The Power of Parenting

Friday, 30 July 2010

Intellectual Development: Your Baby at Five Months

Intellectual Development means being able to think creatively and abstractly, to pay attention, solve problems and develop keen judgement along with a lifelong readiness to learn.
Typical Skills
Language
  • Watches your mouth, listens to your voice, then experiments with her own sounds
  • Tries to imitate sing-song quality of voice (inflections)
  • Babbles double consonants (baba, dada, mama)
  • Makes “raspberry” sound – tongue out and blowing
  • Looks up when she hears her own name
Thinking Skills
  • Experiments with the concept of cause and effect, e.g., Cries more deliberately; waits to see if anyone is coming and then cries again
  • Turns head deliberately to sound or to follow vanishing object, e.g., leans over to look for something if dropped
  • Wants to touch, hold, turn, shake and taste everything
  • Remembers her own actions in the immediate past
  • Tries to maintain interesting changes he can make in his environment through repetitive actions
    Emerging Skills
    • Responds to her own name
    • Reaches for a second object with purpose
    • Works toward a desired, but out of reach, object
    Comfort, Play & Teach™
    		 Comfort, Play & Teach™

    Comfort
    If you do this:
    Your Baby will:

    • Use her name in songs, “Where is Priya, where is Priya, Where are you….There you are, There you are and how do you do?”
    • Respond to the range of emotions she shows to get your attention
    • Begin to respond more and more to her name
    • Begin to learn she is a separate person from you
    • Feel safe knowing you will respond to her needs
    Play
    If you do this:
    Your Baby will:

    • Let your baby experience different textures by touch, smell, or taste
    • Move out from behind to either side of your baby to encourage him to find you in different places
    • Begin to learn about different textures and which ones he likes and dislikes
    • Learn that even when he can’t see you, you still exist
    Teach
    If you do this:
    Your Baby will:

    • Give your baby toys that require her to work for a particular action, e.g., a noise-maker
    • Repeat the same songs and finger plays
    • Learn that her actions can make things happen – the start of cause and effect
    • Begin to imitate the sounds as she hears