Caregivers can provide a safe outlet for children to explore by affirming and encouraging a child’s efforts in play as they simultaneously watch and monitor children’s curiosity and interests.

Young children look at the faces of trusted adults to judge how they should react to new experiences, events, and other people. A toddler’s visual checking in with an adult is called social referencing.

Toddlers also point at objects with their index fingers to learn and gain more information about objects or events. Pointing means that the toddler wants to engage another person through shared attention to the object or event. These bids for shared attention indicate advancements in toddlers’ cognitive, language, motor, and social and emotional development.

When caregivers respond to toddlers’ social referencing, pointing, and gazing, they engage in joint attention with toddlers. Joint attention is a cognitive understanding between the caregiver and child that they are both interested in the event.

Responding to toddlers with joint attention is a powerful learning tool as it shows them that the caregiver is cognitively in tune with their interests, discoveries, and learning.

Read more at AL-CUR-C02.