How to Know When a Child Understands Simple Commands

Babies learn and grow at an amazing rate as documented on a developmental timeline punctuated with developmental milestones. While nearly all babies follow the same progression, the journey is not a smooth one that begins and ends at specific ages. Instead, babies typically exhibit rapid growth spurts followed by periods of little new development as they stop to refine their newfound skills. When your baby begins to understand simple commands depends on her overall development, but the milestone typically occurs by her first birthday. Assessing whether your baby has reached this stage requires careful observation.

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a time when your little one is well rested and free from other distractions before attempting to give her instructions or commands. Stimulating activities around her may interfere with her ability to focus and respond to your commands.

    • 2

      Give your baby simple one-step instructions, such as ̶0;give me the ball,̶1; and watch his reactions. Use vocabulary your baby understands, otherwise his lack of response may be from a confusion over the meaning of the words used and not from the inability to follow commands. For example, your baby may understand ̶0;give me the ball̶1; but may be totally lost if you say ̶0;pass me the ball.̶1;

    • 3

      Present one command at a time. While a 1-year-old is capable of understanding and following a simple command, he does not yet have the mental processing and memory skills to follow through on several commands given at once. These skills develop gradually over the course of the second year.

    • 4

      Watch your child as she interacts with others. Look for active responses to her requests or questions. This gives you important clues to your baby̵7;s understanding. If ̶0;give grandma a kiss̶1; elicits the appropriate response, your baby understands simple commands.

    • 5

      Model the desired behavior when giving new commands, such as saying ̶0;hug the doggy̶1; while giving her favorite stuffed animal a hug. When actions accompany your words, your baby quickly learns to associate the meaning with the action. Gradually removing the physical cues once the command is mastered teaches your baby that words convey meaning, too.

    • 6

      Praise your little one when she responds appropriately to simple commands. This lets her know that her actions meet your expectations and it builds confidence in herself and her abilities.

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