any gestures

CM 24 months

• points to things in book when you ask “where is the bear”

• says two words together like “more milk"“

• points to at least 2 body parts when you ask

• uses more gestures like blowing a kiss or nodding yes

• holds something in one hand while using the other, uses switches on toy

Holophrases

• single word used to express a complete thought

  • ex. dada nana