What really matters- Gesturing to communicate an internal intent. This week Whit begun to point to things in a picture book I read to her and also to things she wanted.  It was not a perfect point with the index finger but when I looked closely, it was the beginnings of a point. Whit also used it to get something such as a toy she likes or to push it away if she doesn't want it.  It is a magical period, Now that she is more in control of her gross and fine motor skills, she can make more precise gestures that help her communicate her intent.  At this age, she may begin to point and grunt at the same time to indicate needs and wants. Whit  can now direct my attention to something she wants to show me.

How to put it into practice- Bridging from Child’s agenda to learning agenda while having fun. I noticed a bunch of different opportunities to nurture Whitney’s early gesturing:

Bedtime Reading- Whit loved to point while we read picture books right before bedtime. I would point with her and name the object she was pointing at.

Mealtime- Whit frequently wanted stuff while eating. Again I would point to a food item she wanted, name it and then give it to her. Sometimes I would even pick the wrong thing on purpose so she would complain and have to tell me No, Dad you got it wrong I want that over there.

Playtime- Toy pointing was also a major opportunity.

As mentioned, I would go from Whitney’s interest in a picture in a book, in a food item or a certain toy to the learning objective of developing her gesturing and communication competence. I would do this by echoing her points with my own at the same object, naming the object and demonstrating my interest and excitement to reinforce her confidence and success in her communications with me. All again while still having a ball.

This is also the period in which I started signing with little Whit. Although she could not produce the signs I was using she could definitely start learning them (remember receptive language is always further along than expressive). See “The Demand Cry & Signing” for more signing advice

Discovering & developing Whit’s story- I noticed how Whit really could use her glance to catch my eye and attention, then glance toward the item of interest. This combined with her little proto-point was a great tool for her to communicate her intent to me and reveal that she understood that she this internal desire or need that I could not see and that she needed to share it with me. And she could!

(read more about I4 Dev Focus: Theory of Mind)