Why Your One-Year-Old Keeps Pointing at Things
A child approaching their first birthday is in some ways an emerging toddler and in other ways still a baby.
Whether cruising or beginning to walk, your child is lively and more mobile than ever before. Their blossoming imagination means mastering new skills and welcoming new challenges. At this stage, your child will especially want to share recognition in whatever’s catching their interest.
Here's What You Need To Know:
- At this stage, your child will want to share recognition in whatever’s catching their interest.
- Joint attention is key to bonding, as well as an early predictor of vocabulary, and essential for learning language.
- There's much more going on than meets the eye– find out why reading to your little one can help a lot.
Your Budding Chatterbox Wants Your Attention– Joint Attention to be Specific
So, what is this "joint attention" you keep talking about?
Joint attention – when a child and caregiver share attention to an object or location – is a vital part of language development at the one-year mark. At this age, joint attention is a non-verbal cue, such as looking at a book, or pointing at a desired object.
While playing with a toy, for example, your baby might look at you, then the toy, then back to you again. That’s joint attention. An important signal of joint attention that’s likely to emerge is pointing. It’s not as rude as grandma made it out to be. In fact, it's a vital part of your child's communication and social skills.
Let's debrief on what's happening at this stage.
