Foundation: Perceptual Development

For example, the child may:

• Look at an object in her hand, mouth it, and then take it out to look at it again. (6–9 mos.; Ruff and Kohler 1978)

• Hear the infant care teacher’s footsteps in the darkened nap room and turn his head to try to look for her. (6–9 mos.; Ruff and Kohler 1978)

• Show excitement upon recognizing the color of a favorite food that is offered on a spoon. (6–9 mos.; Reardon and Bushnell 1988)

For example, the child may:

• Adjust the way he is walking depending on the type of surface; for example, walking slowly on rocks and faster on pavement. (12–18 mos.; Fogel 2001, 333)

• Choose to sit on her bottom and slide down a steep hill rather than walk down it. (12–18 mos.; Adolph, Eppler, and Gibson 1993)

• Sway back and forth to the beat of a song while standing up.

• Pull hands away from the sensory table, which is filled with an unfamiliar slimy substance.

• Spend a lot of time in the sandbox, burying a hand underneath a pile of sand.

• Stop pouring sand into a bucket that is already full.

For example, the child may:

• Identify a blanket or other familiar objects just by touching them. (30–36 mos.; Parks 2004)

• Identify a truck when she feels it buried underneath the sand. (30–36 mos.; Parks 2004, 17)

• Watch the lines that she makes with a marker on the paper. (Freeman 1980)

• Climb more slowly as he reaches the top of the ladder.

• Press harder on a clump of clay than on play dough.

• Watch a family member draw a circle and then try to do it. (24–36 mos.; Stiles 1995)

• Walk more slowly and carefully when carrying an open cup of milk than when carrying a cup with a lid.

Behaviors leading up to the foundation (4 to 7 months)

During this period, the child may:

• Have a range of vision that is several feet. (By 4 mos.; American Academy of Pediatrics 2004, 207)

• Experience the sensation of being touched, and then search for the object or person. (4–6 mos.; Parks 2004, 11)

• Listen to the sounds that family members use while talking in the home language, and use these same sounds while babbling. (4–6 mos.; Parks 2004, 11)

• Startle when hearing a loud noise. (By 4 mos.; American Academy of Pediatrics 2004, 209)

• Kick feet while lying in the crib, feel the crib shake, and then kick feet again. (By 4 mos.; American Academy of Pediatrics 2004, 209)

• Recognize an object as something she has seen before, even while looking at it from a different perspective. (By 4 mos.; Fogel 2001, 252)

• Notice the difference between different songs that the infant care teacher sings. (By 6 mos.; Fogel 2001, 252)

• Look confused upon hearing sounds that do not fit with the motions observed (for example, hearing a squeaking noise while seeing a rattle move). (By 6 mos.; Fogel 2001, 252)

• Explore objects with the mouth. (By 7 mos.; American Academy of Pediatrics 2004, 208)

• See different colors. (By 7 mos.; American Academy of Pediatrics 2004, 208)

• See things from a distance. (By 7 mos.; American Academy of Pediatrics 2004, 208)

• Track moving objects with both eyes together. (By 7 mos.; American Academy of Pediatrics 2004, 208)

Behaviors leading up to the foundation (9 to 17 months)

During this period, the child may:

• Nuzzle his face into a freshly washed blanket to smell it. (6–12 mos.; Parks 2004)

• Show recognition of sounds, such as the mother’s footsteps, water running in the bathtub, or the refrigerator door being opened. (18 mos.; Meisels and others 2003, 38)

• Pat, push, mound, and squeeze play dough, experiencing all the ways it can be used. (18 mos.; Meisels and others 2003, 37)

• Explore pegboard holes with a finger, then look around for something to fit in the holes. (18 mos.; Meisels and others 2003, 37)

• Enjoy messy activities or show a dislike for messy activities. (12–18 mos.; Parks 2004, 14)

• React to various sensations, such as extremes in temperature and taste. (12–18 mos.; Parks 2004, 14–15)

• Crumple and tear paper. (7–9 mos.; Parks, 2004, 26)

• Stop crawling when he reaches the edge of the couch. (By the time most infants are crawling; Walk and Gibson 1961)

• Be able to remember where toys are stored in the classroom because she has crawled by them before. (By the time most infants are crawling; Bai and Bertenthal 1992; Campos and Bertenthal, 1989)

Behaviors leading up to the foundation (19 to 35 months)

During this period, the child may:

• Enjoy rough-and-tumble play. (18–24 mos.; Parks 2004, 16)

• Handle fragile items carefully. (24–26 mos.; Parks 2004, 16)

• Enjoy tactile books, such as books with faux fuzzy animal fur. (24–29 mos.; Parks 2004, 17)

• Play with sand and water by filling up buckets, digging, and pouring water. (24–36 mos.; Parks 2004, 17)