The Cup
Parent makes sounds from different positions using a cup and spoon, then observes whether baby locates the sound source by turning. The activity introduces sound discrimination by pairing one sound with a reward (toy) and another without. The agent coaches the parent to observe auditory localization and early cognitive discrimination.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Baby seated or supported facing forward. Parent behind or beside baby with a cup, spoon, and attractive toy. Room should be relatively quiet so sounds are clear.
How it works
- 1~25s
Position yourself slightly behind your child — where they can't see you. Now tap the cup with the spoon a few times to make a clinking sound. Watch carefully — does your child react to the sound? Does they try to turn their head to find where it came from? If your child turns toward you, hold up a fun toy and give it a little wiggle as a reward. Tell me what happened when you made the sound.
Watch for: Baby turns head toward the source of the cup-clinking sound, demonstrating sound localization.
- 2~25s
Now let's try a different sound. Instead of clinking the cup, knock on the floor or a nearby surface. Make the knock from the same spot as before. When your child turns toward this new sound, don't show them the toy this time — just smile and talk to them. We're seeing if your child can tell the difference between sounds. Does they react the same way to the knock as to the cup clink?
Watch for: Baby shows interest in a new sound and may react differently to different sounds, indicating early auditory discrimination.
- 3~30s
Let's do the cup clink one more time — and this time, when your child turns, show them the toy again as a reward. Then try the knock sound again without the toy. We're building a little pattern: cup clink means fun toy, knock means no toy. Does your child seem to anticipate the toy after the cup sound? Does they search differently depending on which sound they hears? Watch your child's face and body for any signs of expectation.
Watch for: Baby turns head to locate sound and may show different levels of anticipation depending on the sound.