Develop an understanding and awareness of themselves.
Learn that they have influence on and are influenced by others.
Learn that experiences can be shared.
How young babies begin to explore their own movements and the environment in individual ways.
How babies respond to adults and children.
Say or sing made-up rhymes or songs while stroking or pointing to the babies' hands, feet or cheeks.
Respond to and build on babies' expressions, actions, and gestures.
Find out what babies like and dislike through talking to their parents.
Devote uninterrupted time to babies when you can play with them. Be attentive and fully focused.
Plan time to share and reflect with parents on babies' progress and development, ensuring appropriate support is available where parents do not speak or understand English.
Where's Tyler - In a childminder's home, the childminder and the young toddler are involved in an interaction involving words, actions and touch. [transcript]
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Self-confidence and Self-esteem
Seek to be looked at and approved of.
Find comfort in touch and in the human face.
Thrive when their emotional needs are met.
Gain physical, psychological and emotional comfort from 'snuggling in'.
Makes sounds and movements to initiate social interaction.
Uses vocalisations to communicate needs and discomfort.
Plays active role in conversation-like exchanges.
Recognises and is most responsive to prime carer's voice: face brightens, activity increases when familiar carer appears.
Prefers particular people, for example, is happier and more settled with preferred carers and is unsettled or distressed with less familiar people.
Snuggles into your body when held.
Shows affection.
Is wary of unfamiliar events.
Gets upset if toy is taken away.
Calms from being upset when held, rocked, spoken or sung to with soothing voice.
Shows pleasure at being tickled and other physical games.
Enjoys playing with hands, fingers, feet and toes.
Being close - In a nursery, a baby and her key person share a quiet moment. [transcript]
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How young babies respond to attention, such as making eye contact or vocalising.
Young babies' body language when their needs have been met.
The circumstances in which babies will play by themselves when people are nearby to watch over them.
The people babies like to be with.
How babies respond to strangers and unfamiliar events.
How and when babies make eye contact with you.
The ways in which babies show they like to be with particular people.
How babies behave when their parent leaves at the beginning of a session and when they return.
Recognise that young babies will find comfort from 'snuggling in' with a variety of objects and people.
Talk to a young baby when you cannot give them your direct attention, so that they are aware of your interest and your presence nearby.
Provide a sofa or comfy chair so that parents, practitioners and young babies can sit together.
Have special toys for babies to hold while you are preparing their food, or gathering materials for a nappy change.
Plan to have times when babies and older siblings or friends can be together.
Ensure that babies feel safe and loved even when they are not the centre of adult attention.
Talking at the table - In a childminder's home, the childminder supports a small group of children, including a baby's non-verbal communication, at a shared snack time. [transcript]
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Making Relationships
Enjoy the company of others and are sociable from birth.
Depend on close attachments with a special person within their setting.
Learn by interacting with others.
Cries to express needs, for example, when hungry, angry or in pain.
Responds to calming input, for example, patting, rocking, wrapping and cuddling.
Stops crying when picked up.
Sucks on hands, clothes, or pacifier to calm self.
Recognises and is most responsive to prime carer's voice, for example, may become more vocal, active or make more eye contact.
Looks intently at faces nearby and later watches speaker's face carefully.
Begins to hold eye contact with you.
Turns eyes and or head towards voice.
Maintains eye contact during interactions with a familiar person or smiles and makes sound in response to eye contact.
Gazes a long time at your face, especially when feeding.
Smiles in response to touch or sound.
Smiles or quietens to familiar voice or face.
Smiles at interesting objects.
Shows emotional responses to other people's emotions, for example, smiles when smiled at and becomes distressed if hears another child crying.
Smiles at another person.
Smiles more often to familiar rather than unfamiliar people.
Responds when talked to, for example, moves arms and legs, changes facial expression, moves body and makes mouth movements.
Makes own sounds when talked to, especially to parent and when a smiling face is used.
Makes special sounds to get attention.
Copies facial expressions and mouth shapes, for example, sticking out tongue, opening mouth and widening eyes.
Produces and copies non-speech sounds such as coos, raspberries, effort grunts, shrieks and squeals.
Shows anger if physically restrained, for example, cries when held still for injection or medication.
Laughs and squeals to express pleasure when happy or excited.
Shows distress at being left alone.
Shows pleasure at return of parent or familiar carer.
Likes cuddles and being held: calms, snuggles in, smiles, gazes at carer's face or strokes carer's skin.
Responds to facial expressions of happiness and sadness in others, for example, smiles if adult smiles or frowns if adult frowns.
The sounds and facial expressions young babies make in response to affectionate attention from their parent or key person.
Ways in which young babies respond to, or mimic, their key person's facial expressions or movements.
How young babies' behaviour changes in response to what other people do or say.
The way in which young babies cry to attract attention when they are hungry, angry or in pain.
How babies respond to being calmed.
The circumstances in which young babies look at other people's faces.
How patterns of looking and eye contact change over time and how long babies maintain eye contact with adults.
Occasions when babies gaze at adults and how they do so.
How young babies respond when you pick them up and cuddle them.
What makes babies smile or laugh.
How young babies react if they are left on their own.
Occasions that babies begin to enjoy and participate in interactive games such as peek-a-boo.
Ensure that the key person is available to greet a young baby at the beginning of the session, and to hand them over to parents at the end of a session, so that the young baby is supported appropriately and communication with parents is maintained.
Engage in playful interactions that encourage young babies to respond to, or mimic, adults.
Ensure all staff have detailed information about the home language experiences of all children.
When you talk to babies, make sure you are face to face.
It's important to share quiet moments together. Babies enjoy the intimacy of being close and looking at each other. They are learning about people and themselves as they do so.
Comment when babies move or make sounds, for example, when a baby burps, say "Do you feel better now?".
Touch is very important. Stroking, tickling and cuddles all help babies to become aware of you and enjoy being with you and listening to you.
Keep close and encourage babies to feel or look at your face. Let them feel your lips when you're talking or making play noises. Young babies find faces very interesting.
Copy the sounds, mouth movements and facial expressions that babies use. Sometimes they'll start to copy you too.
Copy any sounds and gestures babies make while they're watching you.
Watch out for how babies show frustration or discomfort and for how this changes once they're comforted or satisfied. When babies cry, lift them up and reassure them.
Rock babies rhythmically to songs and music.
Watch out for how babies show that they've had enough and want to stop interaction. They may start to cry, stiffen, lean away from you or close their eyes and mouth. Give the two of you a break – they will show you when they're ready to play again.
Call a baby's name gently as you approach them and say "Up you come!". Wait to see if they can show you that they want to be picked up.
'Mirror' a baby's feelings through your voice intonation, body movement and facial expressions. This shows them that you are 'tuning in' to their moods.
Repeat greetings at the start and end of each session, so that young babies recognise and become familiar with these daily rituals.
Plan to have 'conversations' with young babies.
Share knowledge about languages with staff and parents and make a poster or book of greetings in all languages used within the setting and the community.
Behaviour and Self-control
Are usually soothed by warm and consistent responses from familiar adults.
Begin to adapt to caregiving routines.
What soothes individual babies and helps them to relax.
Find out as much as you can from parents about young babies before they join the setting, so that the routines you follow are familiar and comforting.
Learn lullabies that children know from home and share them with others in the setting.
Play gentle music when babies are tired.
Self-care
Anticipate food routines with interest.
Express discomfort, hunger or thirst.
Young babies' hunger patterns and responses to their food.
Encourage babies gradually to share control of food and drink. This provides opportunities for sensory learning and increased independence.
Plan feeding times which take account of the individual cultural and feeding needs of young babies in your group.
There may be considerable variation in the way parents feed their children at home. Remember that some parents may need interpreter support.
Sense of Community
Respond to differences in their environment, for example, showing excitement or interest.
Learn that special people are a source of sustenance, comfort and support.
How young babies show their pleasure or interest in different situations.
Talk to babies about the different people and places they know.
Tell a young baby what you think they like about another person, for example, "Here is your brother, Matty. You like him because he tickles you, don't you?".
Provide a variety of cosy places with open views for babies to see people and things beyond the baby room.
Invite parents to share food and customs from their own cultures, including British cultures.
Acknowledgements
Disclaimer
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