10 Ways to Promote Prelinguistic Skills at Home

What Are Prelinguistic Skills? Why Are They Important?

Prelinguistic skills are the building blocks of communication. They help babies learn how to engage with others, process language, and develop social connections. Strong prelinguistic skills are associated with later success in speech and language development. Babies who actively engage in joint attention, gestures, vocal play, and imitation are more likely to develop clear and effective communication skills as they grow. By supporting these early abilities, you are helping your child build the foundation for understanding and using words, following conversations, and engaging in meaningful interactions.

10 Ways to Promote Prelinguistic Skills at Home

• Use Animated Facial Expressions: Exaggerate your expressions when talking to your baby to capture their attention and encourage engagement. Babies are naturally drawn to expressive faces, and this helps them learn social cues and emotions.

  
  

• Encourage Joint Attention: Point to objects, follow your baby’s gaze, and name what they’re looking at to build shared attention.

  
  

• Imitate Your Baby’s Sounds and Actions: If your baby babbles, repeat their sounds back to encourage vocal play and turn-taking.

  
  

• Play Social Games: Games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake teach turn-taking and shared enjoyment.

  
  

• Engage in Mirror Play: Sit in front of a mirror with your baby and make faces, encouraging them to watch, smile, and imitate your expressions.

  
  

• Pause and Wait for a Response: Give your baby time to process and respond in interactions, even if it’s just a glance or sound.

  
  

• Encourage Gestures: Use and model gestures like waving, clapping, and pointing to help your baby learn to communicate before words.

  
  

• Create Predictable Routines: Repeating familiar songs, phrases, or actions helps babies anticipate and participate in interactions.

  
  

• Follow Your Baby’s Lead: Observe what interests your baby and engage with them by commenting, smiling, or joining in their play.

  
  

• Sing Interactive Songs: Songs like “If You’re Happy and You Know It” or “The Wheels on the Bus” encourage gestures and participation.

Prelinguistic skills are the building blocks of your baby's communication journey. By focusing on building skills like joint attention, communicative intent, and shared enjoyment, you can help your baby develop the skills they need to understand and use language. The best part? Supporting these skills doesn’t require special tools or expensive toys, just lots of loving interaction, play, and responsiveness to your baby’s cues.

If you have concerns about your baby’s communication milestones, contact Taylor Rowe Speech-Language Therapy today!