Home > Infant Stimulation > Cognition
Cognition
Precursor to Imitation - 3-5 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will vocalize to adult who is singing to her.
Immediately imitate the child’s sounds after she makes them. If the child continues to vocalize, pat her and smile at her.
Sing to the child during the day, trying to establish good eye contact with her.
*Hearing Impaired: Continue to sing to the child using exaggerated mouth movements, such as smiling broadly or raising your voice slightly.
*Motorically Involved: Note whether the child vocalizes more in certain positions than others. Use this as a preferred position for vocal play but try to maintain eye contact.
*Visually Impaired: Handle the child in a way she enjoys (i.e., cuddling, bouncing), reinforcing tactually as well as vocally. Direct her face toward yours.
Precursor to Imitation - 3-5 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will repeat a random activity that has produced an interesting effect.
Tie bells to the child’s hands and feet. Move her arms and legs so that the bells ring. The sound will reward her, and she will continue the movement.
Place a small set of maracas in the child’s hands. Help her move so the rattle will make a noise. Encourage imitation.
Hold out a tambourine and help the child hit it with her hand. Encourage and reward imitation.
Hang musical mobiles above the crib so that they will move and make sounds if the child shakes her crib. Encourage the child to watch the movement and to repeat her activity.
*Hearing Impaired: Use instrument which make loud sounds and are brightly colored or sparkle and reflect light (i.e., aluminum foil, mirrors, bangles).
*Visually Impaired: Use a variety of musical instruments.
Early Play - 3-5 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will combine 2 actions.
Place a musical instrument in the child’s hands when the child is not looking at her hand. Help her move the instrument into view or turn her head so that he can explore the instrument not only by grasping it but also by looking at it.
Stand out of sight of the child and sing her name or shake a bell. If the child does not find you by turning her head, move into her view. Be sure that you are within her range of hearing.
Hold a bell where the child can see it. Hold it within her reach. Help her grasp the bell by placing it in her hand until she reaches directly for it.
Object Permanence - 3-5 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will look at the place where a moving object has just disappeared.
Hold the child on your lap. Drop a musical instrument with which the child has been playing on the floor. Preferably, the instrument should make a sound as it falls and hits the floor. Snap your fingers and show the child your empty hand. Ask, “Where did it go?” Help the child turn and look for the instrument.
Set up a barrier or tunnel. Slowly move a musical ball behind it. Call the child’s attention to the disappearance of the ball and then make it reappear. Encourage the child to seek the ball.
*Visually Impaired: Help the child locate the ball with her hands.
Object Permanence - 6-8 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will uncover a partially hidden object.
Use a cloth to partially cover an instrument in which the child is very interested. Ask her, “Where is the bell?” and help him remove the cover. When she can remove the cover herself, hide more and more of the instrument until just a very small portion is still showing.
Use a tambourine to partially cover a bell in which the child is very interested. Ask her, “Where is the bell?” and help her move the tambourine to uncover the bell. When she can move the tambourine herself, hide more and more of the bell until just a very small portion is still showing.
*Hearing Impaired: Use consistent gestures and facial expressions to ask the question, “Where?”, while continuing to talk to the child.
*Motorically Involved: If the child cannot move the covering or tambourine, hold a piece of paper in front of part of the instrument so the child can just knock it away to reveal the instrument.
*Visually Impaired: Substitute a sound direction activity. Encourage the child to search for a sound object immediately after the sound has ceased.
Beginning Causality - 6-8 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will act to have you repeat a pleasurable interaction or game.
Sing to the child or play pat-a-cake. Stop abruptly and wait to see whether she makes a noise or moves to have you do it again. If she does not, say “Want me to do it again? Show me!” and let her help touch your hands.
Wind up a music box. When the music has stopped, help the child touch either you or the toy before you repeat the activity.
Spatiality/Object Permanence - 6-8 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will anticipate position of moving objects by looking for them as they are dropped or obstructed from view.
Drop a puppet that does not make noise on the floor. Help the child search for the object singing, “Where is the puppet” to the tune of “Where is thumbkin”. Give it to the child. Pick the puppet off the floor and repeat the game until the child automatically looks to the floor.
Move the puppet through a tunnel or behind a screen, again singing “Where is the puppet?” Direct the child’s attention to the place where the puppet will reappear. Let her reach for it and play with it. Repeat the game. Reward the child’s successes.
*Motorically Involved: If the child cannot reach and grasp, help her visually search by turning her head in the right direction. Reward her by your smiles, saying good girl, and by hugging her when she looks in the right place.
*Visually Impaired: Substitute a sound-directed reaching activity. Using an instrument, make the change in the instrument’s position obvious by shaking it in its original position and then in its final position. Help the child search for the instrument with her hands.
Imitation - 6-8 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will imitate a familiar hand motion or sound.
Clap your hands. If the child does not imitate, move the child’s hands through the action.
Sing consonant-vowel or single vowel sounds (i.e., mama, papa, dada, baba, aaah, oooh). When the child repeats a sound, smile and repeat it back. Repeat 2 more times and then switch to a new sound and repeat the activity.
*Hearing Impaired: Make sure the child can watch your mouth when you talk to her or hen you make noises, if this is consistent with the chosen alternative communication system.
*Motorically Involved: Choose a motion which the child can do that is simpler than those suggested (i.e., open and close hand or wave arm).
*Visually Impaired: Move the child’s hand through the motion so his hands com in contact with each other or another part of her body. For example, help him clap his hands, pat his legs, pat his stomach, or pat his head. Ask the child to imitate and encourage him to repeat the same action.
Let the child feel your mouth when you make sounds.
Imitation/Causality - 6-8 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will immediately repeat an action for the effect that she has just observed.
Beat a drum or ring a bell. If the child imitates, reinforce him immediately. If he does not, help him perform the activity and gradually decrease your assistance.
*Motorically Involved: Position the child so that she can best use her hands an not have to control her trunk. She may be placed over a bolster or in a sitting position if she is well supported in a 3-sided chair.
Causality - 9-12 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will pull a string or stick to attain an object.
Tie a bell to one end of a string and tie the child’s wrist to the other. Demonstrate pulling on the string to get the object. Encourage imitation
Demonstrate the use of a musical toy which plays music when a string is pulled. Help the child pull until he gets the idea. Decrease assistance as the child gains skill.
Tie an instrument to a string and show the child how to get it. Be sure the instrument is out of reach and that the string is near the child. Encourage imitation.
NOTE: Tie a large wooden bead to the end of the string opposite the instrument. This may make it easier for the child to hold on to the string and pull it.
*Visually Impaired: Make sure the instrument at the end of the string make a sound when it is moved.
Play - 9-12 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will examine an object with sustained eye contact, by turning it over, by feeling it, and my manipulating all parts of it.
Show the child the clapper in the bell. Help her poke with his finger in order to feel it. Encourage her to do so spontaneously.
Give the child musical instruments which are easily handled and which have parts to them (for example, a triangle). Show the child how to manipulate the instrument and encourage imitation.
*Visually Impaired: Substitute a sound activity such as investigating a drum and a drumstick, a bell and a clapper , or a triangle and a stick.
Object Permanence - 9-12 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will find a musical instrument that is completely covered.
Encourage the child to watch you hide a musical instrument under a cloth. Use a soft cloth so the instrument forms a lump under the cloth. Ask the child to find the toy. Assist her when necessary.
Hide the musical instrument under formed, opaque containers, such as small boxes. Ask the child to find the toy. Assist when necessary.
Wrap a musical instrument in a cloth. Have the child unwrap the cloth to find the instrument. Reward her by letting him play it.
Show the child a bell. Hide it in your hand, behind your back, or in a pocket. Ask her where it has gone and help her search for it. Decrease assistance as she gains skill.
Hide an instrument under 2 or 3 cloths so the child has to remove all of them to find the instrument.
*Hearing Impaired: Use gestures to indicate, “Where is it” and “All gone”, as well as speak the words, if this is consistent with the chosen alternative communication system.
*Motorically Involved: Hold a piece of cardboard in front of a musical instrument so that the child just has to knock it down to find the instrument if he does not have the motor control to use his hands for grasping.
*Visually Impaired: Substitute a sound location game.
Imitation - 9-12 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will try to imitate a sound or action that is new to her.
Sing a new sound (i.e., sh or f or t or k). Encourage the child to imitate you and reward her if she does.
Demonstrate how to play a new instrument and repeat several times. If the child attempts to imitate you, help him complete the motion.
*Visually Impaired: Tap your fingers rhythmically in the child’s hand. Offer your hand for the child to do the same thing to you. Put the child’s hands over yours when you drum your fingers rhythmically. Encourage the child to try it on her own.
Spatiality - 9-12 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will retrieve an object that has been placed behind a barrier.
Show the child a musical instrument. Place something such as a small pillow, between the child and the instrument so that the child must move it to get her instrument. Help her move the obstacle if she has difficulty doing so.
Have the child watch you hide a desired musical instrument behind a barrier (large book or a cookie sheet). If the child does not immediately reach for it, show her how to knock down the barrier or to move so she can reach behind it to get the toy. Tell her you have the musical toy behind the barrier.
Have the child watch you hide a musical instrument behind your back and encourage her to retrieve the musical instrument.
*Visually Impaired: Use a loud musical instrument to help the child locate the object. If she does not move the barrier, help the child feel the obstruction that is in the way and help her move it. Encourage her to keep trying.
Representational Thought - 9-12 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will show that she anticipates an event from clues in her environment.
Call the child’s attention to sounds that precede an event by having her listen to noises that give clues about the next event. For example, a doorbell may indicate that someone is at the door; a lullaby may indicate that it is bedtime.
Object Constency - 13-18 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will find an object hidden under 1 of 3 containers on the first attempt.
Position the child so she can watch you hide a musical instrument under 1 of 3 small boxes which are lined up in a row. When she finds it, let her play with it.
Move the hiding place to a different piece of cloth. Draw the child’s attention to the place where you hid it. Initially the child will search under the first hiding place. Help her to look under the appropriate covering.
Continue to play the game until the child goes immediately to the appropriate hiding place.
*Motorically Involved: Spread pieces of cloth farther apart. Have the child just look under the cloth where the instrument is hidden if she cannot remove the instrument herself. Positively reinforce her success.
*Visually Impaired: Encourage the child to search for and find musical instruments when they are sounded and then placed in different locations within reaching distance of the child.
Spatiality - 13-18 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will stack objects above confines of supporting container.
Give the child an opportunity to practice dumping and filling a basket with musical instruments so she learns that one object can be used as a container for others.
Have the child assist you in picking up several musical instruments and placing them in a basket. Show her that the instruments are stacked very high and above the rim of the basket.
Give the child several musical instruments to place in a basket. Tell her to place all of the instruments in the basket. If she stops when the instruments are level with the top of the basket, help her place them all in the basket so they are higher than the brim.
*Visually Impaired: First, help the child to feel the size of the container. Then, help her to feel how high the stack can become above the container and still be held in the container.
Spatiality - 13-18 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will correctly invert a picture that is handed to her upside down.
Use realistic pictures of familiar instruments. When the child recognizes a picture, hand it to her upside down. Help her invert it if she does not do it on her own. Explain “That’s upside down! Turn it over.”
Repeat using a small book containing pictures of musical instruments.
Use black and white line drawings and repeat the game.
*Motorically Involved: The child who does not have use of her hands may tip her head to indicate she recognizes the picture is upside down.
Visually Impaired: Let the child feel the musical instruments to aid her to develop a sense of right-side up.
Causality - 13-18 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will use a stick as a tool to pull an object towards her.
Put a desired musical instrument on a diaper so that the instrument is out of the child’s reach. Demonstrate pulling the diaper to retrieve the instrument. If the child does not immediately try it, help the child pull the diaper to retrieve the instrument.
Tie a musical instrument to a string and demonstrate pulling the string to bring the instrument close to you. Encourage the child to imitate. Begin with a short cord, and then lengthen it. Be sure the child is interested at the end of the string and not just the string.
Place a musical instrument out of the child’s reach. Demonstrate reaching with a stick to pull the instrument closer. If the child does not imitate this activity, help her move through the actions until she is successful.
*Visually Impaired: Guide the child’s hands as you help her reach out to pull the sorce of the sound closer.
Spatiality/ Causality - 13-18 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will turn a container over to remove an object that is inside
(indicates understanding of gravity).
Demonstrate for the child how to tip over a basket to remove musical instruments from it. Give the basket to the child and let her experiment. If the child chooses to reach into the basket instead of turning it over, saying “turn it over” and help her do it. Decrease assistance until she is retrieving the instruments spontaneously.
*Visually Impaired: Help the child feel the basket. Call her attention to the opening. Use instruments which will make sounds when they fall out.
Object Permanence - 19-23 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will find a musical instrument which she sees being hidden in one container and then moved and hidden under a second container.
Hold a bell in your hand. Show it to the child. While she is watching, close your hand over it. Slip your hand under a basket or cloth, hiding the instrument. Remove your hand, open it and show the child that the instrument is gone. Ask her to find it. If she cannot find it, help her, saying “Here it is!”
Hide a musical instrument in your hand or in a small box. Then hide it under 1 of 3 larger containers. The child should first look in your hand and then under the container.
Hide a musical instrument in your hand and move it under all three containers. Leave it under one of the containers. Encourage the child to find the instruments. Repeat the game, hiding the instrument under a different container.
NOTE: In this last activity the child should start to search along the path the object was seen to take. Later the child should systematically be able to reverse the order of the search and look under the last container first.
*Motorically Involved: Place the containers several inches apart. If the child does not have use of her hands she can eyepoint.
*Visually Impaired: The child will locate the instrument by tracking it’s sound.
Imitation - 19-23 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will immediately and exactly imitate body motions, sounds and words.
Play singing games in which body motions (i.e., wiggle fingers, stamp feet, pat head) are used and are changed quickly. Encourage imitation.
Use puppets, toy animals, or pictures of animals as you sing “Old MacDonald”. Encourage the child to imitate animal sounds.
Have the child repeat after you the names of the musical instruments with which she is familiar (i.e., bell, stick, drum).
Spatiality/ Object Permanence - 19-23 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will move immediately to retrieve a ball that has been rolled out of sight.
Roll a musical ball under a small table that has a blanket draped over it. Show the child. Show the child that the ball is not under the table and direct her attention to where the ball has come out. Help her move around the table to find the ball
*Hearing Impaired: Use gestures for “all gone” and “where is it?” as you say these, if this is consistent with the chosen communication system.
*Visually Impaired: Substitute a sound-location activity. If the child is mobile, roll a bell-ball away from him and encourage her to go after it.
Matching - 24-29 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will match up a pair of like object from a group of several different objects.
Use a group of 8 to 10 musical instruments that contain 4 to 5 pairs that are exactly alike. Keep one of each instrument, and give the child the others. After she has had a chance to explore the instruments, name each instrument for her. Show her one of yours and ask her to show you the one of hers that matches it or looks just like it. If she has difficulty, pick up one instrument at a time and say “they do not match” or “they are different”. When she makes a match, set them down as a pair and reemphasize the word match, goes with or same. For example, say “Now I have two matching bells!”
Repeat this activity, giving the child the instruments and ask her to give you the matching pairs. Say the names of the instruments when she gives them to you.
NOTE: The object of this activity is for the child to match by using visual and tactile clues rather than by responding to the names of the instruments.
*Visually Impaired: Allow the child to match objects by feeling them. Initially use objects of different textures. The sounds of the instruments will also serve as clues.
Matching - 24-29 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will match colors.
Give the child a xylophone with colored keys. Show her a piece of construction paper that matches the colors by placing the blue piece of construction paper on the blue key. Tell the child, “They match because they look alike; they are both blue.” Hand her a colored piece of paper and ask her to match it. If the child is having difficulty, go through each unmatched block and ask the child if the one she is trying to match goes with it. Allow her to respond by saying “no” or shaking her head. Name the colors. Ask the child to find a specific color.
Give the child a xylophone with keys that are different colors. Show her a piece of construction paper that matches the colors of the keys. Ask her to watch as you match the colors of the paper with the color of the keys without structuring the task as in the first activity.
A set of colored bells, with each bell being a different color, may be used in place of construction paper if the colors of the bells match the colors of the xylophone keys.
Representational Thought - 24-29 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will pretend to be engaged in familiar activities.
Sing action songs in which the child pretends to be engaged in various activities; washing hands, ironing cloths, mowing the lawn, eating a sandwich or sleeping.
Numerosity - 24-29 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will select one item from a group when asked for just one.
Sing songs and say rhythmic chants in which the child counts to five by counting her fingers, toes, rhythm sticks, and other objects.
Sing songs in which one is used as a modifier to describe something familiar. For example, sing about having one nose, one mouth, or one glass of milk. Also use actions to go with the song by having the child hold up one finger to indicate the number one. Encourage imitation.
In counting songs and rhythmic games, emphasize the number one. Encourage the child to use the word one.
Sing songs that ask the child to show you one finger, give you one rhythm stick, or perform other tasks to indicate understanding of the number one. Gently correct the child if she brings more than one finger up in the air or gives you more than one rhythm stick. For example, say “I only need one” as you turn down her extra fingers or put back the extra sticks.
Numerosity - 24-29 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will select the biggest or smallest from a group of similar objects.
Using musical instruments with obvious size differences, give 2 or 3 instruments to the child. Ask her to give you the bigger or biggest one.
Give the child a group of instruments which are less different in size. Ask the child to give you the biggest one from a group of four or five. If the child selects the wrong one, help her compare the one she gave you with the one that is the biggest. Continue going through the instruments, asking for the biggest one.
Repeat the above activities, but ask for the smallest one in the group.
Interchange asking for the biggest and smallest and repeat the above activities.
*Visually Impaired: Help the child feel the differences by running her hands over both objects, by nesting them, and putting them next to each other. Omit 2-dimensional items until the child is very successful with 3-dimensional objects.
Auditory Memory - 30-35 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will repeat two numbers.
Tell the child to sing two unrelated words after you (i.e., bell and hat). Make a game of it and use a variety of two-word combinations.
Tell the child to imitate singing two numbers that are not in sequence, such as eight and four. Repeat this activity with several numbers.
NOTE: The child is not ready for this task unless she is using two- to three- word combinations in her speech.
Matching - 30-35 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will match shapes.
Sing “Triangle, Circle and Square”, using 3-dimensional shapes to go with the words to the song. When the child is able to sort these shapes without having to use trial and error, try presenting her with flat shapes and see if she can sort out all the triangles, all the squares and all the circles. Assist the child if she needs help. Verbally explain that these shapes match. Place two matching shapes on top of each other and allow the child to finish matching the remaining shapes.
*Visually Impaired: Initially use 3-dimentional, textured objects such as tennis balls, small boxes, and pyramidal blocks. Do not use 2-dimensional cut outs until the child is successful with 3- dimensional objects.
Matching - 30-35 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will match shapes that have been drawn on paper.
Sing “Triangle, Circle, and Square”, using shapes that have been drawn on paper as props for the words to the song. Help the child match two pictures of shapes.
NOTE: This is an important pre-academic activity. If the child has difficulty, outline the shapes with heavy marking pens or begin with templates (stencils).
*Visually Impaired: Substitute tactile activities. Begin with templates and manipulate the child’s fingers along the edges of the shape. Next make raised drawings by gluing pipe cleaners or yarn around the shape drawn on a piece of cardboard.
Causality - 30-35 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will point to a familiar object (i.e., spoon, cup, ball, book) when told its use.
Give the child a group of objects. Allow him to explore and look at them. Sing a song in which the child is asked to show what she uses to eat dinner. If the child does not readily identify the spoon, begin eliminating objects. For example, say, “Do we eat with a book? No!” until you come to the spoon. Then say, “Yes, we eat with the spoon!” and pretend to eat with the spoon, as you sing the phrase. Continue the song by asking for the names of other objects after identifying the function of each object. Gradually expand the number and variety of objects so that the child becomes accustomed to hearing the function of the object as well as its name.
Sing the song using more abstract objects such as a toy car, a doll’s baby bottle. Ask the child to point out objects that look like the one which takes her for a ride. If she has difficulty, point out the toy car, naming it and saying, “We ride in a car.” Repeat the activity, using other objects. Encourage the child to imitate you.
*Hearing Impaired: Use sings and symbols that are consistent with thww alternative communication system.
*Visually Impaired: Ask the child to reach for or give you the appropriate item when you identify its function.
Sorting - 30-35 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will sort sets of objects that are completely different from each other.
Give the child 2 sets of instruments that have been mixed-up (i.e., tone bells and rhythm sticks) and 2 containers (i.e., 1 basket and 1 box). Place one of each instrument in a separate container. Then hand the child one of the instruments and help her match her instrument with the one that goes with it in the container. Gradually decrease your assistance in this task.
Use tambourines that are two sizes. Help the child sort by size (i.e., big or little).
Visual Memory 30-35 mos.
Short term Goal: Child will reproduce a sequence.
Set out different rhythm instruments in a row. Tell the child to make a row like yours underneath yours. When the child gets the idea of matching the sequence, have her try to match a sequence by placing her instruments next to yours. Start with three instruments and gradually increase the number.
Repeat the first activity, allowing the child to create her own pattern and then reproduce them herself.
*Visually Impaired: Guide the child’s hands along the sequence. Count and describe the item for her. Help her to reproduce the sequence. Decrease assistance as she gains skills.
Visual Memory 30-35 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will find an object which is shown to her and then hidden.
Gather 2 identical groups of instruments such as tambourines, bells, rhythm sticks, maracas, and triangles. Allow the child to look over each instrument. Cover one of the sets of instruments with a cloth or a shoe box. Select one instrument and show it to the child. Then return it to the group. Ask the child to name the instrument, or point to the similar instrument in the second group. Repeat this with each instrument.
Give the child familiar instruments which she knows by name (i.e., drum, bell, shaker, and stick). Tell her to look them over carefully because you are going to hide one. Take one instruments while the child is not looking then ask her to look. See if the child can name the missing instrument. If the child does not name the instrument correctly, praise her for trying and have her try again.
*Visually Impaired: Encourage the child to handle several instruments. Take one from the group and encourage her to handle the remaining 2 instruments. Ask her to tell you which one is missing.