Today Tile Triggered Content

Is your baby fascinated with cupboards or drawers? They might be interested in what’s inside or intrigued by being able to open and close the door or drawer. If you haven’t already, it might be a good time to check exactly what your baby can now reach.

Your toddler will learn about the world in different ways and one method they use is ‘inductive reasoning and categorisation’. In plain language, your toddler learns by making connections between the things that they encounter. 

Inductive reasoning and categorisation is an incredibly useful skill 

Have you had development checks with your toddler? Have you wondered why you are asked about them arranging blocks?  

Your toddler might sometimes copy you when you make a row of objects; this could be a row of blocks or something else. 

What do scientists mean when they talk about your baby using a tool? Don't worry, it doesn't involve you letting them loose on your hammers and screwdrivers! 

Using an object rather than your body 

We don’t think children need lots of toys, but we are big fans of stacking blocks because as your child grows they will use them in lots of different ways and learn multiple things from them, including cause and effect.  

Most of us wonder what we need to do to help our children to develop and learn, and this is something that interests researchers too! There is lots of evidence about the importance of responsive interactions, so adults noticing and responding to children’s interests and emotions. 

You'll have probably noticed during the last few months that your baby is becoming more focused as they explore and play with toys and objects. As you watch them you might be able to see what their goal is, and that they seem more focused on achieving what they have in mind.  

If you haven’t started reading to your baby, you could think about fitting storytime into your daily routine. Research suggests that reading to your baby regularly supports their language and social development, especially if you chat to them as you read and respond to their interests as you share a book together.  

The answer is that it is always changing, which is why we keep reading the research! One fascinating aspect of babies' understanding is the awareness that an object is there, even when they can't see it (or can only see a small part of it). Let's take a closer look at how your baby might be showing this.

Memory is complex and there are different ideas about how much babies can remember and how and when their memory develops. There have been several studies that show babies remember things from before they were born, for example, some newborn babies will settle when they hear the theme tune of their mother’s favourite TV programme. 

You might be noticing that your baby is awake for a little longer now, and that they seem to be developing some control of their movements. Now could be a good time to think about which toys or objects would be good to have around for them to explore.