From the moment your baby enters this world, he begins learning.  Through every day interactions and moments, learning is taking place! 
Here is a snapshot of what is going on with your little one’s development and how you can support their learning:

Language and Communication

What’s Going On:  Babies express their needs and feelings through sounds and cries, body movements and facial expressions. Your baby will begin using words sometime around 1 year.  By the time he is 3, he will be speaking in short sentences!

What You Can Do:

• Watch your baby and listen to the noises he makes throughout the day. Try to understand what he is thinking or feeling by observing him.
• Repeat the sounds and words your child uses and begin teaching him how to have a conversation by responding to his noises and waiting for him to respond back to you.
• Read, sing, and tell stories. These activities can help introduce new words to your baby.
• Narrate your day. Tell him what you are doing throughout the day, even if it is running errands or spending time with loved ones. 

Thinking Skills

What’s Going On: Your child is learning how the world works by playing and exploring.  Through play, babies and toddlers learn about how things work and how to be good problem-solvers.

What You Can Do:

• Show your baby different ways to play with toys. Talk about the texture of the toys and have him feel them, explore noises the toys may make, or try to stack the toys. Toys can often be used in several different ways to promote learning. Be creative!  
• Incorporate teaching moments in your everyday routine. For example, you can talk to your baby about toys that sink or float while in the bath tub, or talking about the difference in food that is “dry” and drinks that are “wet.”
• Spend time following your child around. Embrace being his partner in play instead of acting as the director of fun activities. You will really discover his interests when you let him take the lead!

These are just a few simple strategies to help your child learn. For more ideas on how to support your child’s early learning, head over to Zero to Three’s website at www.zerotothree.org