To Think About:

How does Isaiah show interest in this toy?

How does Idara encourage Isaiah’s curiosity during this play experience?

What thinking skills might Isaiah be using?

What the Experts Say About This Interaction

What Isaiah does:

• Follows the pompom with his eyes, moving his head to watch it shake and bob.

• Makes sounds and moves his arms and legs to show his interest in the pompom.

• Reaches for the pompom to touch this interesting, new object.

What Idara does:

• Engages Isaiah with an interesting object.

• Builds his curiosity by moving it in different ways so he can follow it with his eyes (tracking), and by encouraging Isaiah to touch it.

• Moves the pompom lower so it is within Isaiah’s reach, allowing him to be successful when reaching for it.

• Talks to Isaiah while playing—giving him time to respond. This lets him know that what he has to say is important. It also teaches him about the back and forth of conversation.

Think About How Your Child Is Learning These Skills

How is your child developing thinking skills through her everyday interactions with you? Here are some questions to think about:

• How does your child like to explore the world around him? Does he prefer to use his fingers and hands to figure out how things work, or does he like to be on the move, using his large muscles (arms and legs) to explore?

• What kinds of activities does your child seek out and truly enjoy? Why do you think he prefers these activities?

Think about a recent playtime with your child.

• What was he exploring?

• How did he go about his exploration?

• What do you think he was learning?

• Did you participate in his play? If so, how? What impact did you participation have?