Early Learning Project
Video & Background
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In this video, 5-month-old Evie interacts with things around her, with encouragement from her father, Rob. As part of that interaction, she rolls from back to tummy for the first time. This video provides the opportunity to consider several topics—infant physical development, talking to babies, and family communication.
Infant Physical Development. Rolling from back to tummy is an important milestone for a baby. Being able to complete a roll is a challenge for a little one. It takes muscle coordination and perseverance. A baby who can roll over without help has gained a new skill—and greater independence. She is now able to make herself more comfortable or to change the way she looks at the world. She is also closer to being in position to creep and crawl. Many parents find that their growing babies want to turn over without help. In fact, a baby may become frustrated if someone helps her roll over when she can almost do it herself!
In this video, Evie’s father does not help her turn over. Even though he says, “Come on, one more time!” he doesn’t touch her. Instead, he lets her keep trying while his words and attention show his interest in what she is doing.
Talking to Babies. Most children Evie’s age cannot yet understand words, but they usually recognize and respond to a friendly or encouraging tone of voice. Many adults speak to babies in specific way—talking more slowly and in a rather high-pitched voice. This is so common that it is sometimes referred to as “parent-speak” or “motherese.” In this video, Rob’s speech sounds relatively normal compared to the exaggerated way of talking some adults use with babies. Even so, he lets his excitement show when she finally rolls over to her tummy.
Instead of trying to get her to smile, laugh, or vocalize, he focuses his attention on what his daughter seems to be interested in doing. For example, at the beginning of the video, he speaks to her about the sounds she makes. He then talks to her about her efforts to roll over, in a voice that conveys interest but is not overly excited.
Shortly after she rolls over, Rob asks her a few questions that are similar to questions that older children or adults might ask each other: “How’s life on your stomach like this? Is it better?”
Then he begins to “speak for her.” That is, he makes a few statements that he imagines Evie herself might make at the moment if she could talk: “Look at me, Nana Kay! Look at me, Papa!” He speaks in short sentences and takes cues from what his daughter seems to be paying attention to at any given moment—her play mat, her keys, her toy tiger (“That’s Tony. He’s a tiger.”) When he does this, he is modeling how a person might have an ordinary conversation.
Family Communication. Rob originally made this video to keep his own parents informed about their granddaughter. This kind of communication can become a family tradition that helps to strengthen the bond between Evie and her grandparents, whom she sees only a few times a year. In this case, her grandparents are able to share in the excitement of seeing her roll over for the first time. As she grows older, Evie will be able to participate more fully in making these videos.
Evie’s parents and grandparents have decided together what they would like for Evie to call her grandparents, and they have begun referring to them in that way (“Nana Kay” and “Papa”) so that she will be accustomed to it as she learns to talk.
Transcript
Evie lies on her back on a play mat. She touches the toys hanging in front of her face.
Evie squeals.
Rob: Oh, yeah, I heard it that time. That’s good.
Evie glances at her father as he speaks. She then turns her attention back to the hanging toys very briefly, vocalizes, then tries to roll over by turning to her left.
Rob: Oop, all right.
He quickly moves to the other side of the play mat with the camera so he can see Evie’s face. Evie is on her left side, and her head is up off the mat. She waves her right arm and almost completes a roll before rolling onto her back again.
Rob: Oh, you almost made it, honey!
Evie tries again, rolling onto her left side.
Rob: Yeh, get the feet.
Evie almost completes the roll but relaxes her efforts, vocalizes a few syllables, and lies on her back with fingers of her left hand in her mouth.
Rob: Oh, come on, one more time. (Evie vocalizes several syllables.)
Rob: You can do it. There you go. (Evie moves her right arm in a “digging” motion.) Dig-dig-dig!
Evie seems to exert her whole body in an effort to roll over.
Rob: Daddy believes in you. Daddy be—ahh! (Evie completes the roll.) Heyyy! Hey, tummy-baby! How’s it goin’?
Evie glances at her father and coughs slightly.
Rob: How’s life on your stomach like this? Is that, is it better?
Evie keeps her head up, looks down at her play mat, then to her left, and down.
Rob: Say, “Look at me, Nana Kay! Look at me, Papa! I’m hangin’ out here on my stomach. I’m just checkin’ out my play mat. Look at all these designs. Those are keys. Hm. Interesting. I never saw that laying on my back.”
Evie kicks her feet and moves her head as she continues to look around. She glances at a toy tiger hanging beside her, then looks away again.
Rob: This here’s Tony. My tiger. He’s a buddy. We hang out in the afternoon sometimes.
Evie moves her legs and arms, glances at her father, and vocalizes.
Related IEL Tip Sheets
- The Gift of Words: Conversation and Routines
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/gift-conversation.htm
Other Resources
- Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children from Birth to Age 5, 2nd Edition
http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/nationalGuidelines/ActiveStart.cfm - Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/Parent-Stim-Activities.htm - Ages and Stages Series: 1-12 Months
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1530A.pdf - Communication and Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/communication/c47m.html#cat20738 - Developing Infant Attachment and Bonding
http://babyparenting.about.com/od/babies212months/a/buildattachment_2.htm - Developmental Milestones (Illinois Department of Human Services)
http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=32357 - How Men and Children Affect Each Other's Development
http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_childdevt_fathers - Learning, Play, and Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/learning/learn47m.html#cat20738 - Motor Development: How Your Child’s Physical Skills Develop
http://www.ocd.pitt.edu/Files/PDF/Parenting/MotorDevelopment.pdf - Movement, Coordination, and Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/movement/move47m.html#cat20738 - The Senses and Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/senses/sense47m.html - Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org
Spanish: ¡Rueda, Evie, rueda!
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