Video Transcript

Narrator: The Language Development domain includes the strand Attending and Understanding. In the first four months, infants attend to their caregivers’ language, vocalizations, facial expressions, and gestures. They also attend to sounds in their environment.

Example 1

Text on screen: Attends to caregivers’ facial expressions

On screen: 2-month-old Stella watches her mother’s face closely while drinking from a bottle.

Stella: (vocalizing)

Mother: Stella. Hi. What are you doing? Hi, baby. Hello, pretty girl. Yeah.

On screen: Stella briefly turns her gaze away from her mother then returns to watching her mother’s face.

Mother: Hi. That a good bottle?

Example 2

Text on screen: Attends to a familiar person’s voice

On screen: 1-month-old Amara is curled up on her mother’s chest. Her eyes are open as she listens to her mother’s voice.

Amara: (vocalizing)

Mother: (laughing) Oh, you’re just chilling. You’re just chilling like a froggy. No tummy time today. No tummy time today, just cuddles. Just cuddles. I know. After eating, not time for tummies.

On screen: Amara slowly lifts her head up slightly and then lowers her head back to her mother’s chest.

Mother: Ah-ha. Ah? You gonna give it a shot? No. See?

On screen: Amara lifts her head again. As her mother continues speaking, Amara turns her head to look up at her mother’s face.

Mother: (laughing) You’re giving it a shot. Look at you go. Yeah. There you go.

Example 3

Text on screen: Recognizes the voices of familiar people

On screen: 2-month-old Sana is cradled in her mother’s arm, with her father sitting next to them. Both parents lovingly watch and interact with Sana as they speak to her. Sana looks up at her parents and pays attention to the sounds they make as they talk to her.

Mother: Ah, hello.

Mother & Father: Whoa.

On screen: Sana’s mother holds her hand against Sana’s, while her father rubs her tummy. Sana vocalizes while looking at Mom’s hand and eyes.

Mother: Look at my big hand?

Sana: (vocalizing)

On screen: Sana’s mother begins playing with her by holding and releasing her hand, and Sana vocalizes as she continues to pay close attention to her parents’ voices.

Father: Yeah.

Mother: Boop. Boop.

Sana: (vocalizing)

Father: Yeah.

Mother: Woop.

Sana: (vocalizing)

Father: Yeah.

Mother: Yeah.

Father: Yeah.

Sana: (unhappy vocalizing)

Mother: I’ll give it back.

Mother: Oh.

Father: (inaudible)

Mother: Yeah, you’re so happy.