What to teach children before they learn to talk

While daily activities like taking a bath, walking the dog, or playing with siblings may not be the most obvious time for children to learn language, these routines—especially when embedded with meaningful instruction—can help children communicate with others more effectively.

“When we think of language development—of children learning to talk—we often think of when the child says their first words, when they ask a question, or when they tell us what happened,” said Jenny Brown, a professor and graduate coordinator in the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education.

“These are important language milestones, but what is really neat about language development is that even before those first words are said, children are learning the foundations of language—they are learning important prelinguistic communication skills.”

In a recent article and chapter titled, “What to Teach Before Talking: Developing Communication Skills Across Home and Early Learning Contexts,” Brown and her colleagues explore several communication strategies and support systems parents can use at home to help children build on their current language skills through everyday interactions.

According to Brown, the journey of language acquisition starts with prelinguistic communication, like gestures, vocalizations, and joint attention. Joint attention occurs when children shift their attention between an object or activity and another person. These early behaviors lay the groundwork for children to eventually express themselves through words.

Additionally, embedded instruction, which involves teaching language during everyday activities, is an effective strategy for supporting language development at home. For example, while a toddler is eating dinner, there are multiple opportunities to teach them about the power of communication.

“The everyday ‘stuff’ is full of opportunities to embed communication learning opportunities,” said Brown, who teaches in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education. “Instead of learning to use a point gesture and a sound—and later, the spoken word—to express ‘milk’ in a picture or play object, they learn to use it when they want to ask for milk when having a snack or when they want to comment on seeing milk when dad is putting away the groceries.”

Generally, families and early childhood educators can collaborate to help children foster early communication skills by focusing on:

• Prelinguistic communication: Prioritize early communication skills such as gestures, vocalizations, and joint attention before verbal language emerges. These foundational skills are critical for later language development and social interactions.
• Shared or joint attention: Foster moments when a child shifts attention between an object of interest and a caregiver (e.g., pointing to an airplane and looking at the parent). This interaction supports both communication and social development.
• Embedded instruction: Integrate language learning into daily routines and activities, such as mealtime, bath time, or walking the dog. This provides opportunities for children to practice communication in real-life contexts (e.g., asking for milk during snack time).
• Notice and respond cycle: Observe what a child is focused on and engage with them by imitating their actions or adding gestures, sounds, or words. After adding a response, pause to give the child a chance to take the next step in the interaction (e.g., tapping on a highchair and saying "boom, boom!" after the child taps on their highchair and pausing for a response).
• Early intervention and support: If a child shows fewer or less varied communication behaviors (like gestures or sounds), seek support from speech-language pathologists. Tailor strategies like "notice and respond" to the child’s developmental needs and the family’s priorities.

According to Brown, children who show limited use of gestures, sounds, or joint attention may be at increased likelihood of developmental language disorders, which is why it’s important for parents and caregivers to notice when a child is showing fewer or less varied prelinguistic behaviors.

For parents concerned about their child’s communication skills, a speech-language pathologist can help them choose strategies that align with their child’s current development and lifestyle.

Parents can monitor their children’s communication skills and discover ways to help them by reviewing the communication milestones provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Early intervention can make a difference in helping children develop these foundational skills.

“Developing early foundational prelinguistic expressive communication skills is critical for children to not only communicate currently, but also because of its role in developing social interaction,” said Brown. “Social interaction is pivotal because much of learning of language, as well as other developmental skills, occurs within social interactions.”

“What to Teach Before Talking” was published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Additional authors include Mollie Romano, Christan Coogle, Jennifer Ottley, and Emily Rose.