Visual Development

What Parents Can do to Help With Visual Development

Birth to four months

• Use a nightlight or other dim lamp in your baby's room.
• Change the crib's position frequently and change your child's position in it.
• Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby's focus, about eight to twelve inches.
• Talk to your baby as you walk around the room.
• Alternate right and left sides with each feeding.

Five to eight months

• Hang a mobile, crib gym or various objects across the crib for the baby to grab, pull and kick.
• Give the baby plenty of time to play and explore on the floor.
• Provide plastic or wooden blocks that can be held in the hands.
• Play patty cake and other games, moving the baby's hands through the motions while saying the words aloud.

Nine to twelve months

• Play hide and seek games with toys or your face to help the baby develop visual memory.
• Name objects when talking to encourage the baby's word association and vocabulary development skills.
• Encourage crawling and creeping.

One to two years

• Roll a ball back and forth to help the child track objects with the eyes visually.
• Give the child building blocks and balls of all shapes and sizes to play with to boost fine motor skills and small muscle development.
• Read or tell stories to stimulate the child's ability to visualize and pave the way for learning and reading skills.

Source : http://www.aoa.org/