0-3 months intellectual development in your infant allows them to take in information and process it.

Some of the signs that cognitive skills are emerging may appear very subtle.

If you look closely you will notice your baby doing little things that are helping him learn about his environment and process new information.

All children develop differently so know that if your baby is not doing the exact same things as your best friend’s, that is ok.

However, if you are concerned about your little one’s development always seek out the Early Intervention program in your area for a free screening or evaluation.

Your child’s development will change fast within the upcoming months.

Cognitive development 0-12 months will look very different each month.

In this post, I will give you examples of what cognitive skills look like and how to encourage cognitive milestones in infants from birth to three months.

Cognitive Milestones for Infants: Read all about how to encourage cognitive development in your 0-3 month old baby through daily routines and simple activities. Find information about what cognitive skills to expect from 0-3 months.

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Everything You Need to Know About Cognitive Development 0-3 Months

What is intellectual development in childhood?

Intellectual development in early childhood looks at how children take in and process information.

This includes receptive language skills which are how babies and toddlers understand language.

Problem solving skills needed to figure out how the world works are also considered.

How do You Stimulate Cognitive Development in Infants?

Reading, singing, and talking are all great ways to stimulate cognitive development in your infant.

Your baby will learn new skills during play time that support cognitive development as well.

What are Cognitive Skills for Infants?

Responding to Sounds in Their Environment

Your little one may stop moving and become still when they hear a new sound so that they can take it all in.

They may also do the opposite by startling.

Both of these reactions show that your little one has heard something that they are unsure of and are trying to process and respond to the information present.

Most hospitals do a hearing test very soon after birth to ensure your baby is hearing, as it is a critical way for them to take in information.

Responding to Voice

One of the first cognitive milestones for newborn babies is responding to voices.

They have been hearing a muffled version of their mother’s voice for the past months while inside the womb and now are hearing it clearly for the first time.

It is surprising how quickly your baby will recognize your voice and daddy’s or other familiar people.

You may notice your baby responds to your voice by stopping crying when they hear you as it is soothing.

As they get a little older they may turn their head towards you when they hear your words.

Another sound your baby will respond to is a loud noise.

When young infants hear a loud sound they may react by startling and stiffing up their body.

If they were making some sounds or throaty noises they may suddenly become quiet.

Your new baby will be hearing lots of new sounds and it is one way that they are starting to learn about their environment.

Notices Hands

Your little ones’ first favorite toys will be their hands!

Once they discover them they can’t get enough of them!

They will start by just looking at their hands which will tell you that they are starting to see a bit more clearly.

As soon as they gain some coordination they will be putting them in their mouth to explore them a little bit more.

You may also notice your newborn’s hands are fisted at first but will slowly relax in the upcoming months to a more open position.

How Can I Encourage 0-3 Month Cognitive Skills?

Playtime Encourages Intellectual Development

Playtime is a great way to encourage cognitive development.

Spending time modeling how to use toys for your baby and helping them explore them is one of the best infant cognitive development activities you can do as a parent.

If they will allow it you can gently guide their hands over new toys and interesting objects for them as well which is great for fine motor skills.

Playtime should be in short increments throughout your day when your baby is this young.

You can also include independent playtime with your new baby as well.

You will still want to supervise them but allowing them to explore on their own a bit is a great way to encourage problem-solving skills.

Watch their cues to see what things they are interested in and what things may be too overstimulating.

Simple toys are best!

If you need baby toys that are developmentally appropriate and versatile these may be a good option for you!

Cognitive Activities for Infants 0-3 Months

Do cognitive activities for infants 0-3 months throughout your day during daily routines.

This could include things like having them track a rattle (like this one) back and forth with their eyes or explore sounds by whistling or crunching paper during playtime.

Labeling their body parts while you bath them is a great way to encourage early receptive language which builds cognition.

Everything is new to young infants, so giving them a tour of the house and telling them all about it can be an easy and fun activity for you and your little one.

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RELATED POST: Birth to 3 Months Language Development

Talking to Your Baby Helps Encourage the Understanding of Words

Simply talking to your little one from birth is one of the best ways to start working on intellectual development 0-3 months.

Connect with your sweetie by telling them all that is going on in the world around them.

Building strong bonds with your little one is done through connecting with them through talking and touch which is so important in the early years.

Narrate your day by telling them about what you are making for dinner or about what you are going to wear that day.

This is a strategy that is great for encouraging child development 0-6 months and up!

What about leaving the TV on for them to learn?

The television does not provide your child with the same kind of input so do not count on it to teach your baby language.

Babies’ brains can not process the television like we do so it is not effective.

To learn more about the guidelines for television and young children click here.

RELATED POST: 0-3 Months Emotional Development

Read to Your Baby to Encourage 0-3 Months Intellectual Development

You can read to your little one from day one!

Use a soft book (like this) to show them pictures and gently guide their hands to touch and feel it.

My husband would read adult books or magazines out loud to my son while he was holding him…this counts too!

Baby magazines (like this) will work well for a different literacy experience.

Simple Ways to Encourage 0-3 Months Intellectual Development

Simple ideas and strategies to promote 0-3 months intellectual development through infant play.

Active Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Materials

Tools

None Needed

Instructions

Read to your baby using soft short books to promote cognitive skills.
Use a rattle to promote visual tracking with eyes both vertically and horizontally.
Listen to music with your baby or singe to them to introduce them to interesting sounds and new words.

Notes

Try to fit these simple activities in throughout daily routines. For example, sing your baby a song while you change their diaper or read a short story before bedtime or naps.

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Books can also be a great motivator while your baby is working on tummy time which is very important for physical development.

A perfect distraction to intrigue your little one introduce them to the world of books and encourage brain development at at once!

A great way to start a bedtime or nap routine is to add a book in from the very beginning as it will become a perfect way to grow their early literacy skills right away.

When looking for books for your baby choose ones that are developmentally appropriate and have interesting pictures as well.

How to Encourage Intellectual Development 0-3 Months

Use Singing and Music to Encourage Cognitive Developmental Milestones from Birth to 3 Months

It may be natural for you to sing to your little one as they drift off to sleep and it happens to be a great way for your little one to learn too.

Singing not only supports cognitive development but it is also a wonderful way to support infant language development.

You can also sing to your baby during diaper changes or while in the car.

Introducing your baby to gentle music is also a great way for them to hear some new and interesting sounds.

This is wonderful for emotional development 0-3 months as it may help soothe your baby when they need some extra comfort.

If you are looking for more ways to encourage your baby’s development CLICK HERE!

Are you wondering what are cognitive skills for infants 0-6 months?

Check out our Complete Guide to Cognitive Development 0-6 Months for more information!

Are you wondering what do babies start doing at 3 months in other areas of development?

Grab the free checklist below so you can find out and keep track of all of your baby’s milestones!

0-3 month child development in all areas is included!

Read about baby intellectual development 3-6 months HERE!

What Toys Work Well for Cognitive Development?

A few basic toys are all you need to play with your little one and encourage cognitive skills.

Here are a few toys that I would recommend having on hand (if you are expecting make sure to add this toys to your baby registry):

Rattles (these are my favorite) are wonderful for working on visual tracking.

You can take the rattle and move it vertically and horizontally to see if your baby tracks it with their eyes.

You can also shake the rattle to see if your baby reacts to the sound.

Baby gyms help you work on many different skills from motor, cognitive, and communication.

They are also a great place to have tummy time when your baby is awake.

This is the one we have and I love it because the toys come off so you can use them to entertain your baby anywhere!

Soft squishy books (like these) are fun for babies to explore.

Show them the pictures or give them the book to touch and feel.

When your baby is doing tummy time get down on the floor with them and read them a quick story.

Having a baby floor mat for crawling and tummy time can be helpful when creating a safe space.

Grab your FREE Milestone Guide HERE.

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What are cognitive skills in infants o-3 months? Find out what baby milestones to expect. Learn simple ways to encourage infant development though baby activities and play ideas.

Kayla ONeill

Kayla O’Neill has a master’s degree in education as well as a bachelor’s degree in special education with an emphasis in early childhood education. She has been working as a developmental therapist with babies and toddlers in early intervention since 2012. She is also a mom with two young children.

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Belle

Tuesday 11th of April 2017

Such a great post! This is very helpful for first time moms and moms who already have kids but have forgotten.

Belle | One Awesome Momma

Friday 14th of April 2017

Thank You! Sometimes it is the simple things that help babies and children learn the most!

betterwithbabies

Love this post! It's so important to talk and read to babies right from birth :) It's so amazing to watch them grow and change so quickly.

They learn so much so fast! Talking to them is a great way to encourage language development from day 1!

Mommy Dil :)

I love this! Bookmarking ti share with new moms! :)

Yes! Please do :)

Working Mum

Monday 10th of April 2017

This is beautifully written! I have read this advice in so many books but to see it in short format laid out so nicely is a perfect quick reminder. You make it sounds much more achievable with the Talk Read Sing as a summary...sounds likes the title of a book! Thanks for the post :-)

Elizabeth

This is useful information. Watching your baby learn is so much fun and so important to provide the interaction to make it happen. And it's great for the parent-child bond.