Page 8 - LESSION 8.pmd

Stages of Child Development : –Prenatal; and –Birth to Three Years

• Hearing: Within a few weeks from birth, the infant might respond to
sounds by getting quiet or with a smile. Expect the infant to respond to

Notes the sound of the mother or other familiar voices.
• Vision: The infant will start to focus on the mother’s face during feeding.
By the age of three months, they might be easily distracted by an interesting
sight or sound. Young children also begin to observe complex designs,
various colours, sizes and shapes.

• Communication: Infants are able to communicate their needs by crying.
By the age of two months, the infants smile on purpose, blow bubbles and
coo when anyone talks or plays with them. They might even imitate facial
expressions of people around them. Infants at this age also try to reach out
to known adults when they need attention, security or comfort.

4 Months to 6 Months

Infants become more aware of the surrounding world as they start moving from
third month of their lives. They begin exploring the environment around them
with more curiosity.
• Motor skills: The infant’s arms and legs wiggle and kick more purposefully
now. You might notice that infants of this age start rocking on their stomach
and eventually rollover. They gain muscle strength and have better head
control. Most of the infants of this age raise their heads when lying face-
down. They might even try to push themselves up or bear weight on their
legs. By the age of six months, many infants begin sitting without support.
Tip toeing or crawling follows soon after.

• Eye-hand coordination: Infants at this age can grasp an object like a rattle.
They also try to hold fingers of people around them. Anything within the
infant's reach is likely to end up in the mouth. You might notice infants
pull objects closer. This requires them to coordinate what they see and hold.
Following this, they start transferring objects from one hand to the other.

• Vision: Infants at this age begin to distinguish between strange and familiar
faces. You might notice that infants concentrate on toys, observe their
fingers and toes and stare at their reflection. Most infants of this age turn
the head toward bright colours. If a ball is rolled across the floor, the infant
will turn the head to follow the action.

• Communication: Infants at this age often begin to babble, gurgle and
laugh. They respond to and imitate the facial expressions and sounds of
others around them. They might babble and then pause, waiting for others
to respond. There is increase in memory and attention span. They begin

110 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION