Name the category, not just the thing
Say "a red ball, that is a ball too" rather than only naming objects. Categories are what language is built on.
9-12 months
Sorting the world into groups
In and out, big and small, mine and yours. Your baby is building categories, and the pincer grip finally makes small objects usable.
Signs you may notice
- Puts objects into containers and tips them out
- Points at what they want
- Pulls to stand and cruises furniture
- Understands simple words like no and bye
Parenting guidance
Let the tipping out happen
Emptying a basket ten times is a repeated experiment, not defiance. Tidy at the end, not during.
Play ideas for this jump
Posting games
A box with a slot and a handful of chunky discs will hold attention longer than most toys.
Two basket sort
Soft things in one basket, hard things in the other. Do it together and say the rule out loud.