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Did You Know That There Are Skills a Child Needs to Master Before Using Words?
- Maried Roman
- Jan 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 3
A child’s first birthday is an exciting milestone for any parent, filled with joy and anticipation. One of the most eagerly awaited moments is hearing a child’s first words. However, it’s important to understand that before a child can produce their first word, their cognitive, social, sensory, and motor systems must be developmentally ready.
In other words, there are essential skills that must be in place before a child can begin to speak. These are known as prelinguistic skills. Let’s explore what they are and how you can support your child in developing them.
What Are Prelinguistic Skills?
Prelinguistic skills are a set of social and cognitive abilities that form the foundation for language development. As these skills improve, a child becomes more prepared to understand and use words.
Sometimes, a child may not yet be developmentally ready for words, making it essential to focus on these underlying abilities first. If your little one is not yet speaking, evaluating these foundational skills is critical.
1. Object Permanence
What It Is: Understanding that objects, toys, and people exist even when they’re not in view.
Examples: Playing peek-a-boo, searching for a hidden toy.
Why It Matters: This skill is an important cognitive milestone and is considered the foundation for memory. It’s also a crucial step in understanding that words (language) can represent things not immediately visible. Developing this skill helps build the cognitive foundation needed for more complex play.
2. Cause and Effect
What It Is: Recognizing that actions produce specific results.
Examples: Pressing a button to make a toy light up or shaking a rattle to hear a sound.
Why It Matters: Through this skill, babies learn intentionality—understanding that their actions (and words) can influence their environment.
3. Joint Attention
What It Is: The ability to share attention with another person while focusing on the same object or activity.
Examples: Looking at a toy and then back at a parent during play.
Why It Matters: This skill is critical for social interaction and learning. The ability to shift visual attention between an object and a caregiver is essential for social and language development.
4. Imitation
What It Is: Copying actions, gestures, and sounds.
Examples: Mimicking clapping, waving, or babbling sounds.
Why It Matters: Imitation is a cornerstone of language learning and social interaction.
5. Play Skills
What It Is: Engaging with toys in purposeful and imaginative ways.
Examples: Exploring toys, stacking blocks, or pretend cooking.
Why It Matters: Play encourages creativity, problem-solving, and social bonding. Play evolves in complexity as language skills develop.
6. Problem-Solving Skills
What It Is: Finding solutions to challenges through exploration and persistence.
Examples: Retrieving a toy from under the couch or sorting toys in a box.
Why It Matters: This skill fosters cognition and adaptability. Problem-solving teaches persistence and finding alternative solutions when initial attempts don’t work.
7. Communicative Intent
What It Is: Using gestures, sounds, or expressions to convey needs or desires.
Examples: Pointing to a toy, reaching up to be picked up.
Why It Matters: This ability lays the groundwork for utilizing words in communication.
How VOZ Therapy Services Can Help
If your baby or toddler is struggling, consider an evaluation from a specialist. Speech and language pathologists use guidelines to identify potential delays, considering factors like culture, linguistic diversity, and neurodiversity (ASHA).
VOZ Therapy Services specializes in identifying and nurturing essential skills in young children. Our play-based, child-centered approaches support each child's developmental journey, working closely with families to promote growth and communication confidence.
Whether addressing speech delays or ensuring developmental progress, VOZ Therapy Services focuses on prelinguistic skills to lay the foundation for effective communication and lifelong learning.
Bilingual Speech Therapy Services in Lake Nona and Orlando Areas
Contact VOZ Therapy Services today to schedule an evaluation or learn more about our specialized therapy programs. Together, we can help your child reach their full potential!
📞 407-243-8832
References:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Social communication benchmarks. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/social-communication-disorder/social-communication-benchmarks/
Gaines, B. H. & Wetherby, A. M. (1982). Cognition and language development in autism. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 47(1), 63-70. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.4701.63
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