Attention to Speech and Language
Ability to attend to and process spoken language
What the research says
Referenced across 1 developmental framework: who_gsed
Full quotes, source languages, and document links coming soon as we finish the source-evidence indexing pass.
Before this (2)
How it's taught
Assessed through observation of child's responses to speech in natural interactions
Materials: Natural conversation, songs, stories, verbal instructions
What mastery looks like
Does not show differential attention to speech vs. other sounds
- Does not orient to voices
- Shows no preference for speech sounds
- Does not quiet or alert to caregiver's voice
Beginning to show attention to speech, especially familiar voices
- Orients to caregiver's voice
- Quiets or alerts when spoken to
- Shows preference for speech over other sounds
- Watches speaker's face
Consistently attends to speech and shows comprehension
- Listens attentively when spoken to
- Responds to name consistently
- Shows understanding through actions
- Attends to simple stories or songs
- Looks at named objects
Shows sustained attention to language and follows verbal instructions
- Attends to conversations
- Follows multi-step verbal instructions
- Listens to stories with attention
- Responds appropriately to questions
- Shows interest in learning new words
Shows sophisticated language processing and metalinguistic awareness
- Attends to complex language
- Processes abstract language concepts
- Shows awareness of language structure
- Can focus on language in noisy environments
- Demonstrates comprehension of complex narratives
Activities for this (12)
First Words — Catching Those Meaningful Sounds
Parent engages baby in a naming game using familiar objects and people. Agent guides parent to observe whether babbling is becoming meaningful — whether specific sound patterns are consistently connected to specific things, people, or requests.
More Please!
Parent introduces the concept of 'more' during snack or play by offering items one at a time and pausing. The agent coaches the parent to observe whether baby understands, gestures for, or anticipates 'more' — the earliest quantitative concept.
Silly sounds conversation
Extended serve-and-return using babbling, raspberries, coos, and silly vocalizations. Agent coaches the parent to match baby's pitch, rhythm, and playfulness. Observations track babbling expansion and genuine turn-taking across more rounds than earlier 0-6mo conversations.
Turn-taking vocal games
Proto-conversation with a clear game structure — parent makes a sound, waits, baby responds, parent acknowledges, repeats. Agent coaches the parent on the pause. Observations track the baby's growing sense of conversational turn-taking.
Babbling Bubble Fun
A playful activity using bubbles and simple sounds to encourage consonant-vowel babbling in infants.
Babbling Bubble Bath
A playful bath-time activity that encourages vocal experimentation through bubbles, water sounds, and responsive interactions.
The Babble Conversation
Parent engages baby in a back-and-forth 'conversation' of sounds, babbles, and coos. The guide helps the parent listen for specific sound patterns, consonant variety, and conversational turn-taking, revealing where the baby is in early vocal development.
The Name Game
Parent tests and strengthens baby's recognition of their own name through a playful calling game from different positions and contexts. The guide helps the parent observe the speed, consistency, and social quality of the baby's response, capturing social engagement, auditory processing, and early attention skills.
Bedtime Baby Lyrics
Parent creates a personalized lullaby incorporating baby's own vocalizations into the lyrics, reinforcing babbling and language development during bedtime routine. The agent coaches the parent to observe vocal imitation, social bonding, and relaxation responses as baby hears familiar sounds woven into soothing music.
Outfit Story
Parent tells a simple story about an item of clothing while dressing baby, creating a language-rich routine that builds security through predictable, loving interactions. The agent coaches the parent to observe baby's attention to language, emotional responses to familiar routines, and early narrative understanding.
Nourishing Conversations
Parent engages in gentle, descriptive conversation with baby during feeding time, focusing on bonding through eye contact, responsive vocal tones, and narrating baby's actions. The agent coaches the parent to observe social engagement, vocal responsiveness, and secure attachment behaviors during this intimate daily routine.
Soothing Bedtime Routine
Parent incorporates gentle singing and dim lighting during the last feeding before bedtime, creating a calming transition to sleep. The agent coaches the parent to observe baby's relaxation responses, social engagement during feeding, and recognition of familiar words in songs — building secure attachment and sleep associations.
Formal assessments
No matching assessment items indexed yet.