Early Signs of Language Development - First Words Start Here

Tamara Gonzalez-Scheulov
Apr 6
4 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

Communication starts long before first words. Many of the early signs that your child is developing language are easy to overlook.

Things like babbling, pointing, waving, and facial expressions are all important steps in learning to talk. In fact, speech-language pathologists consider these behaviors to be key milestones, because they show us that a child is learning how to communicate.

Below is a list of early communication skills to look for and how caregivers can support them at home.

Babbling: The Building Blocks of Speech

Babbling is a major milestone on the path to talking. Babies who babble often, especially between 6 - 12 months, are more likely to begin using first words on time.

There are two types of babble we often look for:

Reduplicated babble:

(typically begins around 6 to 9 months)

Repeating the same sound or syllable, such as “ba-ba-ba” or “da-da-da”.
This is also known as canonical babble and is often the first stage of true speech-like sounds. It means your baby is learning how to coordinate the lips, tongue, and breath to produce clear, repeated syllables.

Variegated babble:

(typically begins around 9 to 12 months)

Mixing different consonant and vowel combinations, like “ba-da-ma” or “go-da-bo”.
This type of babble sounds more like real speech. It shows your baby is gaining control of their articulators and experimenting with more complex sound patterns.
As babies grow, their babbling starts to sound more like real conversation. This is referred to as “jargon.” While the sounds aren’t real words yet, the pitch and rhythm mimic adult speech and show that your child is learning how back-and-forth communication works.
After months of experimenting with different sounds and syllables, many children begin to say their first recognizable words around their first birthday.

Tip for Caregivers:

Take turns like a conversation. Even if your child isn’t using real words yet, treat their babbles like conversation. When they make a sound, pause and respond with your own sound or short word. Turn-taking during babbling is your child’s first practice with how conversations work.

Gestures: Non-Verbal Communication

Before children can speak, they use gestures to communicate needs and ideas. This early form of communication is called non-verbal communication. Gestures like pointing, waving, and showing objects are early building blocks for vocabulary. Here are three common types of gestures:

Pointing and Showing Gestures

(typically begin around 9–12 months)

These are simple, attention-getting gestures like, pointing to show or ask for something, reaching for an object, giving or showing a toy.
These gestures are key tools for initiating joint attention, helping your child direct your focus and show what interests them.

Everyday Social Gestures

(Starts as early as 9 months)

These are socially learned gestures like, waving “hi” or “bye”, nodding “yes”, shaking head “no”, clapping, or blowing kisses.
These are often modeled by adults and used during daily routines and everyday interactions.

Acting Things Out with Gestures

(Emerges around 12 months)

These are symbolic gestures like flapping arms to mean “bird” or placing a hand to the mouth to mean “eat” or flexing their arms to show they’re “strong.”
These gestures show your child is beginning to use symbols to communicate, which is an important step toward using words

Tip for Caregivers:

Model gestures along with your words. For example, wave while saying "hi" or "bye". Over time, your child will start copying these gestures and may even use them before spoken words emerge.

Pointing: A Powerful Communication Tool

Pointing is one of the most important gestures in early development. It usually starts around 9–14 months, and it shows that your child wants to share attention with you (“Look at that bird!”), can make choices (“I want that toy!”), and Is learning how to initiate communication. Speech therapists get really excited about pointing because it shows intentional communication. Your child is learning to direct your attention to something meaningful.

Tip for Caregivers:

Offer a choice. Encourage pointing by holding up two objects and asking,“Which one do you want?” Then pause and wait.

If your child reaches or points, respond right away with excitement and label what they chose.
If your child looks longer at one object or reaches with their whole hand, respond to any effort to communicate - “Oh! You’re reaching for the ball. You want the ball!”. Then gently model pointing to reinforce the gesture without any pressure or expectation for your child to imitate it right away.
If your child doesn’t make a clear choice, go ahead and pick one yourself while modeling language and pointing - "Let’s play with the ball! Ball!". Your child may not copy your pointing and that’s perfectly fine. What matters most is that they see it modeled often in meaningful moments.

Why These Skills Matter

Babbles, gestures, and pointing are essential steps in learning how to talk. If a child is using these tools often, we know they’re actively building the foundation for language.

If your child isn’t saying many words yet, take a moment to notice how they are already communicating. Are they pointing? Babbling? Using gestures? Making eye contact?

These early communication skills are signs that your child is building the foundation for language. Every glance, gesture, and babble is a step toward intentional communication. When you respond, you’re creating the kind of back-and-forth interactions that help language grow

Worried your child isn’t using gestures or babbling much?

Trust your intuition and consider reaching out to a pediatric speech-language pathologist for support. Early intervention can make a big difference.

References:

ASHA. (n.d.). Speech and Language Development. https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/
CDC. (2022). Developmental Milestones. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
Colonnesi, C., Stams, G. J., Koster, I., & Noom, M. J. (2010). The relation between pointing and language development: A meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 30(4), 352–366.
Hirsh-Pasek, K., et al. (2015). The contribution of early communication quality to later language outcomes. Psychological Science, 26(7), 1071–1083.
Iverson, J. M., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2005). Gesture paves the way for language development. Psychological Science, 16(5), 367-371.
Lang, H., Garcia, M. V., & Zaidman-Zait, A. (2019). The role of babbling in speech and language development. Canadian Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, 43(1), 17–28.
Oller, D. K., Eilers, R. E., Neal, A. R., & Schwartz, H. K. (1999). Precursors to speech in infancy: The prediction of speech and language disorders. Journal of Communication Disorders, 32(4), 223-245.
Rowe, M. L., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2009). Early gesture selectively predicts later language learning. Developmental Science, 12(1), 182-187.