Concentration
A young infant watches a caregiver make different kinds of facial expressions.
None
[Hold the infant in your arms with his/her
head well supported in the bend of your arm,
ensuring the infant can clearly see you.]
[Smile and encourage the infant to make eye contact with you.]
I am smiling at you! Do you see my face?
[Pause and acknowledge the infant’s response. Describe any visual
attention the infant gives to you. Example: “You are looking at me!
You can see that I am smiling at you. Now you are smiling too!”]
[Keeping a pleasant face overall, move your facial features into a different expression for several moments. You may start with smiling while sticking your tongue out. Describe the infant’s response. Example: “You are watching me! You are still smiling. I think you liked my silly face!” Change your expression and describe the change. Example: “Now I am making my eyes and mouth open big! Do you think I look silly?” Some infants may try to imitate your actions,
such as sticking their tongue out when you do. Others may enjoy watching your face change with each expression.
Explain that you are going to make a face like the infant’s face. Example: “Now I am going to copy what you are doing. You are smiling. I am smiling too! What are you going to do next? I will copy you!” Continue to imitate the infant’s facial expressions for several moments if the infant remains engaged.
Transition from the activity when the infant shows signs of disinterest, such as looking elsewhere. Example: “You are done looking at me. We can do something else now.”]
[Smile and make eye contact as you describe what happened. Example: “You watched me make different faces. Then I copied your face! We had fun making faces together.”]
Concentration
An infant watches a caregiver make different kinds of facial expressions, including imitations of the infant’s expressions.
None
Invite an infant to sit with you for a short game. Place the infant facing you
on your lap, holding him/her securely around the waist. Give the infant a
large smile and encourage him/her to make eye contact with you. Example:
“Good morning, Isaiah! I am happy to see you today. Do you see my face?
I am smiling.” Pause and describe the infant’s visual attention. “You are
watching me. You are looking at me smiling.” Move your facial features into
several different expressions, pausing and describing each one. Start with
an expression the infant can easily identify, such as sticking out your tongue.
Example: “I am going to stick out my tongue. I am making a silly face. Do you
see?” Describe the infant’s reactions. The infant may watch your face closely
and may imitate you. Also, imitate and describe an infant’s facial expression.
Example: “You are yawning. I am going to yawn, just like you.”
Wrap up the exchange when the infant begins to lose interest. Example: “I
think you are done watching me. Let’s find another activity.” Acknowledge the
infant’s focus during the activity. Example: “We had fun watching each other,
Laila. You watched me smile and make silly faces. Then we both stuck out our
tongues! Thank you for playing with me.”
Concentration
An infant participates with a caregiver in making different facial expressions, including the opportunity to imitate the caregiver’s expressions.
None
Invite an infant to play a face game with you. Sit facing the infant and invite
him/her to stand up while holding on to both of your hands. Place your arms
firmly around his/her waist if it appears the infant is unsure of his/her position.
Make eye contact and ensure the infant feels secure and ready for the activity.
Smile big at the infant and encourage him/her to watch your face. Example: “I
am smiling at you, Isabela. I am happy that we are playing this game together!
You are watching me and smiling too. Please watch what I do next!” Change
your facial expression several times, pausing with each one to describe your
actions as well as the infant’s responses. Example: “You are watching me stick
out my tongue. Now you are sticking out your tongue! We are both making a
silly face.” Invite the infant to make faces for you to imitate. Example: “Now I am
going to watch you! What face are you going to make? I will do the same!”
Transition out of the activity when the infant begins to show signs of
disinterest with the game. Acknowledge the infant’s focus during the activity.
Example: “You watched me make different faces. Some of the faces made you
laugh! Then we made some faces together. I had fun playing this game with
you.”
Each of the three options provides opportunities for an infant to visually focus on the expressions of a human face, which is an inherently appealing activity for infants. Ensure the activity is enjoyable for the infant by keeping your expressions pleasant or silly. Avoid stern or unpleasant facial expressions.
Watch the infant’s interest in the activity closely to determine how much to change your facial expressions or how long to sustain the activity. An infant may focus on your face for several minutes or begin to lose interest much sooner. It is useful to draw the infant’s attention to his/her participation, including instances of looking at your face and your making a face that mimics the infant’s facial expression. An infant is likely to show disinterest in obvious ways, such as looking away, fussing, squirming, or crawling/walking away.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: books with pictures of human faces, large mirror
Place the books near a large, unbreakable mirror. Invite one or several toddlers to look at pictures in the books. Mimic some of the faces pictured in the book. Encourage the infants to look at their own faces in the nearby mirror. Some infants may examine their reflection closely, whereas others may make faces in the mirror. Young infants are unlikely to be aware that the reflection they see in the mirror is their own.
Materials Needed: book with pictures of different human facial expressions, Optional: age- appropriate handheld mirrors
Children of all ages enjoy making different faces. Read with children a book that includes illustrations of different facial expressions. Pause on each page and invite toddlers and older children to imitate a pictured face. After the book reading, invite one child at a time to make a face for others to imitate. Infants and younger toddlers will enjoy watching their older peers make different faces. You may wish to offer mirrors for the children to hold as they make different faces.
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