16 Gestures by 16 Months

Before first words begin to emerge, children use gestures to communicate with those around them. They may wave when saying, “hello” or “goodbye,” or raise their hands up when wanting to be held. Gestures may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of overall language development but early gesture use has been linked to the correct prediction of a child’s language skills at the age of three. An easy rule of thumb when tracking your child’s gesture use is to remember that children should have 16 gestures by 16 months. Listed below are 16 common early gestures.  

 

Gestures: 

  1. Giving objects to others  

  2. Shaking head for “no” 

  3. Showing objects to others  

  4. Waving 

  5. Open-hand pointing  

  6. Tapping to draw attention to an object  

  7. Clapping 

  8. Blowing a kiss 

  9. Pointing with index finger 

  10. “Shh” with finger to lips 

  11. Nodding head for ”yes” 

  12. Thumbs up 

  13. Hand up for ”wait” 

  14. High five 

  15. Arms up and shrugged shoulders for ”I don't know” 

  16. Peace sign  

 

Gestures begin to appear at 9 months of age and the best way to teach your child to use gestures is to MODEL, MODEL, MODEL. You can use gestures while playing and reading with your child, within your every day routines, and while interacting with others. Choose one or two gestures to model for a couple of weeks and enjoy watching your child observe and begin to practice using them on their own!  

As always, if you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, ProActive is here to help your child THRIVE!  

 

First Words Project. (n.d.). Baby and Toddler Milestones: 16 Gestures by 16 Months. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/developmental-milestones/articles/baby-and-toddler-milestones-16-gestures-16-months#:~:text=At%2015%20months%2C%20you%20see,are%20sharing%20ideas%20with%20others. 

 

Emily Brandt