Ages 9–18 Months

• Adjust the way he is walking depending on the type of surface; for example, walking slowly on rocks and faster on pavement.
• Choose to sit on her bottom and slide down a steep hill rather than walk down it.
• Sway back and forth to the beat of a song while standing up.
• Pull hands away from the sensory table, which is filled with an unfamiliar slimy substance.
• Spend a lot of time in the sandbox, burying a hand underneath a pile of sand.
• Stop pouring sand into a bucket that is already full.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Nuzzle his face into a freshly washed blanket to smell it.
• Show recognition of sounds, such as the mother’s footsteps, water running in the bathtub, or the refrigerator door being opened.
• Pat, push, mound, and squeeze play dough, experiencing all the ways it can be used.
• Explore pegboard holes with a finger, then look around for something to fit in the holes.
• Enjoy messy activities or show a dislike for messy activities.
• React to various sensations, such as extremes in temperature and taste.
• Crumple and tear paper.
• Stop crawling when he reaches the edge of the couch.
• Be able to remember where toys are stored in the classroom because she has crawled by them before.

• Give the older infant opportunities to manipulate materials and toys such as small squishy balls or simple toys with handles or knobs.
• Expose the older infant to soft books and pictures.
• Help the older infant experience mobility through carrying, positioning, and holding.
• Provide physical experiences that integrate older infant’s movements with senses, such as water- or sand-play, stacking blocks, and dumping and filling tubs.
• Provide materials and objects of various textures, colors, smells, and sounds.

• Stand on one foot, alone or with support.
• Walk sideways.
• Push a doll stroller or play shopping cart.
• Climb onto an adult-sized couch.
• Run.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Creep on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Pull to a stand, using furniture for support.
• Explore both indoors and in the outdoor environment.
• Cruise while holding onto furniture.
• Sit down from a standing position.
• Walk without support.
• Throw a ball, underhand or overhand, to an uncle.
• Squat to explore a toy on the ground and then stand up.
• Walk up or down stairs by stepping with both feet on each step while holding a parent’s hand or the handrail.
• Get into a standing position without support.
• Crawl or creep up or down a few steps.

• Provide safe, interesting places to move around and explore.
• Avoid prolonged periods (no more than 30 minutes at a time unless eating or during transportation) in devices that restrict movement (e.g., mechanical swings, baby carrier). Equipment such as swings and carriers should not be used more than twice a day and no longer than 15 minutes at a time.
• Allow and encourage the older infant to move to get what he wants, such as a toy that is out of reach.
• Provide “props” such as simple toys with wheels (e.g., toy lawn mowers, push toys).
• Provide solid props such as ottomans to use for support as the older infant experiments withstanding and walking.
• Provide toys during tummy time and floor time that promote reaching and movement, such as musical stuffed animal or soft rubber vehicles.
• Encourage exploration of different levels or safe household objects (e.g., soft sloping planes, ramps, wedges) that encourage balance or movement.
• Play games that require physical actions, such as using different kinds of balls to roll, throw, or kick.

• Hold a crayon between fingers and thumb.
• Scribble with big arm movements.
• Place pegs into a pegboard.
• Hold a toy with one hand and use the fingers of the other hand to explore it.
• Point to the pictures of a book.
• Place a stacking ring on the post.
• Use two hands to pick up a big truck, but only one hand to pick up a small one.
• Use the wrists to rotate objects in order to explore all sides.
• Use one hand in opposition to the other.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Hold on to two blocks while reaching for another block.
• Use thumb and index finger to pick up a piece of cereal.
• Drop a block into the wide opening of a large container.
• Turn the pages of a board book.
• Use hands to follow along with some motions of a song, chant, or finger play.
• Grasp onto and pull the string of a pull toy.
• Point with the index finger.
• Stack two to three small blocks into a tower.
• Unscrew the lid of a plastic jar.
• Put pieces of cereal inside a container with a small opening.

• Provide a variety of safe toys with pieces that come apart, fit together, and stack.
• Give the older infant supervised opportunities to use pincer grasp (finger-thumb) skills in a variety of activities, such as eating or grasping.
• Provide opportunities for grasping, squeezing, and holding objects.
• Play hand and finger play games.
• Provide water toys that encourage scooping and pouring.
• Give the older infant appropriate finger foods to eat (e.g., dry cereal, cooked vegetables).
• Provide books to promote fine motor skills (e.g., turning pages, pointing).
• Provide toys that encourage two-hand use.
• Provide play dough experiences for hand exercise and small muscle development.
• Provide markers and other materials for drawing.

• Show appropriate gains in height and weight according to growth charts.
• Meet developmental milestones as measured by caregiver report, standardized instruments, and behavioral observations.
• Respond to verbal cues like “it’s time to go to nap” by moving toward a blanket/cuddle toy or “time for lunch” by sitting at the table, going to wash hands, or getting lunch box.
• Shows interest in new foods that are offered.
• Reaches for food
• Points to food
• Gets excited when food is presented
• Expresses desire for specific food with words or sounds
• Hunger signs for 6- to 12-month-old babies include opening mouth when spoon gets near; reaching for the spoon or food; pointing to food; getting excited when food is presented; and expressing a desire for specific foods with words or sounds.
• Fullness signs for 6- to 12-month-old babies often involve shaking of their head, turning head away from food, and not opening mouth when spoon is close to indicate that no more food is desired.

• Encourage ongoing and regular medical and dental visits.
• Continually assess development using observations and using standardized screeners at well-child visits.
• Engage in physical activities together.
• Encourage participation in gross motor physical activities and limit time (no more than twice a day and no longer than 15 minutes at a time) in confining equipment.
• Ensure the older infant receives all age- appropriate immunizations and screenings.
• Be responsive to an older infant’s typical signs of illness, distress, or discomfort (e.g., teething, diaper rash, earache, cranky mood) and seek assistance as needed.
• Communicate with other adults about older infant’s health and well-being.
• Establish a consistent regular schedule for your baby’s meals, snacks, and sleep times. Establishing routines can help your baby set up good habits and learn when to expect to eat.

• Go to the sink when their grandma says that it is time to wash hands.
• Get a tissue when and adult says, “Please go get a tissue. We need to wipe your nose.”
• Move toward the door to the playground after seeing the teacher put his coat on.
• Put snack dishes in the sink and the bib in the hamper after eating.
• Have trouble settling down for a nap until their mother reads a story, because that is the naptime routine.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Cooperate during a diaper change by lifting her bottom.
• Grab the spoon as their father tries to feed the child.
• Raise arms when Mom tries to put a dry shirt on the child.

• Talk about what the older infant is seeing, hearing and doing or what you are doing with him.
• Actively engage in conversations with your baby while feeding her/him and as you change routines throughout the day. Explain to your baby what you are doing and what is coming next, and warmly respond to his/her verbal cues. These interactions will help her/him to understand expectations and facilitate transitions.
• Provide regular nap and bedtime routines (aim for 11-14 hours of sleep including naps).
• Encourage the older infant to be seated when eating and drinking and hold spoons, feed self, and drink from a cup.
• Sit with your child while eating and establish a regular routine for meals and snacks, without the TV or other screens on.
• Provide oral health care (brushing teeth and/or gums).
• Allow the older infant to participate in wiping her hands and face.

• Move close to the teacher and hold her hand when a visitor enters the classroom but watch the visitor with interest.
• Bring a familiar object when asked.
• Allow an unfamiliar adult to get close only after the adult uses an object to bridge the interaction, such as showing interest in a toy that is also interesting to the child.
• Watch, and then help their grandma as she prepares snack.
• Seek reassurance from parents when unsure if something is safe.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Engage in back-and-forth interaction by handing a parent an object, then reaching to receive the object when it is handed back.
• Show—but not give—a toy to an aunt.

• Recognize the older infant’s non-verbal interactions as communication and respond to it.
• Join the infant on the floor to play.
• Ask the older infant if she wants to help (e.g., provide a spoon and bowl to her while you prepare dinner).
• Talk with the older infant to describe your interactions.
• Read a book together, pointing out pictures so that the older infant also looks at the same pictures.

• Hit another child who takes a toy.
• Offer a book to another child, perhaps with encouragement from the teacher.
• Tickle another child, get tickled back, and tickle him again.
• Engage in reciprocal play, such as run-and-chase or offer-and receive. Play ball with a peer by rolling the ball back and forth to each other.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Engage in solitary play.
• Play a reciprocal game, such as pat-a-cake, with teacher and a peer.

• Provide opportunities for the older infant to see and interact with other babies and young children.
• Acknowledge pro-social behavior (e.g., “Thank you for bringing me Tracie’s hat.”).
• Be ready to intervene and assist the older infant who has conflicts; verbalize the conflict and resolution (e.g., “See Amy crying. She is sad because you took her toy. Let’s give it back and find you another.”).

• Play the same kind of game, such as run-and-chase, with the same peer almost every day.
• Choose to play in the same area as a friend.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Watch an older sibling play nearby.
• Bang blocks together next to a child who is doing the same thing.
• Imitate the simple actions of a peer.

• Provide enough space in play area for two or more children to play side-by-side.
• Maintain close supervision as children play near each other.
• Engage older infants in simple games with one another (e.g., rolling a ball with two or three children and saying “I’m rolling the ball to Joey; Joey is rolling the ball to Izzy.”).
• Point out simple interactions (e.g., “Jacob is smiling at you. He is saying, ‘Hello.’”).

• Offer to help a crying playmate by bringing his own mother over.
• Try to hug a crying peer.
• Bring her own special blanket to a peer who is crying.
• Become upset when another child throws a tantrum.
• Gently pat a crying peer on his back, just like his dad did earlier in the day.
• Hit a child who is crying loudly.
• Stop playing and look with concerned attention at a child who is screaming.
• Move quickly away from a child who is crying loudly.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Stand nearby and quietly watch a peer who has fallen down and is crying.
• Exhibit social referencing by looking for emotional indicators in others’ faces, voices, or gestures to decide what to do when uncertain.
• Cry upon hearing another child cry.

• Provide toys, such as dolls or stuffed animals, that the older infant can pretend to take care of by holding, feeding, rocking, or singing.
• Provide support and encouragement when children interact positively (e.g., “You gave the block to Emily. Emily is smiling.”).
• Model empathetic feelings for others.
• Talk about another child’s expression of feelings (e.g., “Mia is laughing because the puppet is so funny.”).
• Model strategies of care and comfort for other children; talk about your strategies (e.g., “Jake feels better when I pat his back.”)

• Gesture toward a desired toy or food while reaching, making imperative vocal sounds, and looking toward their grandpa.
• Seek reassurance from parents when unsure about something.
• Vary response to different adults depending on their play styles, even before they have started playing; for example, get very excited upon seeing an uncle who regularly plays in an exciting, vigorous manner.
• Engage in back-and-forth play that involves turn-taking, such as rolling a ball back and forth.
• Look in the direction of dad’s gesturing or pointing.
• Learn more complex behaviors through imitation, such as watching an older child put toys together and then doing it.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Follow teacher’s gaze to look at a toy.
• Hold up or gesture toward objects in order to direct their parent’s attention to them.

• Play games or sing songs where the older infant can imitate your sounds, tone of voice, gestures, or facial expressions.
• Provide opportunities to listen to conversations and watch adult interactions.
• Talk with the older infant to describe his nonverbal interactions (e.g., “You are telling me you want me to play ball with you.”)
• Play games that involve taking turns.

• Run in wide circles around the outdoor play area, circling back each time and hug the legs of the teacher before running off again.
• Snuggle with their mom or dad when feeling tired or grumpy.
• Wave at their grandpa from the top of the slide to make sure he is watching.
• Follow a parent physically around the room.
• Play away from teacher and then move close to him from time to time to check in.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Cry and ask for a parent after being dropped off in the morning.
• Look for a smile from adult when unsure if something is safe.
• Cling to a parent when feeling ill.

• Respond to requests for comfort and engagement with hugs, smiles, mutual laughter.
• Talk with the older infant about where you are going and when you will return.
• Notice the glances from the older infant and provide verbal reassurance that you know where he is (e.g., “I see you playing with the blocks.”).
• Provide consistent good-bye routines.

• Point to or indicate parts of the body when asked.
• Express thoughts and feelings by saying “no!”
• Move excitedly when approached by an uncle who usually engages in active play.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Play games such as peek-a-boo or run-and-chase with teacher.
• Recognize familiar people, such as a neighbor or playmate’s parent, in addition to immediate family members.
• Use names to refer to significant people; for example, “Mama” to refer to the mother and “Papa” to refer to the father.

• Play naming games about parts of the face or body while holding the older infant or while looking in the mirror.
• Respect older infant’s preferences for people, places, and things.
• Notice and acknowledge when the older infant completes a new task (e.g., “Yes, you crawled over to the shelf!”)
• Acknowledge when the older infant expresses an opinion or feeling, verbally or non-verbally.

• Roll a toy car back and forth on the ground and then push it really hard and let go to see what happens.
• Clap and bounce with joy after making a handprint with paint.
• Squeeze a toy in different ways to hear the sounds it makes.
• Smile after walking up a steep incline without falling or carrying a bucket full of sand from one place to another without spilling.
• Proudly hold up a book hidden in a stack after being asked to find it.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Drop a toy truck in the water table and blink in anticipation of the big splash.
• Look over a shoulder, smile at the mother, and giggle in a playful way while crawling past her, to entice her to play a game of run-and-chase.
• Turn light switch on and off repeatedly.

• Recognize and reinforce older infant’s attempts to do things on his own.
• Provide challenges to already learned skills (e.g., lids on containers, shape sorters, toys to push and pull.)
• Provide toys, water, objects that can be used in many ways so that the older infant can experiment on his own with minimal      adult supervision.
• Provide many opportunities and safe locations to practice new skills.

• Show affection for a family member by hugging.
• Express jealousy by trying to crowd onto the teacher’s lap when another child is already sitting there.
• Express anger at having a toy taken away by taking it back out of the other child’s hands or hitting her.
• Smile directly at other children when interacting with them.
• Express pride by communicating, “I did it!”

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Become anxious when a parent leaves the room.
• Knock a shape-sorter toy away when it gets to be too frustrating.
• Show anger, when another child takes a toy, by taking it back.
• Express fear by crying upon hearing a dog bark loudly or seeing someone dressed in a costume.
• Express sadness by frowning after losing or misplacing a favorite toy.
• Smile with affection as a sibling approaches.
• Push an unwanted object away.

• Provide time for one-to-one interactions that include touching, cuddling, and holding beyond typical care routines such as feeding.
• Describe and label emotions and facial expressions (“You were scared when the door slammed.”).
• Respectfully recognize signs of distress (e.g., “You seem upset,” rather than “It’s okay.”)
• Look in mirror together, making happy, sad, scared faces; name and talk about the faces.
• Read simple stories about feelings, especially books with photographs of babies expressing different emotions.

• Use gestures and simple words to express distress and seek specific kinds of assistance from parents in order to calm self.
• Use comfort objects, such as a special blanket or stuffed toy, to help calm down.
• Seek to be close to a parent when upset.
• Play with a toy as a way to distract self from discomfort.
• Communicate, “I’m okay” after falling down. Indicate her knee and say “boo boo” after falling down and gesture or ask for a bandage.
• Approach the teacher for a hug and express, “Mommy work,” then point to the door to communicate missing the mother.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Move away from something that is bothersome and move toward familiar adult for comfort.
• Fight back tears when a parent leaves for the day.
• Look for a cue from adult when unsure if something is safe.
• Fuss to communicate needs or wants; begin to cry if their mom does not respond soon enough. Repeat sounds to get mom’s attention.

• Recognize when the older infant has comforted herself. (e.g., “You found your bear and made yourself feel better.”).
• Acknowledge older infant’s feelings of anxiety and allow her to use familiar adults for security in the presence of unfamiliar adults.
• Allow the older infant to meet her own physical or emotional needs in ways that soothe or comfort.
• Take along familiar toys or blankets when visiting a new place.
• Provide the older infant with a variety of toys, such as stuffed animals or dolls, that she can hold, talk to, and play with.
• Stay with the older infant during times of distress to help regulate emotions, if the older infant desires it.

• Stop drawing on the wall when a parent asks.
• Choose one toy when dad asks, “Which one do you want?” even though the child really wants both.
• Express “no no” while approaching something the child knows she should not touch, because their grandparent has communicated “no no” in the past when the child tried to do this.
• Look to teacher to see his reaction when the child reaches toward the light switch.
• Stop reaching for the eyeglasses on their grandpa’s face when he gently says, “no no.”

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Crawl too close to a younger infant lying nearby.
• Refrain from exploring another baby’s hair when reminded to be gentle.
• Look at their mother’s face to determine whether it is all right to play with a toy on the table.
• Bite another child who takes a toy.
• Reach for food on a plate before dad offers it.

• Calmly and clearly explain the reason that you are asking the older infant to stop a certain action. (e.g., “The vase might break if we touch it, so we need to look but not touch.”).
• Use simple directions to tell the older infant what he should be doing (e.g., instead of “no hitting,” say “soft touch”).
• Gently take away forbidden objects or move the older infant away.
• Provide enough routine so the older infant can develop an understanding of the expectation for his behavior.
• Talk about the routines and what you are doing and what will happen next.
• Call the older infant by name and describe actions you are doing.
• Give a choice between two acceptable options (e.g., “Would you like to wear the blue socks or the white socks?”).

• Go to the cubby when the teacher says that it is time to put on coats to go outside.
• Cover up the doll when a family member says, “Cover the baby with the blanket.”
• Go to the sink when their grandparent says that it is time to wash hands.
• Get a tissue when dad says, “Please go get a tissue. We need to wipe your nose.”

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Follow one-step simple requests if the adult also uses a gesture to match the verbal request, such as pointing to the blanket when asking the child to get it.
• Look up and momentarily stop reaching into the mother’s purse when she says “no no.”
• Show understanding of the names for most familiar objects and people.

• Provide the older infant with a language- rich environment through conversation, books, and family stories.
• Tell the older infant stories, sing songs, and repeat rhymes from her culture and language, as well as English.
• Label and name everything seen and done throughout the day.
• Play games and sing songs that use gestures and words that involve one-step directions (e.g., “Show me your eyes,” “Wave bye-bye”).
• Use words representing the older infant’s personal experience.
• Recognize and support the older infant’s learning of her home language and culture.

• Look at a plate of crackers, then at the teacher, and communicate “more.”
• Point to an airplane in the sky and look at their grandparent.
• Use the same word to refer to similar things, such as “milk” while indicating the pitcher, even though it is filled with juice.
• Use two words together, such as “Daddy give.”
• Shake head “no” when offered more food.
• Jabber a string of sounds into the toy telephone.
• Gesture “all gone” by twisting wrists to turn hands up and down when finished eating lunch.
• Use made-up “words” to refer to objects or experiences that only familiar adults will know the meaning of; for example “wo-wo” when wanting to go next door to visit the puppy.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Babble using the sounds of his home language.
• Consistently use utterances to refer to favorite objects or experiences that only familiar adults know the meaning of; for example, “babababa” for blanket.
• Express “Mama” or “Dada” when the mother or father, respectively, enters the room.
• Say a first word clearly enough that the teacher can understand the word within the context; for example, “gih” for give, “see,” “dis” for this, “cookie,” “doggie,” “uh oh” and “no.”
• Name a few familiar favorite objects.
• Change tone when babbling, so that the child’s babbles sound more and more like adult speech.
• Use expressions; for example, “uh oh” when milk spills or when something falls off the table.
• Say “up” and lift arms to be picked up by parent.

• Play naming games, such as naming animals and making the sounds of the animals.
• Listen to the words and sounds the older infant is using and show pleasure and excitement at his attempts to speak.
• Expose the older infant to language by talking and reading together.
• Introduce and model new sounds, gestures, or words for the older infant to imitate.
• Use new, as well as familiar, words or sign language with the older infant and repeat them in different contexts.
• Leave out the last word of a familiar and repetitive rhyme and see if the infant fills it in.
• Repeat and read the same songs and books over and over.
• Use assistive technology with an older infant who needs additional support communicating his wants and needs. (e.g. providing pictures of favorite foods, toys).

• Respond to adult’s initiation of conversation through vocalizations or nonverbal communication.
• Initiate interactions with family members by touching, vocalizing, or offering a toy.
• Jabber into a toy phone and then pause, as if to listen to someone on the other end.
• Shake head or express “no” when an uncle asks if the child is ready to go back inside.
• Respond to dad’s comment about a toy with an additional, but related, action or comment about the same toy; for example, make a barking sound when dad pats a toy dog and says, “Nice doggie.”

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Copy their grandma in waving “bye-bye” to a parent as he leaves the room.
• Purse lips after hearing and seeing a neighbor make a sputtering sound with her lips.
• Repeat the last word in an adult’s question in order to continue the conversation; for example, saying “dat” after the teacher asks, “What is that?”
• Respond with “yes” or “no” when asked a simple question.
• Hold out a toy for their mother to take and then reach out to accept it when mom offers it back.
• Show an understanding that a conversation must build on what the other person      says; for example, expressing, “bear” when dad points to the stuffed bear and asks, “What’s that?”
• Initiate back-and-forth interaction with an uncle by babbling and then waiting for the uncle to respond before babbling again.
• Say “mmm” when eating, after a parent says, “mmm.”

• Use familiar gestures or words during routines and allow time for response.
• Observe older infant’s response to nonverbal communication by others, such as different pitch or tone of voice, gestures, or body language.
• Allow sufficient time for the older infant to respond to questions or suggestions.
• Talk with, and use older infant’s name, in conversation.
• Use eye contact and expressions while talking to the older infant.
• Provide play opportunities for the older infant to “talk” to peers and adults, with guidance; 
• Ask the older infant simple questions (e.g., “Where is bear?”).
• Talk and interact with the older infant throughout the day.
• Immerse the older infant in a language-rich environment, including her primary language.

1. Listen to the adult and participate while being read to by pointing, turning pages, or making one- or two-word comments.
2. Actively notice print in the environment.

• Attempt to turn the pages of a paper book, sometimes turning more than one page at a time.
• Pretend to read the back of a cereal box while sitting at the kitchen table in the house area.
• Recognize a favorite book by its cover.
• Pull the teacher by the hand to the bookshelf, point, and express “book” to get the teacher to read a story.
• Point to or indicate a familiar sign in the neighborhood.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Try to turn the pages of a paper book, turning several pages at one time.
• Scribble with a crayon.
• Smile and point to or indicate pictures of favorite animals in a book.
• Help parent turn a page of a book.
• Use an open hand to pat a picture while reading with a family member.

• Model holding a book correctly and turning pages.
• Read one-on-one with the older infant.
• Provide durable books that engage the senses (e.g., different textures, bright colors, flaps to lift).
• Provide art and books from the older infant’s culture (and other cultures).
• Provide page-turning devices and book stands to hold books in place for older infants who need them.

• Try to wind the handle of a popup toy after not being able to open the top.
• Drop different objects from various heights to see how they fall and to hear the noise they make when they land.
• Build a tower with the big cardboard blocks and kick it over to make it fall, then build it again and knock it down with a hand.
• Use a wooden spoon to bang on different pots and pans, and notice how grandpa responds when the child hits the pans harder and makes a louder noise.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Hold a block in each hand and bang the blocks together.
• Keep turning an object around to find the side that makes it work, such as the reflective side of a mirror, or the open side of a cup.
• Cry and anticipate that a parent will come to help.
• Drop an object repeatedly from the chair to hear it clang on the floor or to get grandma to come pick it up.
• Watch the teacher squeeze the toy in the water table to make water squirt.
• Hand a toy car to a family member after it stops moving and the child cannot figure out how to make it move again.
•  Close eyes and turn face away from the water table before splashing with hands.
• Continue to push the button on a toy that is broken and appear confused or frustrated when nothing happens.

• Comment positively when the older infant learns a new action or skill to affect things.
• Provide cause and effect toys (e.g., boxes with buttons to push and turn, jack-in-the-boxes, spinning tops) and toys with moving parts (e.g., cars), and demonstrate how they work.
• Talk with the older infant to explain how something happened (e.g., “When you pulled the lever, the wheel went around!”)
• Provide a variety of sound instruments that respond when shaken, such as containers with rice or beans, maracas, bells, or shakers.
• Provide time and space for the older infant’s explorations with toys and materials.
• Respond positively to the older infant’s success in making something happen (e.g., clapping and saying, “You did it!”).

• Go around the back of a chair to get the toy car that rolled behind it instead of trying to follow the car’s path by squeezing underneath the chair.
• Use two hands to pick up a big truck, but only one hand to pick up a small one.
• Put a smaller nesting cup inside a larger cup after trying it the other way around.
• Choose a large cookie off the plate instead of a smaller one.
• Put the child-sized hat on his head and the larger hat on his dad’s head.
• Stack three nesting cups inside one another, after trying some combinations that do not work.
• Put one or two pegs into the pegboard.
• Roll a ball back and forth with an aunt.
• Fit pieces into a puzzle board.
• Try to fit a piece into the shape sorter and, when it does not fit, turn it until it fits.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Roll a car back and forth on the floor.
• Dump toys out of a container.
• Turn a toy to explore all sides to figure out how it works.
• Throw or drop a spoon or cup from the table and watch as it falls.
• Take rings off a stacking ring toy.
• Move over and between cushions and pillows on the floor.
• Crawl down a few carpeted stairs.
• See a ball roll under the couch and then reach under the couch.
• Stack one block on top of another one.
• Put one or two rings back onto the post of a stacking ring toy.
• Put the circle piece of a puzzle into the round opening, after trying the triangle opening and the square opening.

• Provide simple one piece knobbed puzzles with basic shapes, such as circle and square.
• Encourage the older infant to explore with nesting toys that fit into each other.
• Make a basic shape sorter by cutting an opening in the plastic lid of a recycled container. Give the older infant clean metal lids from frozen juice cans to drop into the opening.
• Provide small toys, blocks, and balls of various colors, shapes, sizes, and textures (e.g., wood, plastic, fabric, and vinyl) that the older infant can freely explore.
• Provide boxes for the older infant to fill with objects or try to fit their body into.
• Provide various sized containers for water and sand play.

• Imitate simple actions that she has observed adults doing; for example, take a toy phone out of a purse and say hello as a parent does.
• Pretend to sweep with a child-sized broom, just as a family member does at home.
• Rock the baby doll to sleep, just as a parent does with the new baby.
• Imitate using the toy hammer as a parent did.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Shrug shoulders after their grandpa does it.
• Imitate sounds or words immediately after their mother makes them.
• Copy the teacher in waving “bye-bye” to a parent as he leaves the room.
• Copy an adult’s action that is unfamiliar but that the child can see herself do, such as wiggling toes, even though it may take some practice before doing it exactly as the adult does.
• Watch the teacher squeeze a toy in the water table to make water squirt out, then try the same action.
• Imitate the hand motion of a family member.
• Point to or indicate an object, pay attention as an adult labels the object, and then try to repeat the label.

• Play games and do finger plays in which the older infant can follow your gestures or motions (e.g., “Where is your nose?” or “Where are your eyes?”).
• Sit on the floor and model placing toys in and out of a container. Ask the older infant to copy you.
• Provide household items or toys for the older infant to imitate adult behavior (e.g., plastic cups, bowls, and spoons; toy broom or lawn mower; dolls).
• Play simple interactive games that encourage the older infant to repeat actions (e.g., “Peek-a-Boo” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”).
• Comment on older infant’s attempts to copy the actions of another child (e.g., “You banged the blocks together too!”).

• Communicate “more” and point to a bowl of apple slices.
• Shake head “no” when offered more pasta.
• Make a big pile of trucks and a little pile of trucks.
• Use hand motions or words to indicate “All gone” when finished eating.
• Put three cars in a row.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Try to hold onto two toys with one hand while reaching for a third desired toy, even if not successful.
• Hold a block in each hand and bang them together.
• Put several pegs into a plastic container and then dump them into a pile.

• Provide choices (e.g., offering three different finger foods or two different books).
• Read board books with numbers.
• Sing songs with numbers (e.g., “Five Little Ducks” or “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”) showing the numbers with fingers.
• Include number references in conversation (e.g., “You have two eyes,” or “One, two, three, up you go!”).

• Look at the crayons before choosing a color.
• Choose usually to play with the blue ball even though there is a red one just like it.
• Pick the toy car from the bin filled with toy dishes.
• Pack the baby doll’s blanket, brush, bottle, and clothes into a backpack.
• Match two identical toys; for example, find another fire truck when the teacher asks, “Can you find a truck just like that one?”
• Place all toy cars on one side of the rug and all blocks on the other side.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Roll a car back and forth on the floor, then roll a ball.
• Use two items that go together; for example, brush a doll’s hair with a brush, put a spoon in a bowl, or use a hammer to an object.
• Put the red blocks together when their mother asks, “Which blocks go together?”

• Describe toys by their color or shape characteristics (e.g., “Look at the red truck,” or “This ball is round and rolls.”).
• Play matching games with the older infant.
• Encourage the older infant to match similar toys when putting them away in bins.
• Provide toys that encourage matching, such as shape sorters.

1. Use one object to represent another object.
2. Engage in one or two simple actions of pretend play.

• Pretend to drink from an empty cup by making slurping noises and saying “ah” when finished.
• Begin to engage in pretend play by using a play spoon to stir in the kitchen area.
• Pretend that the banana is a telephone by picking it up, holding it to the ear, and saying, “Hi!”
• Laugh at an older brother when he puts a bowl on his head like a hat.
• Imitate a few steps of adult behavior during play; for example, pretend to feed the baby doll with the toy spoon and bowl.
• Use a rectangular wooden block as a phone.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Use two items that go together; for example, brush a doll’s hair with brush, put a spoon in a bowl, or use a hammer to pound an object through a hole.
• Use objects in pretend play the way they were intended to be used; for example, pretend to drink coffee or tea from play coffee cup.

• Provide real and/or toy objects, such as a cup, spoon, or telephone for pretend play.
• Encourage the older infant’s use of materials in different ways, such as putting the blocks in a shoe box instead of the intended container (e.g., “You found a new container for the blocks!”).
• Talk with the older infant about objects, including different ways they can be used.
• Model a simple action with an object that isn’t a realistic replica or the real thing (e.g., pretend to drink from a seashell or feed a baby doll from a marker or cylindrical block).

• Pull the string of a pull toy to get it closer even when the toy gets momentarily stuck on something.
• Use the handle of a toy broom to dislodge a ball under the bookshelf.
• Bring a small stool over to reach a toy on top of a shelf, having observed an adult do it.
• Look at a plate of crackers that is out of reach and then look at a family member and communicate “more.”
• Hand a parent a puzzle piece that the child is having trouble with.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Crawl over a pile of soft blocks to get to the big red ball.
• Figure out how toys work by repeating the same actions over and over again.
• Pull the blanket in order to obtain the toy that is lying out of reach on top of the blanket.
• Crawl around the legs of a chair to get to the ball that rolled behind it.
• Keep turning an object around to find the side that makes it work, such as the reflective side of a mirror or the open side of a nesting cup.
• Try to hold on to two toys with one hand while reaching for a third desired toy, even if not successful.
• Unscrew the lid of a plastic jar to get items out of it.

• Support the older infant by helping him or her problem solve when things get too difficult (e.g., “You really want to get that puzzle piece in the puzzle. Let’s see what happens if we turn it this way.”).
• Encourage the older infant who is trying to solve problems (e.g., “You are working hard on that puzzle.”). Intervene only when a need for help is indicated by the older infant.
• Provide toys and activities that encourage the older infant to solve problems (e.g., shape sorters, simple one piece puzzles, stacking toys).
• Notice interests of the older infant and encourage further exploration (e.g., notice that the older infant is touching sticky contact paper, provide additional sticky items, such as tape. Later provide fabrics and natural items for the older infant to stick onto the contact paper or tape).

• Get a blanket from the doll cradle because that is where baby blankets are usually stored, after their mother says, “The baby is tired. Where’s her blanket?”
• Anticipate and participate in the steps of a nap routine.
• Watch the teacher placing a toy inside one of three pots with lids and reach for the correct lid when the teacher asks where the toy went.
• Continue to search for an object even though it is hidden under something distracting, such as a soft blanket or a crinkly piece of paper.
• See a photo of a close family member and say his name or hug the photo.
• Go to the cubby to get his blanket that is inside the diaper bag.

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Ask for a parent after morning drop-off.
• Reach into their grandpa’s pocket after watching him hide a toy there.
• Look or reach inside a container of small toys after seeing an adult take the toys off the table and put them in the container.
• Lift a scarf to search for a toy after seeing an aunt hide it under the scarf.

• Establish a daily schedule so the older infant can begin to anticipate routines.
• Comment when the older infant notices something new, such as eyeglasses, a hat, or a necklace on you or someone else.
• Provide consistent songs or fingerplays that link to a particular activity, such as the same song at naptime or the same fingerplay prior to lunchtime.
• Play repetitive games and fingerplays such as “Pat-a-Cake” or “Eensy Weensy Spider” using hand motions.

• Expect favorite songs to be sung the same way each time and protest if anyone changes the words.
• Insist on following the same bedtime routine every night.
• Nod and take the teacher’s hand when the teacher says, “I know you are sad because Shanti is using the book right now, and would like a turn. Shall we go to the book basket and find another one to read together?”

Behaviors leading up to indicator:

• Pay attention to a family member’s voice without being distracted by other noises in the room.
• Focus on one toy or activity for a while when really interested.

• Allow longer periods for playtime.
• Continue to read and sing familiar songs while adding books and songs with new words.
• Acknowledge the older infant’s attempts to say words. Provide correct words and add more information (e.g., “I think you want something to drink. Would you like milk or water?”)
• Observe the older infant and don’t interrupt if the older infant is involved in activities.

• Looks to familiar adults for assistance and guidance with managing actions and behavior.
• Follow simple routines with adult support.
• May try to calm himself by sucking on fingers or thumb when excited or distressed with minimal adult support.
• Demonstrate the beginnings of impulse control with adult support

• Identify, acknowledge, and support self-soothing behaviors (e.g., “Would you like to hold your blanket? That always seems to make you feel calmer.”).
• Respond to the older infant’s needs as soon as you can. Describe her feelings, what you are doing, and what will happen next in a soothing voice (e.g., “Are you hungry? After I put Jamal in his crib, I’ll get your bottle ready. Then we’ll sit together in the rocking chair while you drink.”).
• Prepare older infants for transitions between activities by giving a five-minute warning and letting them know what will happen next (e.g., that it will soon be time to clean up).
• Give older infants simple choices like, “You may have apple slices or orange.” Make sure the choices you offer are ones that are acceptable no matter which one he chooses.

• Point to chosen people, objects, or places, and initiates actions, such as looking for a favorite toy or bringing a book to an adult to read.
• Actively resists actions or items not wanted.
• Approaches new events, experiences with others, or materials with interest and curiosity, such as intently listening to a new song or examining new toys or materials.
• Show interest in what others are doing.
• Select desired object from several options.
• Begin to show curiosity/interest in new objects, experiences, and people.
• Ask questions about familiar objects, people, and experiences.
• Explore and manipulate familiar objects in the environment.

• Provide opportunities for children to explore using all their senses, encouraging them to react and move (e.g. invite toddlers to taste different varieties of apples).
• Watch and listen for clues (e.g., body movements, facial expressions, vocalizations, child approaching you) that reflect what children might be interested in.
• Provide an environment and materials that are safe for a child to explore support curiosity.
• Offer open-ended toys, like boxes and blocks, that can be physically manipulated in a variety of ways.
• Let older infants do things their own way.
• Encourage older infants to participate in routines as much as possible (e.g., pull up their pants when getting dressed).

• Finds new things to do with familiar, everyday objects, such as using a cooking pot for a hat or a spoon as a drumstick.
• Use objects for real or imagined purposes
• Uses sounds, gestures, signs, or words playfully through songs, finger plays, or games.

• Participate in play with the older infant, modeling positive social interactions such as taking turns.
• Provide props and open-ended objects to support imaginary play. For example, introduce objects that can be used to represent real-life items (e.g., using a small wooden block as a phone).
• Engage in pretend play with older infants by asking questions such as, “What happens next?” or “Oh look, here is a shell. I wonder if we can use this in our story?”
• Provide safe, engaging materials older infants can use for creative expression (e.g., simple rhythm instruments, scarves, crayons, chalk, finger paint, different types of paper to paint on, play dough, collage materials).