• Within a few days of birth - most infants are able to recognize their mother's voice and face. (Kase, 2000. p.50)
• Within a few weeks of birth - most infants are able to recognize their father's voice. (Kase, 2000. p.50)

Of course, these time frames are not exact and may differ greatly from infant to infant. Every step in memory depends on multiple factors. The tendency for babies to recognize their mother's voice before that of their father, for example, may be related to both the fact that they are likely to interact with their mother more than with their father in the first days of life and their hearing range within the womb (where memory begins to set in) is limited, so it would be much more difficult for them to get a "head start" on remembering their father's voice.(Kase, 2000. p.50)

Memory at this level is mostly, if not all, recognition. This is described by cognitive psychologist Jean Piaget. At this age, infants are unaware of the existence of an object they cannot see; they are unable to grasp the concept of object permanence . They are incapable of conjuring up an image of a dog on their own. This concept is critical for memory development. Once object permanence is mastered, it allows the baby to compare and connect new experiences to old ones.

Despite this immaturity, three month old infants are able to distinguish a dog from a cat when they see them. The level of ability in recognition memory at two to eight months of age reflects the IQ score later as a child. (Kase, 2000 .p.50-51)

Suggestions for Parents:

• Imitation (3 months & up) - Try to get your baby to imitate you touching your nose or stacking blocks.
• Peek-a-boo (6 - 9 months) - When playing peek-a-boo, the baby has to remember who is hiding behind the hands. At first, they may take the game seriously and it will be a real learning experience for them. As they get older, this game will become funny to them because they will know you are there.
• Diversify exposure - Don't let your baby get bored with his or her toys.
  • Rotate the toys periodically.
  • Allow your baby to play with the same toy in a different environment (i.e. in the car, a different room, etc.). This helps to reassure them in unfamiliar surroundings, as they associate pleasant memories with the famiiar toy.