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Infant/Toddler Language Development

Language Development and the Responsive Process

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Take a few minutes and write a response to this question:

What does the word “cognition” mean to you?

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Cognition has to do with how we organize what we know, or how we think.

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Vygotsky regarded language as a critical bridge between the sociocultural world and individual mental functioning; he viewed the acquisition of language as the most significant milestone in children’s cognitive development.

Scaffolding Children’s Learnin“g: Vygotsky and Early Childhood Education” (Berk and Winsler, 1995).

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Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Reflect on the process of being present with the child in the moment by practicing responsiveness through verbal and nonverbal interactions.

• Explain how being a responsive care teacher helps infants and toddlers feel that what they do has meaning in the world and that their actions have a predictable affect on the environment.

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Learning Objectives (continued)

Participants will be able to:

• Explain how the responsive care teacher is able to perceive an infant’s signals (watch), understand what they mean (ask), and then respond contingently, appropriately, and promptly (adapt).

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Elements of Responsiveness

• Contingency– the adult’s action depends on or occurs in reaction to the infant’s action.

• Appropriateness – the adult’s action is conceptually related to the infant’s action and tries to fulfill the infant’s need.

• Promptness – the adult’s action follows the infant’s action closely in time (so that the infant learns to associate the two).

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Jigsaw Activity

• Select a recorder and spokesperson for your group.

• Read your assigned section of the article and answer the following questions:1. What were the key points in the section that

you read?2. What did you read that will be helpful to you in

being a more responsive caregiver?3. How can you share this information with

families?

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BREAK

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The Responsive Process

Watch

AskAdapt

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Video Debrief

Select a partner and discuss the following:

• How did the caregiver in the video practice being responsive?

• How were her responses contingent, appropriate and prompt?

• How does being a responsive caregiver help facilitate cognitive and language development?

• Are you practicing the responsive process already? If yes, how?

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Responsive Care Scenarios

• Read and discuss the scenario.

• As a group, answer the following questions for your scenario:

• Were the caregivers’ responses contingent, appropriate, and prompt? Give examples?

• How did the infant communicate with the caregiver?

• What was the infant trying to communicate?

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Summary• Through being responsive,

infants/toddlers learn that their behavior has an effect on the world and that they can control their environment in predictable ways.

• As they mature, they learn that facial expressions, gestures, and other vocalizations get them the same response as crying once did.

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Where is Baby? Where is Baby? Where is Baby? (Hold up little finger of

right hand) Here I am. Here I am. (Hold up little finger of left hand) It’s so good to see you. (Little fingers touch) It’s so good to see you. Come back soon. Come back soon. (Put behind back

one at a time)

Additional verses:Where is mommy.. (Hold up pointer finger)Where is daddy…..(Hold up thumb)Where is sister……(Hold up middle finger)Where is brother….(Hold up ring finger)