Cognitive

• Understands how to use many objects (cuddling a stuffed toy, shaking a rattle, putting a cup to her lips)

• Understands that objects have names

• Understands object permanence well (looking for an object that’s hidden because she knows it’s there)

• Has an expanding attention span, from two to three minutes at 8 months to 15 minutes at 12 months

• Is attracted to novelty (new toys, objects)

• Explores playthings in new ways (touching, banging, dropping)

• Increasingly displays memory of recent events

Motor

• Has good accuracy in picking up objects with fingers (pincer grasp)

• Getting better at releasing objects from grasp

• Points and pokes with index finger

• Feeds self, though messily

• May be able to put things into containers

• Crawls quickly

• Pulls up to a standing position

• Stands with support (holding onto your fingers or furniture)

• May stand alone briefly

• May cruise along furniture

Communication

• Gestures to communicate

• Shakes head or frowns to express “no;” responds when told “no” 

• May hold out arms to be picked up

• May recognize own name

• Recognizes many familiar words

• Understands many things said to her

• Babbles in long groups of consonant-vowel sounds, like “tata upupup ba ba ba!”

• Babbles using the cadence and inflections of real conversation

• May use “Ma ma” and “Da da” to refer specifically to parents

• May say other early words, though probably not with good pronunciation (“ba ba” for bottle, “mik” for milk)