Infancy

The infancy stage is birth through twelve months. During this time, brain development is rapid, sensory exploration becomes a primary way infants with their environment, and social-emotional attachment to caregivers begins to form. 

Social Emotional Development in Infants 

Infants and toddlers express a range of emotions. By six weeks, infants give dazzling social smiles to familiar, loving caregivers who feel deeply the joy of those smiles. Babies by three to four months also give facial/emotional signals and cries of distress, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, pain, and anger (Honig & Wittmer, 2017). 

Social/Emotional Milestones

0-3 Months:

  • Recognizes familiar faces.
  • Makes basic facial expressions.
  • Shows interest in sounds.
  • Can hold their head up during tummy time.

3-6 Months:

  • Begins to express emotions.
  • Self-sooths (for example, by sucking fingers).
  • Communicates through cooing, crying, and babbling.
  • Can roll from tummy to back.

6-9 Months:

  • Starts responding to their name.
  • Shows strong attachment to caregivers.
  • Sits without support.
  • Starts teething.

9-12 Months: 

  • Begins to crawl.
  • Shows preferences between toys, food, and people.
  • Begins to pull themselves up using furniture.
  • Can say simple words (for example, "mama" or "dada").

 

 

Learning Activities 

Sensory Exploration: 

  • Teachers can set up a texture wall for infants to explore through touch. It can include materials such as bubble wrap, fur, Velcro, and sandpaper. This allows infants to become familiar with different textures while also building fine motor skills. Sensory activities can support emotional regulation by helping infants experience different sensations. 

Tummy Time

  • Tummy time is a great social-emotional activity that builds face-to-face bonds and helps infants build physical strength. During this activity, infants rely on their caregivers and often experience different emotions, such as frustration, when trying to hold themselves up or roll over. Teachers can provide encouragement while infants practices these movements. This interaction also builds trust and confidence.