Preverbal communication describes the period before an infant uses recognizable words to express themselves. This foundational stage is active, as infants develop the cognitive and physical mechanisms required for later speech. Before speaking their first word, children use sounds, gestures, and behaviors that lay the groundwork for language acquisition. Understanding this initial phase is a primary step in supporting a child’s journey toward language.
Defining Preverbal Communication
Preverbal communication encompasses all the ways an infant communicates without relying on spoken language. The earliest forms include non-speech vocalizations such as crying, which signals a need, and vegetative sounds like coughing or burping. These sounds provide initial practice in controlling the infant’s vocal apparatus.
A child also uses physical methods to interact, including facial expressions, eye contact, and imitation. Gestures become intentional tools as the infant develops, progressing from simple reaching to actions like pointing or waving. These actions allow a child to express wants or share interest with a caregiver.
A primary skill developed during this phase is joint attention, the shared focus of two individuals on an object or event. For example, when an infant looks at a toy and then looks back at a parent, they establish a shared reference point. This ability to coordinate attention between a person and an object is a fundamental prerequisite for learning that words map to specific things in the world.
Key Stages in Preverbal Development
The progression of an infant’s sound production follows a predictable, chronological timeline that practices speech motor planning. This journey begins with cooing (two to four months), characterized by simple, open-vowel sounds like “ooh” and “ahh,” typically produced when the infant is content.
Between four and six months, the infant enters vocal play, experimenting with the extremes of their voice by producing squeals, growls, and varying pitch and volume. This is followed by marginal babbling, which incorporates simple consonant-vowel combinations like “ba” or “da.”
Canonical babbling begins around six to ten months, marked by the repetition of the same consonant-vowel syllable, such as “ba-ba-ba.” This demonstrates the infant’s ability to coordinate the jaw, lips, and tongue rhythmically. Later, variegated babbling appears, mixing different sounds, and jargon emerges, consisting of long strings of syllables with the intonation and rhythm of real speech.
How Caregivers Foster Language Readiness
The adult’s response to an infant’s preverbal attempts influences the child’s language development. Caregivers engage in responsive interaction, often described as “serve and return,” where the child initiates communication and the adult responds promptly, teaching the child that their actions have communicative power.
Adults frequently use infant-directed speech, sometimes called “parentese,” which involves a higher pitch, exaggerated intonation, and slower tempo. This helps infants tune in to the sounds of language, making word boundaries clearer. Studies show that using parentese correlates with increased infant vocalizations and a larger vocabulary.
Caregivers also establish conversational turn-taking by leaving deliberate pauses after the infant’s vocalizations. By waiting for the child to respond, the adult models the rhythm and back-and-forth nature of dialogue. This early practice in conversational rhythm is a precursor to later verbal exchanges.
Recognizing Typical Preverbal Milestones
Observing a child’s progress through preverbal milestones provides an early indication of typical development. By three months, a child should be able to smile at people and quiet or smile in response to a familiar voice. Laughter and turning the head toward sounds are milestones observed between four and six months.
The consistent use of canonical babbling, such as “ba-ba,” should be present by around nine months. By twelve months, children use intentional gestures, such as pointing to request an item or draw attention to an object. Failure to develop these observable skills by the expected age may suggest a need for further evaluation.
Parents should consult a pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist if a child:
- Shows a lack of eye contact.
- Does not respond consistently to their name by nine months.
- Exhibits no babbling by nine to ten months.
- Shows any regression in communication skills, such as a loss of previously acquired sounds or gestures.