Gestures in language acquisition

"Hi there! You know how you use your hands and arms to show your mom and dad what you want or what you mean? Well, when babies start learning to talk, they also start using their hands and body to communicate. This is called gestures.

For example, if a baby wants to be picked up, they may raise their arms to show their parents they want to be held. This helps the baby communicate before they learn to say the words 'pick me up, please.'

Gestures are an important part of language acquisition because they help babies and toddlers learn how to communicate their needs and wants. It also helps them to understand the meaning of words and how to use them in context.

As babies grow and learn more words, they continue to use gestures to communicate. They may point to things they want or make faces to express how they feel. Gestures also help children who are learning a second language because they may not yet know all the words they need to communicate but can use gestures to get their point across.

So, gestures are like a secret language that babies and toddlers use to talk to their moms and dads before they learn to speak in full sentences."