Young babies learn by imitation

 

Photo by Srinivasan Ramani 

Young babies only understand what you are doing in front of them by imitating you. They are born with this ability, so even very young babies can do it.

So, next time you play with a young baby, try this: Sit where the baby can see you. The effort may take several ten-minute sessions, so the baby should be comfortable and not distracted by movements nearby and sounds. Lifting your hands and the baby's hands once or twice in the beginning will show her where to look.

You need patience. Sometimes, I spend an hour getting the baby to imitate me the first time. It is easier later; the baby treats this as a game. Sticking your tongue out and having the baby imitate that is another challenge to try another day.

I once taught a baby girl to stick out her tongue. When her grandfather came home from work in the evening, the baby stuck out her tongue at him. She repeated this three or four times in fifteen minutes. The grandfather was worried, as he thought that something was wrong! Unfortunately, I did not know how to teach a grandfather not to worry!

Babies learn a lot by playing with us. You can dip your hand in cold water and touch the baby with that hand, saying “cold.” The baby may be unable to repeat the word unless she is approximately a year old or older. However, they seem to learn dozens of words before they can speak.

How can you show that a baby recognizes a word like “cold” even if she cannot say the word? Try saying the word and looking for a response from the baby!

Srinivasan Ramani