12d • 📚 LEARNING TOGETHER
From Gestures → Words: What to Do in the Moment
If your child is pointing, reaching, handing you things, or looking back and forth… they’re already communicating.
The goal isn’t to “make” them talk. It’s to show them how words can work the same way their gestures do.
🧠 Why They’re Using Gestures
Kids naturally choose what’s easiest and most efficient.
Right now, gestures are:
- faster
- easier to control
- already working
Speech, on the other hand, is a complex motor skill. It requires coordinating the lips, tongue, jaw, breath, and voice all at once.
So if a child can get their needs met by pointing or gesturing they will.
Our job is not to take gestures away. It’s to add words alongside the gestures so speech becomes just as useful.
👀 Acknowledge First
Start by showing them you understood.
- “Oh, you want UP!”
This keeps communication successful and motivating.
🗣 Model the Word + Gesture Back
Pair their gesture with a simple word.
- Child points → you say: “Ball!” (and point)
- Child reaches → you say: “Up!” (and lift arms)
Keep it simple and tied to their message.
🎶 Use Parentese
Slightly slower, sing-song tone helps highlight the word.
- “Baaaall!”
- “Upppp!”
🔁 Repeat
Repetition helps their brain and body learn the word.
- “Ball! You want the ball? Ball!”
⏸ Pause and Wait
After you model… pause.
Give them a chance to:
- look at you
- try a sound
- gesture again
- imitate
Even a small attempt counts.
You’re teaching:
- “My communication gets a response”
- “There’s a word for what I mean”
- “I can try it too”
That’s how gestures turn into words over time.
If your child is using gestures but not yet talking, they may still be building key communication foundations like shared attention and imitation
Drop a comment with a gesture your child uses and I’ll help you turn it into a word to model 👇
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From Gestures → Words: What to Do in the Moment
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