Ask open-ended questions during fine motor activities e.g. “There’s no more paint on the palette. What can we do about it?”
In a study of babies between 6 and 24 months of age from 291 children centers in Peru, infants and toddlers with caregivers who demonstrated higher quality interactions had significantly better communication, problem-solving, and fine motor skills.
Researchers used developmental assessments to measure child development and quality of childcare (frequency and quality of interactions between babies and caregivers). Young children with caregivers who exhibit higher quality interactions were found to have better developmental outcomes.