Birth–11 monthsBuilding RelationshipsPersonal, Social and Emotional Development: Making relationships
Responds to what carer is paying attention to, e.g. following their gaze.
Observe whether the child: responds to what carer is paying attention to, e.g. following their gaze.
What it looks like
Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.
Emerging
Just starting
The child sometimes notices an adult head-turn or gaze shift, but following is inconsistent and the child may not locate the same target.
What you might see
When the carer turns their head and looks at a toy across the room, the child keeps looking at their own hands/toy and does not look toward the target within 5 seconds.
The child rarely checks the adult’s face during play (little to no quick ‘look to face’ moments).
If the adult looks and reacts (e.g., ‘oh!’), the child shows no clear head/eye shift toward the adult’s focus.
The child glances toward the adult’s head movement but then returns to their own activity without locating the object.
The child follows gaze only when the adult also points or moves the object, not from gaze/head turn alone.
The child turns the head in the right general direction once or twice, but does not fixate on the same target.
Expected
On track
The child follows a familiar carer’s head-turn/gaze to a nearby, obvious target, especially when the carer adds voice or an excited cue.
What you might see
When the adult looks at a nearby object and says ‘look!’, the child turns to the same object within about 3 seconds.
The child tracks the adult’s head turn to a salient target (e.g., a moving toy or a bright picture).
The child pauses and looks toward where the adult is looking during a familiar routine (e.g., watching the door when the adult looks there).
Exceeding
Going further
The child reliably follows the carer’s gaze across situations and may look back and forth between the carer and the target (shared attention).
What you might see
The child follows the adult’s gaze to targets in different directions (left/right/behind the child) in everyday settings.
After following, the child looks back to the adult’s face as if checking the adult’s reaction.
During play, the child shifts attention when the adult silently looks at something interesting, not only when the adult speaks.
The child follows the adult’s gaze, then reaches toward or points at the object and looks back to the adult as if to share it.
When the adult looks toward the door/coat/shoes, the child moves their body as if anticipating the next step (e.g., crawls toward the door).
If the adult changes their focus, the child updates and follows the new gaze target rather than staying on the first.
Try this at home
Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.
During floor play, suddenly look at a nearby object (without pointing) and say something excited (e.g., ‘wow’); notice if your baby turns to what you are looking at.
At mealtime, look toward the cup/spoon before picking it up; observe whether your baby tracks your gaze and anticipates what you will do.
On a walk, stop and look at something interesting (dog, bus, bird) and pause; see whether your baby follows your head turn to the same thing.
While reading a simple picture book, look at one picture and wait; notice whether your child shifts attention to the picture you are focused on.
During transitions (getting ready to leave), look toward shoes/door and see whether your baby tracks your attention and adjusts their body orientation.
Connected behaviours
Behaviours that scaffold, follow, or co-emerge with this one.
The framework source and supporting developmental research.
Framework source
Development Matters in the EYFS (2012), Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Making relationships (birth–11 months).
The construct operationalizes early shared-attention behaviors as observable markers of relational engagement.
Developmental research
Carpenter, Nagell, & Tomasello (1998), Social cognition, joint attention, and communicative competence from 9 to 15 months of age.
Joint attention research supports gaze-following as a measurable early social-cognitive skill linked to later communication.
Five-level rubric (detailed)ShowHide
The full progression underlying the three levels above. Used by the platform’s reasoning agent when planning activities and observations.
Not Yet
The child does not reliably shift attention in response to where an adult is looking, and tends to stay focused on their own activity without checking the adult’s focus.
When the carer turns their head and looks at a toy across the room, the child keeps looking at their own hands/toy and does not look toward the target within 5 seconds.
The child rarely checks the adult’s face during play (little to no quick ‘look to face’ moments).
If the adult looks and reacts (e.g., ‘oh!’), the child shows no clear head/eye shift toward the adult’s focus.
Emerging
The child sometimes notices an adult head-turn or gaze shift, but following is inconsistent and the child may not locate the same target.
The child glances toward the adult’s head movement but then returns to their own activity without locating the object.
The child follows gaze only when the adult also points or moves the object, not from gaze/head turn alone.
The child turns the head in the right general direction once or twice, but does not fixate on the same target.
Developing
The child follows a familiar carer’s head-turn/gaze to a nearby, obvious target, especially when the carer adds voice or an excited cue.
When the adult looks at a nearby object and says ‘look!’, the child turns to the same object within about 3 seconds.
The child tracks the adult’s head turn to a salient target (e.g., a moving toy or a bright picture).
The child pauses and looks toward where the adult is looking during a familiar routine (e.g., watching the door when the adult looks there).
Secure
The child reliably follows the carer’s gaze across situations and may look back and forth between the carer and the target (shared attention).
The child follows the adult’s gaze to targets in different directions (left/right/behind the child) in everyday settings.
After following, the child looks back to the adult’s face as if checking the adult’s reaction.
During play, the child shifts attention when the adult silently looks at something interesting, not only when the adult speaks.
Reflexive
The child uses gaze-following to actively share experiences (follows gaze then vocalizes/shows the object to the carer) and anticipates routines by tracking what the adult is attending to.
The child follows the adult’s gaze, then reaches toward or points at the object and looks back to the adult as if to share it.
When the adult looks toward the door/coat/shoes, the child moves their body as if anticipating the next step (e.g., crawls toward the door).
If the adult changes their focus, the child updates and follows the new gaze target rather than staying on the first.
