Social interaction skills
An infant watches a caregiver describe his/her own features and actions in a mirror.
Invite an infant who can sit independently or with support to join you in front of a large mirror. Encourage the infant to look in the mirror with you. Explain that the infant is seeing you and himself/herself in the mirror. Point to yourself and to your image in the mirror as you explain that we can see you in the mirror. Then point to the infant and to the infant’s image in the mirror as you explain that we can see (child’s name) in the mirror.
Encourage the infant to look at you in the mirror as you name and point to parts of your body, especially eyes, ears, and nose. Talk and move at a pace that the infant can easily follow. Then move parts of your body in specific ways as you describe each. Possibilities include: a big smile, moving your head up and down, and waving a hand or arm (as if saying “hello” or “goodbye”). The infant may spontaneously mimic your actions. Conclude the session by acknowledging the infant’s participation in the activity. Example: “You looked at me in the mirror. I pointed to my ears, eyes, and nose. I waved my hand.”
Social interaction skills
An infant looks in a mirror as a caregiver describes him/her as well as any movements.
Invite an infant to sit with you near a large mirror. Encourage the infant to look in the mirror with you. Explain that the infant is seeing you and him/herself in the mirror. Then move out of the mirror’s range (but remain close by) so the infant sees himself/herself only in the mirror. Describe what you see in the mirror. Example: “I see Sydney in our mirror. Our Sydney is looking at herself in the mirror. She is smiling.”
Invite an older infant to point to parts of his/her body that he/she knows. Example: “Where are your eyes?” If you anticipate this will be too challenging, point to parts of the infant’s body as you name each. Example: “I am pointing to Sydney’s hair. We can see my arm and hand in the mirror. My hand is pointing to Sydney’s hair. Now I am pointing to Sydney’s arm.” The infant may wish to point to parts of his/her own after you point.
If the infant remains interested in looking at himself/herself in the mirror, invite the infant to move some parts of his/her body, such as making a big smile, turning his/her head back and forth, and waving his/her hand. Offer a demonstration of each request for the infant to mimic, if appropriate.
Although the infant may not fully understand that he/she is the child in the mirror, the experience of supportive interactions with you surrounding the mirror can promote the development of social interaction skills.
Mirrors are common in homes and child development centers, of course, and an earlier ELM activity involves a handheld mirror (Block 3, Option 2). Still, most infants do not readily recognize their image in the mirror. What is important in the activity options is your set of supportive exchanges with the infant surrounding the novelty of looking in the mirror—not learning to recognize one’s self in the mirror. In Option 1, some infants may look directly at you rather than at your image in the mirror. If this happens, offer a gentle reminder (with pointing) that you and the infant can be seen in the mirror. Positively accept an infant’s preference to look at your actions directly instead of in the mirror. Option 1 can be valuable in its own right and also can serve as preparation for Option 2. Option 2 can be easily adapted for use without the mirror if you anticipate the infant is not interested in looking at himself/herself in the mirror.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: assortment of mirrors
Provide opportunities for infants to explore their reflections throughout the day. Infants may enjoy looking into a mirrored toy or watching their peers in a large mirror placed near the floor. Talk with infants about what they see in the mirrors. Although many infants will not recognize their own reflections, they will enjoy looking at the baby reflected back at them!
Materials Needed: large mirror
A preschool- or school-age child in your setting may wish to join an older infant in Option 2 with your careful guidance. Encourage the older child to engage in simple actions that he/she describes to the infant. The infant may wish to copy some or all of the older child’s actions.
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