Explores With Senses and Actions
Infant actively investigates objects and surroundings by looking, mouthing, reaching, banging, and shaking.
Ages 4–14 months
Why it matters
Sensory and motor exploration is the earliest expression of curiosity and initiative. By acting on objects and noticing what happens, the infant builds the cause-and-effect understanding, attention, and intrinsic motivation that later learning is built upon.
What mastery looks like
- Reaches for and grasps a nearby object to bring it closer for inspection.
- Uses more than one action on the same object, such as shaking then banging.
- Visibly attends to the result of an action and repeats it to see it again.
How to observe it
- When offered a new object, does the infant explore it in several different ways?
- Does the infant pause to watch what happens after an action, such as a rattle making sound?
Accessibility
- For infants with low vision, offer objects with strong sound, scent, or contrasting texture so exploration is not dependent on sight.
- Position objects within reach on the side of greater motor control.
Activities
Evidence
- Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) — U.S. Office of Head Start · 2015 · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Early Atlas