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What does a child understand at 4-6 months of age and what is the level of his mental development?

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
 
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From the age of three months the child usually starts to walk. He pronounces individual sounds of the type "ay", "y-s" "gy-s". The child no longer likes to be alone, he wants you or one of the family members to be nearby. If Mom or Dad comes to him, he smiles or even laughs and squeaks with pleasure, begins to pronounce various sounds, as if trying to speak. He looks with interest at the hands of adults.

The child starts to understand that he is he, with pleasure looks at his reflection in the mirror. He already understands that he is dressed in something, pulling himself for clothes, realizing that it can be manipulated. When you communicate with a child, he follows the movement of your lips, and in response tries to answer something to you.

To develop speech skills, communicate more with the child, tell him about what he sees; about what you are doing. Showing him his reflection in the mirror, tell him about his face: "These are the eyes, this is the nose, the ears, the mouth."

If you are changing a child, use your voice to describe your actions: "We take off our shirt, first with the right handle, now with the left handle. Now remove the panties", and so on. Gradually, the child will begin to understand the words you are saying and even, perhaps, substitute the pen or leg you are talking about.

By the age of four months the child already knows not only mother, but also the rest of the family. He can already distinguish adults from children.

The expression of his face acquires some meaning. On the changes occurring around him, he reacts with facial expressions. If everything is good - he smiles, if in the house of a quarrel - a facial expression frightened or puzzled. Moreover, he has a sense of humor! If you show him funny faces, he smiles or even laughs back.

The child really wants to be in the company - he's bored alone. If you left it, and went to the kitchen, he will play toys for a while, with his own hands, but then, bored, creep up to you. It's very unexpected, when you are, for example, in the kitchen (and you are sure that the child in the room is playing on the carpet) and suddenly turn around, and he is under your feet: "And I came to you!"

Kids at this age often, researching their things, pull a blanket, sheet or something else on their head or face. You can, using this movement of the baby, teach him to play hide and seek: "There is no little son (daughter)!". And removing the blanket from his face, say: "There is a son (daughter)!".

By the fourth month the child's walk turns into a combination of sounds that are very similar to words. Most often, the syllable "ma-aa" slips, and many think that the child has already said his first word - "mom." In fact, he can not yet distinguish his parents in a voice. Just sound "m" to a child to say easier than "n". "Daddies, do not worry, the time will come, and the child will call you."

In four to five months, a child with whom a lot of talk, learns increasingly more complex sound combinations. When you talk to him, he looks you closely in the face, watching your lips. Left alone, he will independently produce different sounds. But at the same time the child does not imitate you, he studies your voice, learns to distinguish voices from hearing. Therefore, being with the child, do not be silent!

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