Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Cognitive Development (CD)

Subdomain: Mathematical Thinking and Expression

Goal: Children identify and use common shapes and concepts about position during play and other activities.

Skill Progression: Spatial understanding

Age: 4-6 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 4-6 Months.

As the child’s understanding of objects increases, she will begin to recognize familiar objects, such as a bottle or favorite toy. Have several familiar objects and a blanket available.

Have the adult sit on the floor with the infant on her lap or between the legs. Have the adult hand a bottle of water or milk to the child with the bottom toward the child instead of the top.

The infant will recognize the item the adult hands her as a bottle and put it to her mouth, even though the object looks different from the bottom.

Often early childhood educators and parents do not recognize the skills the child is learning. Point out the child’s growing awareness of where objects are in space, how they look from different perspectives, and that even when a portion of an object is seen, the infant can recognize that the whole object is still there.