Your Baby’s

First Year
Everything you need to know!

50 pages of excellent parenting guide and practical tips!

Book title: Your Baby's First Year
Series title: Learning Fundamentals
Copyrights
Content: © 2009 by Accelerated Learning
Design and illustrations: © 2009 by Leopard Learning
Cover design: © 2019 Learning Time
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Welcome To Fundamentals

Your child and FUNdamentals

Learning FUNdamentals is for parents
of babies from birth through to the
age of one year. It is the first stage in a
unique child development programme
called FUNdamentals. This
programme will help you develop
your child’s potential from the day
he or she is born. Your child should
grow up to have truly well-rounded
capabilities and, above all, be happy.

I put the highest possible value on the

word “rounded”. What would be the point,
for example, of helping your child to read
MATHEMATICAL early or to be very numerate, if he or
LOGICAL
Numeracy PHYSICAL she lacked curiosity, creativity or a
  Science
delight in nature? Or what if your
Exercise
    Patterns Dance
LINGUISTIC MEMORY
      Logic
child did not possess the ability to
Movement
Speaking Attention
Reading Concentration
Writing Visualisation share generously, relate well to
VISUAL/SPATIAL
SELF-ESTEEM and cooperate with others? I also
Self-worth, Confidence
Visual arts
Spatial games A Sense of purpose
Sense of belonging
put a high value on the word
Colour sense
Rounded Sense of identity
“planned”. To work to a plan does
not mean you lack spontaneity,
Child
INTERPERSONAL
THINKING
Mixing with others
SKILLS
Logic, Creativity
Sharing Co-operation
Teaching others
it means that you not only have
Common sense
Scientific MUSICAL a dream for your child–you have
also thought how best to achieve
Singing
INTRAPERSONAL VALUES
Playing
Honesty
that dream. I believe in structured,
Sensitivity Poetry
Respect
Intuition
Courage
not haphazard, development.
Spirituality
Self-control
Goal-setting

“Nothing is more fundamental to solid

educational development than pure
uncontaminated curiosity.”
Burton L White
The First Three Years of Life
6
 Welcome To Fundamentals

The pyramid of happiness

It can feel a little strange to look at your tiny baby
and think in detail about his future. Nothing great,
however, is achieved without a plan. I like to
visualise a child’s early development as a series of
foundation stones and building blocks that need
to be put in place step-by-step – starting with the
basics – in order to achieve the ultimate goal of
happiness. This pyramid structure is the plan on
which the FUNdamentals programme is based.

Learning FUNdamentals is designed to help you

start to put the foundation stones into place. The
HAPPINESS programme will help your child to develop
the characteristics and values
that form the upper levels of
COURAGE the pyramid.
SELF-CONTROL
RESPONSIBILITY AND
AND RESPECT
HONESTY

CO-OPERATIVE PERSISTENT
SELF-RELIANT AND
AND LOVING
POSITIVE

LOGIC MEMORY
CREATIVITY LISTENING
AND AND
AND AND MUSICAL
THINKING CONCENTRATION
CURIOSITY SKILLS

RICH READING WRITING MATHEMATICS

SPEAKING
VOCABULARY

PHYSICAL
FIVE SEVEN FULL SKILLS AND
BRAIN SELF-ESTEEM
ACUTE INTELLIGENCES HEALTH
CAPACITY
SENSES

LOVE AND SECURITY FUN

7
Welcome To Fundamentals
Fun, purposeful play
The foundation of your child’s development is
the love and security you provide. Nothing is
more important. Insecurity and threat actually
prevent your child’s brain from working
properly. Love and security, on the other hand,
release chemicals that make the brain work
better. So does fun. That’s why this programme
is based on games and activities. But while
they are lots of fun, they all have a purpose.
They each contribute to one or more of the
developmental building blocks.
There is a big difference between fun,
“purposeful play” and activities that merely
fill time. When you play a game from
Learning FUNdamentals you can be sure
it is contributing to your child’s physical,
emotional or intellectual development.
It’s up to you
At least 50 per cent of our ability to learn is
developed in the first five years of life. About
30 per cent more is developed before the age of
eight. This means that:
• Parents are a child’s main teachers.
• Children are their own best educators.
• The home, not the school, is probably the
most important educational institution.
8
Brain Building
Your child is born with more than enough
brain cells to be highly successful in life. It’s
not the number of brain cells that determines
usable intelligence, it’s the number of
connections that are made between those
brain cells. These connections are formed by
the experiences you provide and thoughts
that you prompt in your child through the
rich, stimulating environment you create in
the early years.
UNSTIMULATED STIMULATED
BRAIN BRAIN
Fewer pathways to A rich network of
develop thought pathways to permit
complex thinking
In the first five years, your child forms
50 percent of the main learning pathways
in his brain. Everything else he learns in
life will be built on that base. So, making
lots of brain connections gives your child
an invaluable advantage. And these
connections can be developed with the
Learning FUNdamentals programme.
 Welcome To Fundamentals

Developing the
amazing brain
A baby’s brain is amazing.
•  A fruit fly has 100,000 brain cells. PHYSICAL
LINGUISTIC

•  A monkey has 10 million.

• Every healthy baby is born with around
100 billion active brain cells.
LOGICAL
MATHEMATICAL
7
INTELLIGENCES
INTERPERSONAL

- all equally
important
Each one of us possesses, at birth, a brain INTRAPERSONAL VISUAL/SPATIAL
potentially more powerful than the most
powerful computers and that intelligence is MUSICAL

not fixed – but can grow with stimulation.

Yet each of us is only using a small fraction

of our brain’s capacity. You can help your
child to fulfil her potential by encouraging
her brain’s vital connections with the
correct stimulation. Your child’s seven
The activities outlined in the Learning intelligences
FUNdamentals programme are designed
The brain has at least seven “intelligences”. Most
to provide that stimulation at precisely the
people fully develop only one or two. They may be
time when it is most vital for brain growth.
brilliant at mathematics or language, but weak in
music and art. Yet everyone can develop all these
Each of your child’s
CELL intelligences if he or she is exposed to the right sort
100 billion brain cells of activities. Professor Howard Gardner, of Harvard
starts like the circular University, has identified the seven intelligences as:
neuron shown here. As •  linguistic–fluency with words
the child is exposed to • logical-mathematical–an ability with numbers
a variety of stimulating and logic
experiences, each cell •  musical–including rhythm and rhyme
is capable of sprouting • visual-spatial–strong in architects and sculptors
up to 20,000 different •  bodily-physical–strong in sports stars
branches to store the • interpersonal (or social)–the ability to
new information. In communicate well and be sympathetic
this way, the child • intrapersonal (or introspective)–the ability to plan
literally grows his ahead and reflect on past experiences. Recently
Dr Gardner proposed an eighth intelligence
own brain. BRANCHES
• a naturalist intelligence–having an affinity
with nature

9
Welcome To Fundamentals

Learning through all LEFT BRAIN – RIGHT BRAIN

The left side of the brain mainly processes
the senses language, logic, mathematics and sequences.

The five Acute Senses The right side plays a

big part in processing
music, rhythm, rhyme
and artistry. But children
See hear touch learn fastest when both
sides of the brain work
effectively together,
through a programme
taste smell Human of overall enrichment.
Brain

There are five main pathways into your baby’s
brain. From his very first days, your baby
develops the parts of his brain that deal with
what he sees, hears, touches, tastes and smells.
The more he can focus all his senses on a task
the easier and more efficiently he will learn.
And when he can see, hear, touch, taste, smell
and do things at the same time, he learns at a
remarkable rate.
“Babies need people: talking, laughing,
warmhearted people, constantly drawing them
into their lives and offering them the world for
a playground.”
Dorothy Butler, Babies Need Books
Motor Skills
From late in the first year of life, a child also
makes amazing developments in his motor
ability–his ability to crawl, walk, climb, dance,
run, somersault, turn, twist, skip and spin all
emerge. This enables him to explore by doing.
The more you can provide a rich,
stimulating environment
for your child’s senses and
motor abilities, the more
your child will bloom.

10
 Welcome To Fundamentals

Two building blocks are especially important in

the baby years:

Five acute senses: Your child learns through

his senses. So it is vital to build strong senses.
Learning FUNdamentals will teach eye-tracking
skills, early musical skills, listening skills, as
well as physical “motor” skills such as finger
and thumb control.

Health and physical skills: You will find many

ideas in this programme that build physical
skills – including activities that directly build
brain capacity.

A warning
There is a big difference between a rich,
stimulating, enjoyable environment – and
pressure.

Stress reduces the brain’s natural ability to learn

and concentrate, and the child’s ability for self-
control. The entire FUNdamentals programme
is based on providing stress-free, natural
opportunities for your child to bloom.

The unshakeable rule is this: if your child is not

enjoying an activity, stop immediately. You are
your child’s first and most important teacher.
The time and effort that you
put into these activities
and games now will be
rewarded by enhanced
capabilities in the future.

11
Welcome To Fundamentals

How to use the activities

What you’ve read so far has been a background. What follows
are over 34 activities that are designed to help you help your
child to create a solid foundation for life. The first year is
vital. The time that you spend now, working and playing
with your child is all well-spent. Below, you see an example
of the activities that follow.

What to do shows you how to do the activity, followed by

an explanation of how your child benefits from it in How it
helps your child to learn. Extra information about how to
further encourage and stimulate your child is provided in
both Special tip and And another thing!

Have fun.

Counting with the body

What to do
Select unobtrusive music on a cassette or
compact disc and play it in the background.
Play music softly two or three times
a day: in the morning, at lunchtime
and at night when he’s going to
bed. Aim for 20 minutes’ music
at a time, or longer if you like.
How it helps your child to learn
Mathematical concepts are learned easily
if they are associated with specific objects,
especially if those are as
personal as eyes, ears, fingers
and toes.

Special tip And another thing!

Actions, too, can be turned into counting Count everything with your child: beans,
games. Say “Let’s walk up the stairs. spoons, glasses, steps, stairs, stones, books and
One stair, two stairs, three stairs…” potatoes for dinner.

12
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
Eating Right
“A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which
everyone who passes by leaves an impression.”
Chinese Proverb

13
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
Eating right
You are what you eat
Any programme aimed at stimulating a
child’s mental development would be lacking
if it did not address the critical issue of proper
nutrition. Every mother-to-be knows how
vital it is to eat right, while “eating for two”.
Attention to good dietary habits is just as
important after birth because “myelination”
(the “coating” of the system of brain cell
pathways) continues until about three years
of age. This process requires many nutrients,
including essential fats, protein and zinc.
Adequate amounts of those nutrients vital
to both brain and body... must be fed
to the infant after birth, especially
during the first three years of life.
It will make all the difference,
in the long run, to the
child’s mental capabilities.
Drs Brian and
Roberta Morgan
Brain Food
14
Mother’s milk
The best source of all three is mother’s
milk, which also contains a wealth of
protective antibodies which coat the
baby’s intestines and respiratory tract
and fight off infection.
It also helps protect from ear infections,
various allergies and provides calcium
and phosphorus for growing bones. In
fact, the only thing missing in a healthy
mother’s breast milk could be vitamin
D. That’s why many doctors suggest a
vitamin D supplement for mothers who
are breast-feeding. A well-balanced milk
“formula” must duplicate the essential
elements of mother’s milk.
Breast-feeding for at least six months
to a year is generally recommended.
Then you can start adding solids such
as instant rice, barley or corn cereal;
cooked and pureed vegetables; pureed
fruit; and then finely-grated or mashed
meats—important
for an iron supply.
Alternatively, of
course, you can
buy prepared
baby food at the
supermarket.

The right balance
From the age of one onwards, ensure that
your toddler’s diet includes a healthy
balance of fish, beans, peas, lentils, soya
and dairy products. An adequate supply
of fish oil (the type found in sardines and
salmon) and linoleic acid (as found in leafy
green vegetables, fruits, dairy foods and
vegetable oil) is also important.
15
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
A healthy menu
Research now shows that children—with
their “nutrition hungry” brains —should
NOT be put on a low-fat diet. There are
many vitamins and minerals that your
child needs to develop fully:
• Foods rich in zinc, such as chicken
and fish are important. Even a mild
deficiency in zinc can cause reduced
memory ability.
• A breakfast cereal fortified with vitamins
and minerals and milk, followed by half
a banana or a sliced apple or orange is a
great start to the day.
• The banana provides potassium—vital
for efficient brain functions. The milk
provides vitamins, minerals, calcium
and protein. The cereal provides
carbohydrates for energy.
Snacks of wholewheat bread and fresh
fruit instead of sugar-laden foods such as
chocolate biscuits train your child to be a
healthy eater from the very beginning.
• Complex carbohydrates such as bread,
pasta and potatoes in their lunch are
essentials in a healthy diet.
• Keep the chocolates, soft drinks and
sweets to a minimum—the excess sugar
actually robs the body of key nutrients.
Your child’s brain is a biochemical
machine. There’s only one way
your child can get those
biochemicals – from the right
nutrients in the right amounts.
Francine Prince and Harold
Prince, PhD from Feed Your
Kids Bright
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

The Key Points for a

Good Brain-Food
Diet
Plenty of fresh
vegetables for
zinc, iron and
Fruits, nuts and
braincell growth
vegetables to
coat the brain’s
nerve pathways.

Fresh fruit for

breakfast and
morning energy.

Bananas for
Good natural potassium.
foods to speed the
brain’s message
around the brain
and the body.

16
Your Baby’s First Year
Building the foundations
“A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which
everyone who passes by leaves an impression.”
Chinese Proverb

Foundation Stones

Science Rich
Reading Writing
& Nature Vocabulary

Five Acute Thinking

Maths Creativity
Senses Skills

Listening Memory Self Esteem Values

& Music

17
Birth To Six Weeks
ONE month baby
Should be able to
• Lift head for a short time
• Stare at a face
Could also
• Get startled or cry in
reaction to a loud noise
• See black and white patterns
Might also be able to
• Raise head up to 45 degrees
• Gurgle, coo or grunt
• Smile in response
Developing your
newborn’s senses
A baby’s skin and “tactile receptors” are
more developed at birth than her sight
and sound pathways. So she will respond
well to plenty of stroking and cuddling.
You can’t spoil a baby with too much
attention in the first five months of life.
A newborn baby can cry, suck and grasp,
and will make occasional glances at
nearby objects. The thinking, reasoning
brain is not wired up yet. The baby can
see to a limited extent and has been able
to hear since she was in the womb.
In the first six weeks of life, her main need
is for food, comfort and love. Provide lots
of all three. A loving, caring relationship
between mother and baby, in particular, is
the first step towards the development of
a happy, contented child.
18
Rocking
Many simple physical activities carried
out early in life can help build the basis for
important “academic” activities later in life.
Scientists have proved, for instance, that
regularly rocking a baby can help greatly
in promoting brain growth. It stimulates
what they call the vestibular system. This is
the nerve system that controls coordination
and balance.
It is the mechanism that will be needed
later in life for walking, running and riding
a bicycle. Infants who are given periodic
vestibular stimulation—by simply rocking—
gain weight faster, develop vision and hearing
earlier and demonstrate distinct sleep cycles
at a younger age. It’s been shown that even
15 minutes of rocking, rubbing, rolling and
stroking a premature baby four times a
day will greatly help her to coordinate her
movements and her ability to learn.
The ‘Elevator Move’
Hold your baby facing
you, firmly against your
upper body. Then try and
duplicate the effect you
experience when you
are in an elevator and
it stops abruptly (but
not too abruptly).
Do this, simply by
bending your knees,
five or 10 times. As
well as lulling baby into
a relaxed state—if done
gently—it provides more
vestibular stimulation.

Visual Stimulation
A baby needs plenty of strong visual
contrasts. This is the reasoning behind the
set of bold black and white patterns in the
back of Learning FUNdamentals. You can
hang these around his sleeping area so
he can see vertical and horizontal stripes,
circles, squares and the shape of a face.
Visual stimulation can also be helped
by making a black and white patterned
blanket, instead of the traditional white or
pastel bed covers. We recommend against
a bland pastel environment. Bold contrasts
are much better to “wire up” the visual
pathways in the brain. In fact, you might
go beyond patterned cards and black-and-
white blankets and even “checker-board”
one wall of your baby’s bedroom with big
black and white squares of posterboard. It
really helps to turn on her vision.
Use these bold visuals stimulators from birth
One sense at a time
Try to cultivate your baby’s interest with
simple activities that appeal to one sense
at a time:
19
Birth to 6 Weeks
Smell
• A smelling game, with some pleasant
spices, perfumes and herbs, but nothing
too pungent or harsh at first
Hearing
• Gentle, soothing
music can be
played softly in
the background,
perhaps in the
morning after the
baby has been
bathed, as you are
feeding him and at
night when he is going to bed.
• Playing music for your baby from the very
beginning not only lays down a variety of
musical path-ways in the brain, but it also
helps develop rhythmic coordination. This
subsequently helps develop the ability to
read and write.
Touch
• A minute or two of skin-to-skin stroking,
from the back of the head and down
the body.
• Rocking, gently—rhythmic rocking is one
of the best forms of early stimulation.
• The tactile—touching, feeling—sense is
particularly important in the first year—
a tactile toy can be a great help.
Birth to 6 Weeks
Taste
• After four weeks, try a tasting
game such as dipping a cotton swab
in orange juice, honey or
some other taste variety
and placing it on your
baby’s tongue,
telling her what
she is tasting.
Sight
• Try covering a torch with coloured
cellophane. Move it from side to side so
your baby can follow it. But remember—
only stimulate one sense at a time.
• Try a visual game, such as showing him
one of the black and white patterned cards.
Different parts of the brain control different
parts of the body. And the more movement
and touching experience a youngster
gets in the first few years of life, the more
thorough the base for later all-round
education. Specific movement patterns
“wire up” the whole brain. For example,
specific walking, running and clapping
exercises lead to coordinated counting
which in turn leads to arithmetic.
20
Building a rich
vocabulary
The ability to speak fluently is one of the first
keys to a flying start in life. So talk to your
baby from his earliest days. He won’t be able
to talk back for several months, but he will be
able to listen! The more language he hears,
the wider his vocabulary will be.
The sequence of language learning is
generally straightforward. It’s common sense
to start off with nouns—the naming words—
because they label what a child can see.
Nouns
Start your baby on a voyage of discovery of
her own body. Move your hand over her body,
naming each part as you go, “This is Nina’s
stomach. And these are Nina’s arms. These
are Nina’s fingers. And this is Nina’s nose.”
Nouns are easy because they’re “concrete”.
Your baby can see them and touch them.
And that’s one of the keys to early learning—
remember the key is, “experience, then label.”
For instance, the more you let her see, touch
and taste milk, and hear that it is called
“milk”, the easier it will be for her to learn the
word. So talk about the specific things she can
touch, “This is Priya’s bottle. This is Priya’s
ball. And this is Priya’s Daddy”. Next come
the verbs—the action words of the language.
1 23
 Birth to 6 Weeks

Verbs Introducing books

Emphasise verbs as you carry out the action:
Colourful, brightly-illustrated, simple story
“OK, now drink your milk.” “Now we’ll
books should be part of a baby’s daily home
put you in your bath.” Verbs will obviously
environment. Show her the books, encourage
have much more meaning when your child
her to focus her eyes on the pictures and
can walk about and do more, but for now,
talk to her about what she is seeing on each
get into the habit of talking about what is
page - “This is a house. We live in a house,
happening right here and now. In fact, for
too.” It is very important to get her used to
the entire first two years, talk specifically
the idea that books are fun and the best way
about the present as often as you can.
of doing this is by making the whole reading
experience positive.
BABY FACT
Babies cannot understand
references to objects that are not
present or events that are even TWO monthS baby
half a day into the future - this is
the case up to two years of age. Should be able to
• Smile in response
• Get startled or cry in
reaction to a loud noise
Could also
• Raise head up to 45 degrees
• Gurgle, coo or grunt
Might also be able to
• Keep head steady
• Grasp a rattle
• Bring both palms together

21
Six Weeks To Six Months
Increasing your
baby’s awareness
By six weeks, start using the black and
white cards with smaller circles, stripes and
squares, so that your baby can see more
detailed contrasts.
The Visual Brain
Your child’s “visual brain” has five separate
sensory areas—each one “translates”
different shapes, such as vertical lines,
horizontal lines and curves. So the more
contrasting shapes a baby sees, the better
her visual discrimination will be. She will
also—around this time begin—using her
hands to bat or swipe at anything around.
So make or buy a contrasting mobile that
your baby can see and hit with her hands.
“Kick toys”, such as a large, soft ball placed
at the bottom of the cot or crib, are great for
exercising her feet and leg muscles—getting
ready for crawling and walking.
Consider a simple cot gym, with
solid items to bat, touch and grasp.
This will later play a key role in
reading and writing.
From six weeks, switch to
narrower visual stimulators.
22
three months baby
Should be able to
• Raise head up to 45 degrees
when lying on stomach
• Recognise your face
Could also
• Raise head up to 90 degrees
• Squeal or laugh when excited
• Bring both palms together
• Follow an object with his eyes
Might also be able to
• Keep head steady
• Roll over • Grasp a rattle
• Reach out for an object
Head Control
By six weeks, she should also be
starting to gain head control. So place
her on her stomach and talk to her, from
close by and up to three metres (10 feet)
away. It will help develop neck muscles,
eyesight and hearing.
As early as you like and up to three
months, consider propping her up in an
infant seat, again so she can see more
and develop her head control. Make
sure the seat is well-made.
You can stimulate the auditory
system by investing in some
rattles which can be attached
to the child’s wrist.
 6 Weeks To 6 Months

Hand-Eye Coordination
Between 14 weeks and six months,
she’ll start to improve her hand-eye
coordination, especially if she has
well-designed cot toys.
FOUR months baby
Ensure the room has
colourful, interesting pictures Should be able to
and objects in it, and that they • Raise head up to 90 degrees
are changed regularly. when lying on stomach
• Follow an object with his eyes
• Laugh loudly
Could also
• Keep head steady
• Raise chest with arms
when lying on stomach
• Grasp a rattle
• Reach out for an object
Might also be able to
• Roll over • Recognise your voice
• Put some weight on legs
• Sit without support
• Turn towards sound

Children do start to “babble”

between three and six months of
age. Some linguistic experts say
Regular interaction that, during this time, they make
all the sounds that occur
leads to speech in any language in
the world. Soon these
Even though your baby can’t yet speak, sounds will become
he very often understands what you are words. Your baby
saying. The hearing and visual pathways will pick up
in his brain are already well-insulated, more words
but his speech pathways are not. So talk from you and
to him often about what he can see and your family.
touch, starting with his own body.

23
6 Weeks To 6 Months

BABY FACT
One British research study
showed that active parents
at home were averaging
27 conversations an hour with
their preschoolers. But when the
researchers checked the same FIVE months baby
children after a year at nursery
Should be able to
school, teachers were averaging
• Keep head steady
only 10 conversations an hour. It
• Raise chest with arms when
is impossible for even a brilliant lying on stomach
teacher with a class of 10 to 30 • Notice small objects
children to equal the one-to-one • Squeal • Grasp a rattle
interaction of parent and child.
Could also
• Roll over • Put some weight
on legs • Turn towards sound
Might also be able to
• Sit without support
• Pull himself to standing position
• Cry if you take a toy away
• Reach for a toy kept at a distance
• Make sound such as ga-ga-ga,
ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma

24
Six To Twelve Months

On the move!
As you talk to your baby, nod up and down SIX months baby
occasionally. See if she follows your actions.
If she watches and waits until you’ve Should be able to
stopped, she is beginning to adjust how • Roll over in one direction
she behaves to fit your actions. Adults • Copy sounds
know that to point your finger invites the
other person to look away in a certain Could also
direction. Babies don’t! They are quite • Put some weight on legs
likely to look at the end of your finger. So, • Sit without support
at about the age of eight months, as you • Turn towards sound
teach him what pointing signifies, use your • Eat small bits of a biscuit
whole arm in an exaggerated gesture—as
if you were throwing. Start by pointing at Might also be able to
something nearby. • Stand holding on to
you or something
Choose something that he’s already looking • Cry if you take a toy away
at which you can also touch, such as a cup. • Reach for a toy that’s kept at
Then say, “There’s your cup.” Make sure a distance • Crawl
his eyes follow your gesture. As soon “as
he understands “pointing” you can then
interact better with books and also share
things that are further away.
As soon as baby can crawl, safety-proof safety first
the house—and let him loose!
1) Remove everything you don’t want
Your home is your baby’s greatest touched—especially breakable
educational institution, but only kitchenware—from bottom cupboards
if he can explore it. The kitchen and lower pantry shelves.
is every crawler and toddler’s 2) Install child-proof latches.
first kindergarten. So turn it 3) And child-proof every area up to three
into one. Make a decision feet from floor level.
to accept some chaos. Your 4) Make sure to child-proof electrical
baby’s development is sockets and anything with inviting holes.
more important than the
neatness of your home
or cupboards.
Left to himself, he’ll be able to experiment with
the consequences of his actions, repeat actions
that have surprising effects, fit shapes into pots
and pans and containers—and imitate you!

25
 6 To 12 Months

Crawling,
climbing SEVEN months baby
and cruising
Should be able to
Babies should be given • Coo in a happy mood
the chance to crawl • Eat small bits of a biscuit
from as early an age • Smile often
as possible. Many
would crawl earlier, Could also
but are usually • Put some weight on legs
restricted by so much • Cry if you take a toy away
clothing that they don’t • Sit without support
develop this ability • Search for dropped objects
until later. The more
they crawl, the sooner Might also be able to
they’re going to begin • Stand holding on to
holding on to things— you or something
and the sooner they’re • Pick up small objects
going to be able to walk. • Cruise by holding on to furniture
• Say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’

EIGHT months baby Crawling

Should be able to
• Put some weight on legs
• Eat small bits of a biscuit
• Rake small things with fingers
Could also
• Stand holding on to you or something
• Cry if you take a toy away
• Reach for a toy kept a distance
Might also be able to
• Pull himself to a standing position
• Crawl • Say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’
• Cruise holding on to furniture
• Understand when you say ‘no’
but not always obey it
Crawling is a vital stage of development
during which your baby is “forced”
to develop the ability to converge his
two roving eyes—so he doesn’t bump
into everything! The “crosspatterning”
movement strengthens the pathways that
link both sides of the brain. You can help
your baby to crawl by putting a favourite
toy just out of reach and encouraging
her to move to get it. If she makes an
effort but can’t quite reach the toy, make
a game out of bouncing or rolling it
towards her. Crawling enables each baby
to turn a big developmental corner. She
starts to focus on the world of small
objects. And she starts to learn about
cause and effect as she explores shapes,
forms, textures—everything.

26
 6 To 12 Months

Climbing
If crawling is the first step on the road
to discovery, climbing is generally the
NINE months baby
second usually by about 11 or 12 months. Should be able to
Then around that time, he also starts to
• Search for dropped objects
walk; sometimes sooner, sometimes later.
• Reach for a toy kept at a distance
Could also
• Crawl • Cry if you take a toy away
• Say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ • Pull himself
to standing position
Might also be able to
• Drink from a cup • Pick small objects
• Understand simple gestures
• Stand alone briefly • Play ball

Cruising
Before walking, he will learn to pull
himself up and start “cruising”—walking
around holding on to other objects. Then
he will start pulling himself up stairs and
then taking the first tentative steps by
himself. Now’s the time to introduce the
first manipulative toys such as stacking
blocks and big peg boards. Not only do
these develop the muscular skills for later
writing and painting, they also encourage
him to experiment with fitting shapes
together, which is one of the core concepts
of creative art.

27
 6 To 12 Months

Building a rich
vocabulary
Simple hand puppets are a great device to
encourage conversation. Have your puppet
say something, then pause to allow your
baby space and time to reply—even if it
is only to laugh or touch the puppet.
Don’t overload him,
though, with too
much talk from
the puppet.

TEN months baby
Should be able to
• Say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’
• Stand holding on to you or something
• Cry if you take a toy away
• Search for dropped objects
Could also
• Pick up small objects
• Cruise holding on to furniture
• Clap hands • Understand your ‘no’
but not always obey it
Might also be able to
• Play ball with you
• Drink from a cup without help
• Stand alone for few seconds.
• Speaks one word more other
than ‘mama’ or ‘dada’
• Understand simple gestures
Reading
When you are reading to your baby, let
her turn over the pages so she feels more
in control. Give her a chance to finish
some sentences for you. Prompt her by
saying, “That’s a big dog. It’s a labrador.
It says … (pause) woof, woof.”
Use names and stress them. Babies
learn the meaning of a word by
hearing it in many different ways,
but always associated with the same
thing (not by repeating single words
over and over). So stress key words
in your sentences and use them rather
than pronouns (such as he, she or it). For
instance, “Where’s the cup? Oh, here’s
the cup. [not “Here it is.”]. Here’s some
bread for Mama. And here’s some
bread for Chand.” Exaggerate! Mime
the language. For example, as you say,
“high up in the air” raise your hands
over your head, and crouch down as
you say, “low down on the ground”.

28

Developing music
and listening skills
Dance with your baby—from as
early as six months! Babies love to be
whirled gently around as you dance
to music that has a clear rhythm,
such as a waltz.
Help him become familiar with
rhythm by tapping out a simple
beat while he is sitting on your lap.
After a while, change to another
simple rhythm.
29
6 To 12 Months
Eleven months baby
Should be able to
• Pick up small objects
• Understand your ‘no’ but
not always obey it
• Clap hands
Could also
• Cruise on the floor by
holding on to furniture
• Use gestures to communicate something
• Understand simple gestures
• Copy others
Might also be able to
• Stand alone for few seconds
• Talk in gibberish language
• Walk well
Twelve months baby
Should be able to
• Cruise by holding on to furniture
• Use gestures to communicate
something • Copy others
Could also
• Clap hands • Drink from a cup
without help • Stand alone for
few seconds • Say one word more than
‘mama’ and ‘dada’.
Might also be able to
• Play ball with you
• Talk in gibberish language
• Walk well • Understand
simple gestures
 6 To 12 Months

Emotional development
In the vital time from crawling until about 14 months of
age, most infants have three interests:

Social interest—trying to interact with other people

Motor interest—improving or enjoying their
newly-developing physical skills
Curiosity—exploring places and objects

Discovery
How you and she balance these interests in
this period will play a key part in shaping her
personality. She’ll have to learn to take mishaps in
her stride, not gain attention by crying or whining
and to avoid other bad habits such as biting and
hair-pulling. She’ll have to learn to interact with
other children and adults.

Babies must learn how to ask for help, how to get on with
other people, how to handle things they are not supposed
to do. They can learn to do those things in a reasonable,
pleasant social way. Or they can learn to scream, cry and
whine for attention. How your child acts will depend on
how you deal with the situation.

Between the ages of six months and 12 months is a good

time to introduce a baby to the concept of meeting other
people—and to help her become comfortable in doing so.

When you meet a stranger, hold your baby secure in your

arms. Suggest that the person hand her something before
touching her. Then when your baby is comfortable with
the other person and ready to go to him or her, try to
busy yourself with something else so that your baby has
a chance to explore the person without reference to you.

Don’t spend time scolding bad behaviour,

spend time on reinforcing good behaviour!

30
 6 To 12 Months

Stimulation ideas
for the early years
these • Dance with your child to music.
From the earliest days, try to apply Vary the kind of music.
principles to stim ulat e all the sens es:

ing • Allow for plenty of water play in

• Keep him or her ‘on the floor’: hav
plenty of play time on the floo r, with
grasp
hands, feet and body free to move,
cree p is imp orta nt in
and later crawl and
the first two years of life.
the bath and the sink. Parent and
child visits to a warm swimming
pool is ideal.
• Stroking, cuddling, touching
and massaging are great for the
developing of the sense of feel
and touch.

• Do plenty of spinning, rocking and

balancing exercises. These develop
the coordination and balance
centres of the brain.

• Provide the opportunity to explore

nature. Looking at the clouds in the
.
erly sky, flowers, grass, trees and beaches
• Go outside every day unless it’s bitt
cold. Talk about wha t you see, hea r,
touch and smell.

• Plan a daily exercise

routine. Put a blanket
on the floor and do
plenty of rolling,
stretching and
movement games.

• Visit playgrounds
regularly. Swings, slides and merry-
go-rounds are great for physical
stimulation.

31
Self-Esteem
Rich Vocabulary
Marking his birth
What to do
Children love birthday parties, but how
many of them get to celebrate the actual
day of their birth? Compile a scrapbook
or album of the very first days of life:
perhaps starting with photographs
showing mum pregnant, and then the
first shots of being held by proud
family members. How about
adding in all the cards, telegrams,
letters from friends?
Special tip
Make a point of getting photos taken
of you sitting up in bed with baby
from the very first week.
First steps to language
What to do
From the start of life, get into the habit of talking
to your baby about what is happening right now.
Just because the baby cannot talk, it does not mean
that he isn’t listening. But even as late as two years
of age, babies still cannot understand references to
objects that are not present.
How it helps your child to learn
Listening to correct speech is the first step towards
linguistic intelligence. Later, he will imitate your
mouth movements and learn to speak.
Special tip
If you speak a native or a foreign
language that you’d like your child to
learn, encourage its use in talking to baby.
32
How it helps your
child to learn
Self-esteem begins with a child’s
appreciation of himself or herself
from the very start. In later years,
this will enforce the idea of how
special your child is
to you.
And another thing!
Keep records of each birthday and
bring them out each year and talk about
progress from one year to the next.
How to proceed
Talk specifically about what you are
doing as you are doing it:
“Now I’m going to change your nappy.”
“I’m lifting you up in the air. Now you
are going down.”
Give reasons for things you are doing.
It’s the first lesson in cause-and-effect:
“This is your bath. And there is nice
warm water in it. I’ll feel it first to make
sure it’s not too hot. If it’s not too hot,
then you can take a bath.”
And another thing!
Don’t over-stimulate your baby in the
first few months by talking too loudly.
Communicate at your normal volume.
 Music
Five Acute Senses

First steps to music

What to do How to start
Select unobtrusive music on a cassette or compact Here are some
disc and play it in the background. Play music examples of
softly two or three times a day: in the morning, at soothing music:
lunchtime and at night when he’s going to bed. Aim The Swan from
for 20 minutes’ music at a time, or longer if you like. The Carnival of
the Animals by
How it helps your child to learn Saint-Saens, the
Music stimulates the senses of your child. He’ll second movement
develop an early love of music and also develop from The Clarinet Quintet by Mozart,
“perfect pitch”. Sing, hum or dance along with the The Four Seasons by Vivaldi and Pastoral
music so he associates it with enjoyment. Symphony by Beethoven.

Special tip And another thing!

Don’t feel you have to play only Include music from your own cultural
classical music. Anything that isn’t too background—folk music, bangra, or
loud or jarring will do. ragas, for instance.

Choosing the first toys

What to do How it helps your
Toys for young babies should have strong child to learn
visual appeal, with bright primary colours or
sharp black and white contrasts. Between three Age-appropriate toys help
and six months, toys should have interesting your baby move on
textures for your baby’s exploring hands. to the next level
From six to nine months, choose toys of development.
with moving pieces to explore. By the end of
the first year, pick toys that stack or move in
interesting ways when handled.

Special tip And another thing!

Buy toys that are versatile and mobile. For In the first year, make sure all toys are
instance, a toy is small enough to be played too large to swallow, have no sharp
with in the crib or carried to the floor. edges and are unbreakable.

33
Five Acute Senses
Self-Esteem

A stimulating environment
What to do How it helps
Provide your baby with a stimulating environment your child to
from the outset. Think about what your child can
see from her cot. Is there enough for her to look
learn
at? You can make her room more colourful and The more varied and
interesting with plants, coloured shapes and pleasant the stimulation,
pictures on the wall and mobiles by the crib. the better the growth of
Wind chimes produce pleasant sounds. And basic brain pathways.
placing a bird-feeder outside her window can
encourage an interest in nature. Consider
decorating the ceiling with coloured stars,
paper kites and mobiles.
And another thing!
Special tip
While children often like sharp visual
Animal scenes, bright paintings and contrasts, they prefer to settle into
posters are ideal for brightening sleep with dimmed light. A dimmer
up a room. switch is ideal.

Recording each milestone

What to do
Even if you haven’t made a special birthday album, take photos
of every milestone in your child’s development from soon after
birth - the first time she lifts her head and chest off the ground
while lying on her stomach; the first time she handles objects;
the first time she sits on her own; her first steps and so on.

How it helps your child to learn

This is a tremendous future aid to self-esteem. As your
infant matures she can see and appreciate her own
unique development as a person.
And another thing!
Special tip
As she gets older, involve her in
Keep a record of times and dates of choosing the photos. Regularly look at
each milestone and write them in your the book and talk about what happened
album or scrapbook. in each photo and who was there.
34
 Five Acute Senses

Stimulating the senses Game Ideas

What to do
From the very first days with your baby, try to
capture his interest with a series of simple activities
to stimulate each of his senses: one visual, hearing,
smell, taste and touch game per session.
Take only about a minute with each, so the whole
session lasts no longer than six minutes. Repeat
three times a day if you can.
How it helps your child to learn
A child learns through all five senses. The more
each sense is stimulated, the more it opens up the
pathways to each part of the brain. But be sensitive
to your baby’s reactions—continue only if he’s
relaxed.
Visual: Show your baby a “visual stimulator”—
a bull’s-eye or check pattern.
Touch: A minute of skin stroking, starting from
the back of the head and moving down the body,
stimulates your baby’s sense of touch. Blow on
her toes or tummy.
Hearing: Shake a rattle or ring a bell.
Smell: Expose her to some pleasant spices,
perfumes and herbs.
Taste: Dip a cotton bud in a pleasant and safe
taste. Place on her tongue.
Movement: Rock your baby in your arms.
Special tip
Always tell your baby what she is
experiencing – “This is cinnamon. This is
orange juice. This is the sound of a bell.”

Move the cot regularly

What to do How it helps
For the first nine months your child to
of his life, move his crib
to a new position once a
learn
week. Sometimes position A regular change of
it so he can see out of the location will enable
window, other times turn it him to change his
to face the door, the mirror perspective. It’s
or some of the paintings another way to develop both visual and spatial
or decorations around the perception. Imagine how bored you would be
room. Place interesting with the same view every day!
things on the window sill.

Special tip And another thing!

After eight or nine months, most If you have several paintings or prints
babies prefer more routine, with their change their position every few weeks so
cribs remaining in one position. that each one has a turn in the nursery.

35
Five Acute Senses

Early exercises
What to do How it helps your child
Even though she can’t walk initially, your to learn
baby still enjoys exercise from the start.
Early “motor” actions lay down
You can help her “cycle” by exercising
the foundations for an all-
her legs while she’s lying on her back -
round education of your
then exercise her arms in the same way.
child. This will help in all
Practise leg and arm stretches then
other learning, including
lift her legs a few inches off the floor
reading, writing,
or pull her gently to a standing
arithmetic and music.
position by holding both her arms
firmly and then letting her practise
knee bends.

Special tip And another thing!

Crawling starts earlier if she has something After five months you can roll her on
to crawl towards, like a rattle shaken just her tummy over a big balI or over one
out of reach or a parent’s outstretched arms. of her soft tactile toys.

Getting into the swim

What to do How it helps your child to learn
Babies can learn to swim almost from the moment Swimming involves almost every muscle. Babies
of birth. If you have a bath tub or a spa pool nearby, who swim also tend to walk early and have good
consider introducing your baby to it as early as you coordination.
like—and get in it with him. Alternatively, seek out
a suitable “Baby and Me” swimming class. If you
like the idea of early swimming, do it before your
baby completes his first two months. During that
time he has a built-in reflex that enables him to
“dog paddle” in water.

Special tip
Before enrolling your baby in a swim
class, check the instructor’s methods
and experience. Not all instructors are
experienced with infants.
And another thing!
Being in a pool with your baby is great
for early parent-child bonding. Spend a lot
of that time face-to-face and smiling.

36

Rocking, rolling
and spinning
What to do
Try to make time to cuddle, rock,
stroke and massage your baby for
about 15 minutes at a time and up
to four times a day. Also, hold your
child upright against your shoulder,
with one hand behind her head.
Spin gently, stand still for perhaps
20 seconds, then repeat the other way.
This is known as the aeroplane spin.
Special tip
Rocking and spinning make the fluid move
in your child’s middle ear, and in turn
stimulates the balance centres in the brain
and greatly improves coordination.
Simple as black
and white
What to do
Included at the back of this book is a set of cards
with bold black and white illustrations on. Attach
the cards to your baby’s crib so
she can see them from birth.
After about six weeks, switch
to cards with smaller, more
complicated images.
Special tip
Amazingly, if a baby saw only horizontal
stripes for the first two years, she would
not have the ability to see vertical
stripes in later life.
37
Five Acute Senses
How it helps your child
to learn
These activities are soothing for both parent
and child, but we now know that they also
help greatly with brain development. It
encourages growth in the part of the brain
that helps a child coordinate his movements
and learning.
Controlled tests at the University of
Texas have shown that premature babies,
in particular, benefit from rocking, rolling,
rubbing and stroking.
And another thing!
From around four months, hold your baby
securely and give her regular aeroplane spins.
How it helps your child
to learn
This will pay off later because your
child will have better visual abilities.
A baby’s visual pathways have six
levels, each one handling a different
type of vision.
Thus one level processes dots,
another squares, another horizontal
stripes and yet another vertical
stripes.
And another thing!
Because contrast is so important in
stimulating vision, a black and white toy,
like a panda, is a perfect first toy.
Self-Esteem
Five Acute Senses

Singing to baby
What to do How it helps
Create a wide repertoire of classic your child
songs like:
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
to learn
This is the way we brush our hair Singing to your baby not
(or wash our hands, toes, feet, etc.) only creates a feeling of
Row, row, row your boat closeness, it is a great help
Incy, Wincy spider in building up vocabulary.
If you’re happy and you know it Lullabies are, of course, a
Pat-a-cake way of creating a ritual that
(all with actions) tells her it’s time for sleep.

Special tip And another thing!

Record your singing sessions and your He won’t be able to sing, but encourage him to
baby’s babbling and cooing. Listening imitate; you clicking your tongue, singing
to it will fascinate him. “la-la-la” or blowing raspberries.

Health alert To Check Your Child

What to do
If a child has an undetected, severe ear infection in
the first few years of his life, it will generally show
up later in an inability to speak properly.
In many countries up to a quarter of all infants
suffer from a complaint known as glue ear, or otitis
media, in one ear. Up to 10 percent have it in both
ears.
Glue ear occurs when the Eustachian tube, which
connects the back of the nose to the middle ear,
becomes blocked. The middle ear fills with a fluid
that interferes with the normal vibrations of the
eardrum.
Special tip
Hearing loss is the biggest single cause
of speech problems in young children.
In the first three months, clap sharply from
three to six feet away.
From 3 to 10 months, a baby should
turn his head in the direction of any sound,
such as the telephone ringing
or people talking.
From 10 to 15 months, the child should start
to imitate simple words and sounds.
If this doesn’t happen, take your child to a
doctor or a hearing clinic for a more thorough
check-up.
And another thing!
Regular hearing checks are very important to
make sure there are no setbacks in your child’s
speech development.

38
 Five Acute Senses

Making a mobile
What to do How it helps
Attach a mobile with brightly-contrasting colours your child to
to the crib. Use bold drawings that are similar to
the top half of the human face (see the appropriate
learn
visual stimulation card at the back of this book). After sucking, your
Until at least three weeks old, a baby will only look baby’s first exploration
at the mobile and not touch it, so there is no need starts with visual
to worry about sturdiness at this stage. String the examination of the
contrasting items about 30 cm (10 in) from your nearby environment.
baby’s eyes. Place most items on the right or
the left of the crib, not directly overhead.

Special tip And another thing!

Leave a good quality, unbreakable mirror Bold picture-alphabet friezes are good to have
fastened to the inside of the crib. Its reflections on walls. Tell your baby the name of the items
provide even more for your baby to look at. depicted on the frieze.

First steps to walking

What to do How it helps your
Infants as young as two weeks can be child to learn
encouraged to walk. Simply hold Some youngsters who do
your baby underneath his arms and reflex stepping between
encourage him to imitate walking two and eight weeks begin
movements on a firm, flat surface— walking much earlier. In
preferably with bare feet and in one test, five out of six
a warm room. The movement of these children
is called reflex stepping, and it is were walking at
particularly strong between two 10 months.
and eight weeks of age.

Special tip And another thing!

Even as early as two weeks, most babies Bouncing on your lap won’t make your
like to be held under the arms and baby bow-legged. In fact, the exercise
bounced on their parents’ laps. helps his legs get stronger.

39
Five Acute Senses
Rich Vocabulary

Add texture to pictures

What to do
Try to ensure that some of the early visual stimulation
you provide for your child introduces textures. Put
up some pictures that include different textures.
You can do this by drawing or cutting out big,
clear pictures of animals, flowers or clown faces and
adding your own “extras”, such as cotton wool for
a bunny’s tail, a red-coloured table tennis ball for a How it helps your child
clown’s nose, or some real dried leaves for trees. to learn
Talk about the different textures—rough, smooth,
This adds three dimensions to your baby’s early
silky, fluffy, and so on.
visual fields and develops good spatial awareness.

Special tip And another thing!

Talk to your baby about what she can see— Keep your 3-D posters out of your baby’s
the fluffy bunny’s tail, the smiling clown’s reach so she can’t grasp the small add-ons
face or the leaves on the tree. and swallow them.

First conversation
What to do How it helps your
When your baby is lying or child to learn
sitting facing you, make direct Your baby learns to pay attention
eye contact. Then begin to make to your face for clues. He also
a simple face—pulling your learns that his response pleases
tongue in and out, for example, or you. It’s the start of positive two-
opening and shutting your mouth. way communication. If your baby
Watch carefully to see if your feels good while he’s learning, he
baby copies you. Even very young will feel good about learning.
babies can respond to faces and voices
in subtle ways.

Special tip And another thing!

Babies will also respond non-verbally to your When he does respond, vary the faces—raise
conversation. So pause after you say something, your eyebrows, smile and repeat any actions
and wait for signs of his “reply”. that gain his interest.

40
 Five Acute Senses

Make your own tactile toy

What to do How it helps your
Take a large sock. On the outside sew an child to learn
array of textures – horizontal stripes This enables a baby to develop his
of different colours in corduroy, silk, tactile ability through his sense of
towelling, velvet, satin, plaid, denim and touch. Talk about the different
any other textured fabrics. Turn the foot textures as he strokes them.
of the sock into a face by sewing on black Take the opportunity to use
and white eyes and a red mouth with descriptive words such as
thread (not buttons). Then add some rough, smooth, soft and
coloured wool for hair. Stuff the sock hard.
with old tights and then perhaps
include a small bell inside.

Special tip And another thing!

Be sure to watch your baby closely and When you first introduce a tactile toy, take your
keep him from wrapping his new toy baby’s hands and guide them over each piece
around his neck. of fabric as you tell him what it is.

Step up the visual

contrast How it helps your
child to learn
What to do
The smaller patterns help
If your baby has been exposed to regular him to increase his
visual stimulation from birth, he is visual discrimination.
soon ready for even more spectacular Encourage
progress. At between one and three eyetracking by
months old, his field of vision will deliberately moving
expand from about 37 cm (15 in) to your head, or the
around 3 m (10 ft). From six weeks, card, slowly from
use the black and white dot cards Reduced side to side across
with finer shapes that you’ll find at pattern his field of vision.
the back of this book.
Special tip And another thing!
Once your baby reaches six weeks of age, he Your baby can now see the ceiling, so consider
is beginning to see better. Keep bright toys, sticking brightly coloured
with contrasting colours, within his reach. shaped on the ceiling above the cot.
41
Five Acute Senses

Bring the hands into play

What to do Move his hands over his own body, naming
From the time he is two months old, each part. Regularly put your fingers
a baby becomes fascinated with his in his grasp.
own hands. You can help his
eye-hand coordination with How it helps your
several simple steps. child to learn
Invest in the kind of wrist
This is great for eye-hand
rattles which attach to the wrist
coordination, which in turn
by Velcro (many commercial
is essential later for reading,
models come with animal
writing, crawling and
faces).
walking.

Special tip
And another thing!
A baby’s fists don’t start to relax until one
month after birth. Even though he won’t be Make sure that none of his playthings have
able to hold them, place rattles and smaller buttons or bells that can come off and be
toys in his hands. swallowed.

From mobile to crib gym

What to do How it helps your child to learn
As soon as your baby starts reaching for her mobile, This encourages eye-hand coordination because
often as early as eight to 10 weeks, buy or build a reaching for objects helps to converge her eyes.
more permanent “crib gym”. You’ll find she not
only looks at nearby bright objects, but also strikes,
bats or swipes at them with her hands. She is no How to make a crib gym
longer content just to look, she now wants to
Baby needs something which will stand up
explore as well. And she can do this best if she
to being batted and later grasped. So make
can grasp safe objects.
sure the objects are securely attached to
Special tip a pole or strong nylon
cable strung across the
A rattle or wooden spoon can be introduced cot. Brightly coloured
to a baby by eight weeks, but she will not be objects, balls or rattle
able to hold it until around 14 weeks. rings can be threaded
securely on to strong
NOTE: Any form of cord can be extremely dangerous string.
if it comes loose. Secure fitting is vital.
42

The tickling monster
What to do
Put your baby on his back. Kneel beside him,
smile as you look into his eyes, and say, “Let’s
play Here’s the Tickling Monster. Here he
comes!” Bring your hand into view, close
to your face, wriggling your fingers.
As you lower your hand to tickle
the baby, make a pleasant whistling or
cooing sound, lowering the pitch as
you move towards the baby.
Special tip
Consistent routines help a baby begin
to make sense of the world. So, try
to establish routines for breakfast,
bathtime, bedtime and so on.
Another vital sense
What to do
Stimulate your baby’s sense of smell
by spraying cotton balls with your
favourite perfume or aftershave lotion.
Add variety to the “smell game” by
using sweet-smelling fruits and
flowers and as many different
food smells as possible, such as
cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and
honey. Use different ones
Special tip
Include your own “personal smells”
– perfume, deodorant, powder or
shaving lotion – in each game until
he is used to them.
43
Five Acute Senses
How it helps your
child to learn
Apart from the fun involved,
it helps introduce the spirit
of cooperation in play. The
anticipation builds memory
skills. So be consistent in the
way you play the game. It’s
the sense of anticipation
that he loves most.
And another thing!
Some babies are more ticklish than others.
Some like to be naked, others clothed. So
be sensitive and adapt to his preferences.
each day, so you can mention them by name
as you waft each smell under his nose two
or three times.
How it helps your child
to learn
This smell extravaganza helps
develop your baby’s olfactory
sense (sense of smell), which often
becomes the least developed of
the senses.
And another thing!
If you are leaving your baby with a babysitter,
leave some fabric with your own perfume in
his bedroom, as a comforter.
Music
Rich Vocabulary

Bouncing baby to music

What to do
Put on a tape or compact disc or start singing.
Bounce your baby on your knee or cross your legs
and hold his arms as you sit him on your foot.
Bounce him in time to the music or song. Pay
attention to his signals. Let him see he can influence
what happens. For example, if he continues to
bounce when you stop, say, “so you want to bounce
some more?” and continue.

How it helps your child to learn

This develops a sense of rhythm and links it to
bodily movement—the basis of dancing.
And another thing!
Special tip
As a variation; simply hold your baby as
Try bouncing him on your knee so he can you would a ballroom dancing partner
see himself in the mirror. and dance around the room.

Encouraging speech Special tip

What to do Record family
members’ voices as
When a baby utters his first noises, repeat his
well as your own, and
sounds back to him. This way of communicating
watch his reactions
encourages him to keep vocalising.
when the sound comes
Try increasing the number of repetitions to
from the tape player
see if he copies you. It’s best to repeat back a
and not the family
single sound (for example, “la, la” or “da, da”),
member!
but vary the pitch or tempo of the sound to keep
your baby interested. As you repeat your baby’s
sounds, such as “buh”, “muh” or “ee”, place his
fingers on your lips. Let him feel the vibrations
as each sound is formed.
And another thing!
How it helps your child
to learn Record him and then play his voice
back to him. Many babies find this
It’s these bits of sound that will later make
both intriguing and soothing.
up words.

44
 Reading
Music

Start the reading early

What to do How it helps your
It’s almost never too early to start reading to child to learn
your child. When he’s sitting on your knee,
A child who reads early appreciates
feeding or propped up on cushions,
from the start, that books
read to him from a variety of books.
are sources of enjoyment
Start with books that feature
and information. It is an
only simple, bold pictures, then
important step towards your
pictures with “label” words, then
child’s literacy development.
move on to simple stories. Even
though he can’t speak, he
is absorbing information
from the outset.

Special tip And another thing!

It’s fine to use books that show the alphabet Point to the words and pictures in nursery
with pictures. But concentrate on words that rhymes and then repeat the rhymes when you
are there, not just the letters. are bathing or playing with him.

A new use for books!

What to do How it helps your
Most of us think that books are for reading. child to learn
But invest in some good, thick card books Turning the pages of books
from when your child is about four months helps "motor" development.
old and he’ll show you a whole new way of The books are also very
getting pleasure from books! good for your baby to "gum"
Babies are intrigued by movement before teething.
and one of the first movements they can
personally orchestrate (apart from “batting”
a mobile) is to turn over the pages of books.

Special tip
Make sure to use books that won’t fall apart
easily and are safe to be put in your baby’s
mouth, because they’ll spend a good deal of
time there.
And another thing!
Wipe the books regularly with a clean sponge,
then dry with a clean cloth. This will restrict
the spread of germs.

45
Rich Vocabulary
Creativity

Names, names, names

What to do How it helps your
Your baby’s understanding of vocabulary starts child to learn
to blossom between eight and 12 months. He Nouns are usually the first
can’t talk much, but he begins to associate names words to be learnt. And
with objects. So talk to him as often as you can the easiest place to start
about what he can see and touch. When is with the child’s own
you see a new subject – a dog, a horse or body—bathtime is ideal
a flower – try to build on your child’s for naming and counting
existing knowledge: “Look there’s body parts.
another flower. That’s a daffodil.”

Special tip
As soon as your child starts to understand
the names of each body part, turn the
teaching into questions—”Where are your
eyes? How about your ears?”
And another thing!
Use meal times for labelling. Say “Where’s
Shruti’s spoon? Here’s Shruti’s plate.” Label
and talk all the time.

Make your own fun smock

What to do
Make your own black and white, striped apron or a colourful
smock with deep pockets. This will enable you to store an
array of simple toys and items that you use to stimulate your
baby— cassette tapes, bells, rattles, “smelling and tasting”
bottles, letters, numbers, etc.

How it helps your child to learn

By doing this, you’re always ready to introduce some variety
and, when needed, distraction. Often the simple act of being
prepared makes it easier to ring the changes.

Special tip
And another thing!
Consider making several different-coloured
shapes—triangles, diamonds, fruits—with a Some prefer a “magic” bag or box to a smock.
Velcro backing. Stick them on your smock Always include a mirror in your bag so your
for added interest. baby can watch himself.
46
 Creativity
Rich Vocabulary

Kitchen Fun
What to do How it helps your
Clear out a kitchen cupboard and put your child’s child to learn
name on it. Put a collection of unbreakable pots, Exploring sizes, shapes and
bowls and pans in there. Talk about them, their alternative uses for things
shapes, colours and uses and say they are his to play is the start of “scientific”
with as well as yours to use. thinking.
Turn a pan upside down and let him put it the
right way up.
Give him a bowl full of water, a spoon and a
plastic cup. Show him how to transfer the water
to the cup.

Special tip
And another thing!
Ask him to work out how the various pots
and pans and lids can be fitted together. Let him see if he can make toys
What goes inside and what goes outside? from packaging such as cartons,
Change the items for variety. egg boxes and tubes.

The ‘give it to me’ game

What to do How it helps your child
With your baby on the floor on her tummy, to learn
side or sitting, place a toy just out of her reach. This simple routine helps your baby learn logically
Move the toy about and say something to attract attention by vocalising and to communicate
like, “Look at this. Would you Iike to through sound and action. Also, while reaching
have a look?” for the toy, she stretches and
A dancing soft toy that you make balances herself. This will
“talk” is particularly good for this. motivate her to crawl
If your baby makes a sound or towards new objects
movement in response, give her the placed in the room.
toy, saying, “Here you are. You can
have … “

Special tip And another thing!

At the start, make it easier by holding a You can make the game more “educational” by
small toy just in front of your seated baby. If repeating the toy’s name clearly and precisely
she moves towards it, give it to her. as you hand it to her.
47
Rich Vocabulary
Maths

Copy cat
What to do How it helps your
Sit opposite your baby when he’s in his high child to learn
chair. Give him a spoon and take a similar He’s learning to pay
spoon yourself. Tap the spoon on the tray a attention, copy actions,
couple of times. If he doesn’t follow what you take turns and
do, take his hand gently and guide it so that he communicate non-
follows your actions. verbally.
Let him copy putting a hat on, wiggling his
fingers, shaking his head and sticking his tongue
out. Describe what you are doing. Let him mimic
sounds too, like a ticking clock or a door bell.

Special tip And another thing!

When he’s comfortable with copying your The game can extend to copying clapping,
actions, see if he can copy a specific number waving, patting knees, stamping feet
of taps. That’s much more difficult. and touching ears.

Counting with
the body How it helps your
What to do child to learn
You can start teaching your infant Mathematical concepts are
basic mathematics by counting learned easily if they are
everything that is familiar to him. associated with specific
Again, start with his own body. objects, especially if
"This is your nose. And this is those are as personal
your ear. You’ve got one nose, but as eyes, ears, fingers
you’ve got two ears. And these are and toes.
your toes. You’ve got one, two,
three, four, five toes on this foot... ." And another thing!
Special tip Count with your child: beans, spoons, glasses,
steps, stones, books and potatoes for dinner.
Actions, too, can be turned into counting Remember to do it naturally: while buttoning
games. Say “Let’s walk up the stairs. One his shirt, “Now, let’s button you up. That’s one
stair, two stairs, three stairs... .” button, two buttons… .”

48
 Fundamentals

Your Child’s Step-by-Step Development

Emotional Development
•  Enjoys being hugged and cuddled
•  Smiles and babbles at familiar people
•  Copies your actions
•  Plays with toys by using all five senses
•  Enjoys rocking and aeroplane spins
Language Development
Thinking Skills
• Learns about objects in their
surroundings using five senses
• Responds to changes in facial
expressions
•  Follows moving objects visually
• Copies the sounds of languages
spoken at home
• Enjoys objects or pictures with
different patterns

• Demands attention by crying, smiling

and blabbering
• Responds to gestures and changes in
vocal tone
• Understands names being called out
• Moves hands and uses gestures to
communicate
• Enjoys listening to music and rhymes
• Listens to simple stories and likes to
Physical Development
see colourful picture books •  Rolls over
•  Enjoys shaking the head • Grasps and picks up small objects
• Crawls to familiar adults or explores
the vicinity
• Sits on a propped up pillow at first
and then without it
• Pulls the body to stand on the feet and
moves by holding walls or furniture
•  Holds, rolls and throws balls
•  Moves head sideways and to nod

49
Obser vation Form
Birth–12 months
Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Smiling
Enjoying complex designs
Holding her head up
Better arm, leg and hand
coordination
Recognising Mum and Dad
More sensitive to touch
Respond to others
Reaching and mouthing objects
Sitting up on her own
Able to see small objects and
subtle colours
Exploring with hands
Bouncing up and down
Relate different objects relate
Almost walking
Eye tracking skills
Crawling
Climbing
Cruising
Enjoying music
Curiosity
Respond to stroking, cuddling
Babble
Scream, cry for attention
Eye hand coordination
Copying you
Cry for attention
Grasping with his fingers
Rolling over

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