A ten-month-old infant is pulled up to stand and then sits back down, while the caregiver sings "baby goes up, and baby goes down." This activity best achieves which goal?

• A. Building on new ideas and knowledge
• B. Developing gross motor coordination
• C. Expanding vocabulary
• D. Improving attachment

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how infants develop gross motor skills through active, repetitive movement. When the infant is pulled up to stand and then sits back down, they’re practicing essential movements: transferring weight, maintaining balance, and coordinating leg and core muscles to move between positions. This kind of up-and-down action builds muscle strength and motor control, which are key parts of gross motor coordination.

The singing provides a supportive language-and-social cue, but the core developmental impact of this activity is the improvement in physical coordination. While hearing words like up and down can contribute to early language exposure, and the shared song can strengthen caregiver–child bonding, those aspects are not the primary outcome here. Building on new ideas and knowledge is more about cognitive concepts; expanding vocabulary would require noticeable gains in word understanding or production, which isn’t the central effect of this movement activity. Improving attachment can be promoted through responsive interaction, but again, the main skill being developed is motor coordination.