Intellectual Development means being able to communicate, to think both creatively and abstractly, to pay attention, solve problems, and develop keen judgment and a lifelong readiness to learn.

Comfort Through the comfort and responsiveness of an adult, babies will learn how to handle their emotions and how to seek help when needed. Parents Can: Respond to their baby's cry with a soothing voice, a song, eye contact or a hug Child Will: Feel her needs are being responded to and develop a sense of security Parents Can: Provide verbal responses to their baby's gestures or sounds of happiness or pleasure by singing a tune, talking or echoing back similar sounds Child Will: Begin to know he can count on you to respond, which creates trust Parents Can: Offer a facial gesture, a responsive and kind touch or a verbal acknowledgement Child Will: Begin to interact with you more Respond to eye contact or the sound of a familiar voice

Play Through opportunities for play, babies will experience joyful, free, spontaneous moments of fun while learning about themselves and others. Parents Can: Use singing and story telling, or simple games, such as peek-a-boo, as a fun way to interact Child Will: Begin to imitate some sounds, have fun making sounds and then watch for your reaction Parents Can: Imitate the sounds their baby makes to initiate a little game that involves turn-taking Child Will: Have conversations with those who respond to his sounds Chat and experiment with different sounds, while also beginning to engage in turn-taking

Teach Through routines and emotionally and physically safe and secure environments, babies can learn how to think, solve problems and communicate. Parents Can: Be predictable - a new "trick" is not needed for every situation Child Will: Start to predict what comes next Begin to respond to routines and patterns in your behaviour, developing a sense of safety and security Parents Can: Talk about daily routines (such as sleeping, bathing and feeding) Child Will: Develop a sense of the language and tonality that go with familiar routines Parents Can: Use a mirror to play with their baby Talk to their baby about body parts (such as eyes, nose, mouth) Child Will: Begin to recognize her image Begin to learn that she is a separate being

Related Resources

Books for Parents

Baby Play: 100 Fun-Filled Activities to Maximize Your Baby's Potential