Respond to familiar faces, voices, or simple sign language by looking or making eye contact.
Briefly pay attention to the same object the caregiver is looking at.
Communicate nonverbally by repeatedly using actions to let adults know what they want (reach out arms to ask to be held).
Respond to simple requests (“Do you want more?”) with sounds, actions, or simple sign language.
Engage in turn-taking during social and vocal play with adults and other children (babbling, imitating facial expressions).
Make different sounds and actions for different purposes (coo to gain someone’s attention, whimper when wet, cry loudly when hungry).
"Babble" and pretend to talk using many sounds or simple sign language from the languages used around them.
Make specific sounds, facial expressions, and/or gestures for certain people and objects.
Imitate sounds, words, and gestures.
Recognize spoken or signed words used for common items, people, and actions.
Pat and chew on cloth, plastic, and board books.
Look at pictures of faces and simple objects in books and other print media.
Listen to simple and repetitive books, stories, and songs.
Show recognition or delight when caregiver reads a familiar story or sings a familiar song.
Explore books and paper by tasting, mouthing, crumpling, banging, and patting.
Look at pictures while cuddling with caregiver.
Imitate and take turns with caregivers making different sounds.
Explore and play with sounds by themselves and with others (make “raspberries” and other sounds).
Emerging as they show interest or enjoyment in books with familiar rhymes and sounds ("Wheels on the Bus" book, animal or transportation sounds).
Make random marks with safe, simple writing tools with the support of an adult.
Watch as others write and draw.
Emerging as infants listen to the sounds of their home language and other languages they hear.