Video Transcript

Narrator: The Cognitive Development domain includes the strand Imitation and Symbolic Thinking. In the first four months, infants notice what their caregivers do and sometimes imitate their caregivers’ actions and sounds.

Example 1

Text on screen: Coos back-and-forth in response to others

On screen: 3-month-old Zoe lies on her back on a blanket and looks up at her mother sitting with her. Zoe smiles and vocalizes in response to her mom’s playful vocalizations.

Mother: (trilling) Ahh, goo. Ahh goo. (trilling)

Zoe: (vocalizing)

Mother: Sí! (laughing and trilling) Sí!

Example 2

Text on screen: Imitates caregivers’ facial expressions

On screen: 2-month-old Sana’s father holds her upright in his lap, her back to his chest. Her mother sits next to them. Sana looks up at her father, who is looking down at her. He playfully sticks his tongue out at her.

Father: Pah! Pah!

On screen: Sana smiles, opens her mouth, and sticks out her tongue, imitating her father.

Mother: (laughing) Sticking out your tongue.

On screen: Sana looks at her mother smiling, then she looks at her father as he sticks out his tongue again. With her mouth open, Sana continues moving her tongue in and out.

Father: Mah. Leh.

Father and Mother: (laughing)

Father: Blaah.

Mother: Wow, look at you sticking out your tongue.

Father: Blah.

Mother: Yeah. That’s your tongue. Mlah.

On screen: Sana continues to look at her dad’s face and stick out her tongue.

Example 3

Text on screen: Explores objects by looking and listening

On screen: 4-month-old Anaya sits in her grandmother’s lap on the floor. She looks at and listens to a toy rattle her grandmother holds in front of her. Anaya follows the rattle as her grandmother shakes and moves it.