8 Preverbal Skills Your Baby Needs to Master Before Saying Their First Word
Is your baby ready to say their first word?
As soon as your baby is born, they start to learn and grow skills called “pre-talking skills” (also called “pre-verbal skills”) that will set the stage for their communication skills later on.
These early communication skills lay the groundwork for language development, social interaction, and emotional connection.
Before your little one says their first word, they’ll need to practice and master these 8 skills:
smiling
understanding language / looking and listening
joint engagement
anticipation
turn-taking
imitation
gestures
vocalizations
Your baby can practice these skills through play and everyday routines.
For example, your baby can grow their anticipation and looking and listening skills by playing peek-a-boo with you! They can also grow their imitation skills by playing clapping games with you!
By encouraging and practicing these skills, you are setting the stage for your baby’s first words.
If you need ideas on how to support each skill, and a breakdown of when to look out for a skill, grab this FREE resource with ways to support each skill with play as your baby grows.
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