Hello Family Toolkit (March 2026)

BIRTH­—12 MONTHS LEARNING SUCCESS TOOLKIT 3RD EDITION

A Caregiver’s Guide to

Child Development

GROWTH TOPICS

MILESTONES

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

TIPS

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ACTIVITIES

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HISTORY OF THE TOOLKIT: In 2010 the Children’s Service Alliance (CSA) of Spartanburg, South Carolina commissioned an Early Literacy Task Force designed to outline the importance of early literacy from birth to kindergarten. The goal was to increase kindergarten readiness and “build a bridge” to support anyone who cares for children during the early years (parents, grandparents, teachers, and other care providers) on the journey.

The Task Force consisted of Early Childhood professionals from the following organizations: each local school district; area colleges with Early Childhood programs; Spartanburg County First Steps; Head Start; Early Head Start; the local child care industry ; the State Department of Education; and Representatives from CSA. An emerging strategy was a Toolkit emerged to support adults as they interact with children during the first five years of life.

The first edition of the toolkit was developed by Ida Thompson and Cindy Seagle along with the vision and support of the original CSA Board of Directors. Sincere appreciation extended to the Early Literacy Task Force members (2010), the child care centers who participated in the pilot study (2011) and to Dr. Nur Tanyel. The Children’s Service Alliance merged with Spartanburg Academic Movement in 2013.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The third edition of the toolkit is made possible by the contributions of Spartanburg Academic Movement’s Center for Early Childhood Success, Communication Team, and outside support from Tamara Pate.

The links and resources listed in this guide are for educational and recommendation purposes only. They are not endorsements of specific organizations or materials.

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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Welcome Baby!

We know it takes a village to raise a child. Hello Family is hotline and resource hub for all things pregnancy through age eight at no cost to Spartanburg families.

Have questions about your child?

We connect you with the experts on health and development.

Need resources?

Let us find them for you.

Seeking community?

Learn about supports, meet ups, and classes for families.

864-606-9908 Call or text us and hear back within 1 business day or sooner!

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About Hello Family Hello Family is a Spartanburg County Initiative supported by Spartanburg Academic Movement. It offers a free public hotline that connects families to over 40 different partner organizations, resources and support services from birth through age eight. Hello Family is here to make sure all caregivers have the necessary information and tools to help children grow up healthy and ready to learn.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE You have the power to give the child in your care the best start in learning! It is very important to give young children fun, ageappropriate learning experiences from day one. This Toolkit will help you be focused and prepared.

This Toolkit is divided into six learning areas or “domains.” Each domain includes background information, key skills and abilities, expected behaviors in the age range, and caregiver actions that help the child gain the key skils. At the end of each domain there is a milestone checklist to write down the date you first see the child use a skill on their own.

This Toolkit can be used by every caregiver in the child’s life. From mothers and fathers to grandparents and neighbors (and everyone in between), all caregivers have the power to impact a child’s growth and learning.

Every milestone has time range. Not all children grow and learn at the same pace. Some may reach milestones at the later end of the time range because of being born early or other reasons. That’s normal. This Toolkit will help you notice if your child needs extra support or practice to reach a milestone. If your child has passed the time range for a milestone, do not wait to get help. Hello Family can connect you to services that will get your child on track for success.

Let the journey begin!

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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Language Development and Literacy Sing, Talk, Label, and Understand WORDS MATTER Babies first talk by crying, but soon they talk by making sounds, cooing and babbling. After that they can say words, ask questions and listen to answers. Talking and responding to others is important for learning throughout life.

Make sure your child sees and hears books.

Having many books at home they can explore is a great way to help them learn letters and words. Reading with them every day will help your child connect talking and reading.

Did you know?

Babies are listening to everything and can understand more than they can show at first. Pointing, facial expressions, and other movements are all ways to show you they are studying.

Scan here for video

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Talk with baby often, not just at them.

Sing songs and rhymes, describe daily routines. Pretend their noises are words and have a back-and-forth conversation.

This helps them learn new words and express themselves better as they grow.

How Caregiver Responds

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Coos gurgles Turns head toward sounds

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Repeats sounds Laughs First simple words

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Make eye contact and imitate their sound back Speak in full words and sentences

Ask questions, pause for their response Point and label things and people

Keep watch for these typical milestones Says one word other then Mama or Dada

Follows one step commands like “Come to me”

Lifts arms to be picked up; points at objects

Celebrate by logging the date you first see the skill

6—12 Months

What Child Does

BIRTH—12 MONTHS

Birth—6 Months

Developmental Tips & Checklist

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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Motor (Muscle) Development Roll, Scoot, Bounce, and Crawl TUMMY TIME Most babies are born ready to move. Their arms and legs wave around as they react to the world around them. It takes time and practice to go from this early stage to walking, talking, and coloring. How well babies learn these skills depends on how often they get to use their gross motor or big muscles (standing, bouncing, stooping), fine motor or small muscles (thumb and index finger to pick up objects), eye muscles (for tracking people and things as they move), and mouth muscles (chewing, talking).

Did you know?

Good balance and coordination also come from strong motor skills.

The motor part of their brain is the busiest part in the first 12 months.

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Tummy time is how babies work out! Start with 2-3 minutes of play on their stomach three times a day.

Increase the length of time until they are up to 15 minutes on their stomach before increasing the number of times per day. Tummy time should add up to 1 hour a day by 6 months.

How Caregiver Responds

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Holds head up Wiggles Stretches Reaches Moves object from hand to hand

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Gives baby time to play while lying on his/her tummy. This “tummy time” develops upper body strength.

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Sits on their own Stands with support Scribbles with large crayons or markers Feeds self Stacks blocks Rolls from stomach to back

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Allows him/her to pick up small pieces of food to eat.

Plays hand games (pat-a-cake, peek-a-boo, clapping).

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Keep watch for these typical milestones Stands alone Holds on to chair, stoops and then stands Tries to throw ball Tries to scribble after being shown how

Celebrate by logging the date you first see the skill

6—12 Months

What Child Does

BIRTH—12 MONTHS

Birth—6 Months

Developmental Tips & Checklist

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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Social and Emotional Development Feelings, Friends, and Relationships MODEL CALM Babies first talk by crying, but soon they talk by making sounds, cooing and babbling. After that they can say words, ask questions and listen to answers.

Talking and responding to others is important for learning throughout life.

Make sure your child sees and hears books.

Having many books at home they can explore is a great way to help them learn letters and words. Reading with them every day will help your child connect talking and reading.

Did you know?

Babies are building trust with the adults around them and are very aware of their environment. Responding to their cries will make them secure not spoil them.

Scan here for video

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Quiet time and downtime are important everyday activities help babies learn to manage their emotions.

Try new strategies to soothe them such a slow music, white noise machines, gentle massage, and dimming the lights.

Developmental Tips & Checklist

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How Caregiver Responds

Looks attentively and enjoys looking Responds with a smile Enjoy looking at a self in the mirror

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Plays peek a boo Waves hello or bye-bye Shows affection by hugging and touching Acts shy or fearful around strangers Reacts when caregiver leaves

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Tries rocking, singing, hugging to respond to cries remembering different things work at different stages!

Responds with smiles and calm voice when they try to get your attention

Creates a daily routine of quiet time or down time to practice calming and soothing.

Soothes themselves when feeling overwhelmed because your baby watches you to learn how to handle being overwhelmed or scared.

Allows your baby to repeat actions like opening and closing or dropping toys

Keep watch for these typical milestones Shows different facial expressions for happy angry, surprised or scared

Reacts with sounds or gesturee when you leave the room makes sound other than crying (squealing, ooohs, ahhs, blows raspberrries)

Celebrate by logging the date you first see the skill

6—12 Months

Birth—6 Months

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BIRTH—12 MONTHS

What Child Does

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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Cognitive and General Knowledge Sizes, Patterns, Decision Making, and Problem Solving BRAIN BUILDERS “Cognition” means the ability to think and understand. Children need to build skills like remembering, reasoning, and problem-solving to develop cognition.w Parents and caregivers can support this growth by giving children chances to do things like solve puzzles, build with blocks, count objects, name things, and notice how things are alike or different.

Did you know?

Babies are born with 25% of the size of their adult brain and their brain will triple in volume in the first year alone.

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Cognitive skills grow as young children play, explore, and interact with the people around them.

When children feel safe and loved by adults in their lives, they are more confident and able to take on greater challenges.

Developmental Tips & Checklist

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6—12 Months

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How Caregiver Responds

Reaches for interesting objects Pulls hair or earrings Inspects hands, fingers, toes Looks at self in the mirror

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Responds to their name by turning or smiling Watchs objects move Puts objects in a container Recognizes familiar people

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Offers objects of different materials to explore (metal or wooden spoons, different fabric blankets, ball of sticky tape) Responds with words to describe things when baby points Describes what they are doing (I see you looking at the ball).

Plays disappearing and reappearing games by hiding objects and finding them.

Plays peek-a-boo.

Encourages your child to explore objects by touching, banging, shaking, and rolling Talks about what they is doing. “You got the truck to move by pulling the string!”

Keep watch for these typical milestones Follows one step commands Gives non verbal cues like raising arms and pointing Looks for objects when dropped out of sight Helps to turn pages of a book

Celebrate by logging the date you first see the skill

Birth—6 Months

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BIRTH—12 MONTHS

What Child Does

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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Approaches to Learning Creativity, Curiosity, and Participation TRY, TRY AGAIN! Children are born curious. They use their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands to explore and learn about everything. Kids learn best when they can try things for themselves. That’s why it’s important to give them lots of hands-on activities. This helps them remember what they learn, build attention span and problem-solving skills. When babies are curious and willing to keep trying new things, it can be frustrating and messy sometimes. However, these traits make strong learners.

Did you know?

All six developmental domains connect and overlap with each other. You will notice certain milestones also show up more that one area.

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Screen time (like watching TV, using a phone or tablet) should be limited to video chats with family at this age.

Even though screens can hold a child’s attention, they don’t help build the skills or attention span kids need later.

Developmental Tips & Checklist

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How Caregiver Responds

Follows moving objects with eyes Pays attention to faces of people

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Describes what they are seeing out loud

Enjoys going to new places Shows interest with art materials Takes things apart and attempts to put them back together Looks for things you hide

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Responds excitedly to your child’s attempts and learning Offers objects of different materials to explore safely with their mouth (metal or wooden spoons, different fabric

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Keep watch for these typical milestones Shows interest in what is around them

Begins to act bored when activity doesn’t change

Explores by shaking, banging, throwing

Celebrate by logging the date you first see the skill

Birth—6 Months 6—12 Months

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BIRTH—12 MONTHS

What Child Does

Early Approaches to Learning happen through safe exploration. Babies collect knowledge by chewing, touching, and dropping things again and again. They take in valuable information through sight, touch, taste, and sound.

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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Physical Health and Wellbeing Sunshine, Healthy Food, and Good Habits EVERYDAY HABITS After eating a healthy meal and getting good rest, children are full of energy and ready to learn. Just like adults, kids learn better when they feel good. It’s important to give children lots of time to move, play, and build healthy habits early on. Good habits are easier to start than bad ones are to fix later. Helping your child stay active and healthy now will support their success in school and beyond.

Did you know?

Babies under 6 months should not have water because it can hurt their still developing kidneys. Babies under 12 months should not have cow’s milk or soy milk because their stomachs cannot digest it yet.

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Exploring new foods is an important part of building healthy habits and sensory knowledge. Trying a new food multiple times before deciding they don’t like it is important.

How Caregiver Responds

Helps with feeding themselves

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Responds to different textures of food in their mouth (wait for the next bite, spit out food, turn head away

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Responds with words to describe things when baby points Describes what they are doing (I see you looking at the ball) ·Allows enough time for children to explore food with their fingers and to eat

Keep watch for these typical milestones Consistent sleep and nap time

Consistent changing and feeding process

Drinks from a cup without a lid

Celebrate by logging the date you first see the skill

6—12 Months

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What Child Does

BIRTH—12 MONTHS

Birth—6 Months

Developmental Tips & Checklist

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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Activity Guide Daily Routines BIRTH–3 MONTHS

3–6 MONTHS

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Tummy time should add up to one hour a day, spread out in the day Sing songs about body parts during diaper and clothing changes Support sitting up straight While reading out loud show your baby the pages to spark curiosity

6–9 MONTHS

9–12 MONTHS

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Start tummy to tummy time; work up to 1 minute on tummy, several times a day trying different positions Rock, Bounce, Sing Talk in regular tone of voice, and make a lot of eye contact Massage feet, back, and tummy Start a nightly routine of reading out loud

Practice rolling and reaching on tummy Play hide-and-seek with toys by covering with blanket and letting baby find Play hand games (pat-a-cake, peek-a-boo, clapping) Read together at least twice a day using different voices and sounds to make the story come to life

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While feeding table food, allow baby to pick up small pieces of food to eat Take “touching” walks to feel leaves, tree trunks, flowers Play copy- cat games with sounds and movement Roll and chase balls While reading books practice pointing out colors, animals, or shapes that you see

BIRTH—12 MONTHS

Places to Visit THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE UPSTATE These play-based learning exhibits build approaches to learning, cognitive, and motor development domains!

Babies will enjoy using their sense of touch at the water station and soft surfaces for rolling and crawling.

130 Magnolia St. Spartanburg 864-233-7755 tcmupstate.org/spartanburg

LIBRARY STORYTIME Storytime at the library is a great chance to build social emotional, cognitive, and language domains!

Babies will observe other children, hear new voices and words, and connect the routine of reading with fun.

Spartanburg County Public Libraries 151 S. Church St, Spartanburg 864-596-3500 spartanburglibraries.org

HATCHER GARDEN Take a walk through Hatcher Gardens to build general knowledge, approaches to learning, and language domains! Babies can explore new sights and sounds while learning the names of common plants and animals.

820 John B. White Sr. Blvd. Spartanburg 864-574-7724 www.hatchergarden.org

Learning Success Toolkit Birth­—12 months

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CONNECT WITH US Find us online and hear about upcoming events, parenting tips, and learn more about the resources in the community.

hellofamilyspartanburg.org 864-606-9908 20