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What Can You Tell Me Baby?

About this Video

Language development begins very early as children listen to the voices of their caregivers and the sounds and rhythms of the language being spoken around them. Very young infants even try to participate in communication by looking at their caregivers and making sounds. Conversations between infants and their caregivers begin as they look into each other’s eyes and caregivers respond to a child’s early sounds, such as coos and babbling. In this video, we watch two infant-mother pairs having a conversation as the mothers talk to their babies as they coo. 

Video

Transcript

Mom: Hi!

Are you warming up?

Are you warming up your vocal cords?

Trying to figure out what to say?

Baby coos.

Mom: Really?

That’s so exciting.

Baby coos.

Mom: Really.

Hi baby.

Hi baby.

Uh, uhh. Tell me more.

Tell me more.

Baby coos.

Mom: Hmm, hmm.

Baby coos.

Mom: Tell me about it.

Baby coos.

Mom: Yeah.

Say I’m a big girl.

Baby coos for a longer period.

Mom: Yeah.

Are you 12 weeks old today?

Are you 12 weeks old?

We’re just hanging out.

Baby coos.

Mom: Your tongue’s pretty cool, huh?

Illinois Early Learning Guidelines for Children Birth to Age Three and How They Were Met

Developmental Domain 1: Social & Emotional Development
Relationship with Adults
Children demonstrate the desire and develop the ability to engage, interact, and build relationships with familiar adults.

  • Indicators for children (birth – 9 months): Engages in social interactions with adults through smiles, coos, and eye contact
  • Action: Both babies makes sounds in response to their mothers’ words.

Developmental Domain 3: Language Development, Communication, & Literacy
Social Communication
Children demonstrate the ability to engage with and maintain communication with others.

  • Indicators for children (birth – 9 months):
    • Attempts to engage in early forms of turn-taking with caregiver, e.g., coos and stares at caregiver
    • Smiles and uses other facial expressions to initiate interactions with caregiver
  • Action: Both babies make eye contact with their mother while they talk. The babies engage in back-and-forth turn-taking by cooing in response.

About this resource

Setting(s) for which the article is intended:
  • Home
  • Family Child Care
  • Child Care Center

Intended audience(s):
  • Parents / Family
  • Teachers / Service providers
  • Faculty / Trainer

Age Levels (the age of the children to whom the article applies):
Related IEL Birth to Three Guidelines:
Reviewed: 2019