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Description: Caregivers typically use infant-directed speech (IDS), an exaggerated speech register in communication with infants. Infants prefer IDS over adult-directed speech (ADS) and IDS is functionally relevant in child-directed communication. We examined interactions between maternal IDS quality, infants’ preference for IDS over ADS, and the functional relevance of IDS across development. While 6-month-olds showed a preference for IDS over ADS, 13-month-olds did not. Differences in their gaze following behavior based on speech register (IDS vs. ADS) were found across age groups. The degree of infants’ preference for IDS (relative to ADS) was linked to the quality of maternal IDS children were exposed to, although no such relationship was found between gaze following behavior and maternal IDS quality. Taken together, the current study speaks to a dynamic interaction between infants’ preference for different kinds of social signals and the social cues available to them.