Why pointing matters: Unpacking the power of this simple gesture
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Why pointing matters: Unpacking the power of this simple gesture

As a speech and language therapist, I’m often asked about the significance of seemingly simple gestures in child development. One question that comes up frequently is, ‘Why is pointing so important?’ It might seem like a trivial action, but pointing is a powerful communication tool and a critical milestone in a child’s development.

Why is pointing so important?

Let’s delve into the theory behind why pointing matters:

1. Pointing as pre verbal communication:

Before children can use words, they use gestures to communicate their needs and interests. Pointing is one of the earliest and most important gestures. It allows children to:

  • Request: ‘I want that!’
  • Protest: ‘No, not that!’
  • Direct attention: ‘Look at that!’
  • Share interest: ‘Wow, cool!’

2. Pointing and language development:

Pointing is not just about communicating in the here and now; it also plays a crucial role in language development. Research shows that:

  • Early pointing predicts later language skills: Children who point more often tend to have larger vocabularies and better grammar later on.
  • Pointing helps children learn new words: When children point at something, adults tend to label it, providing valuable language input.
  • Pointing supports joint attention: Joint attention, or the shared focus of two individuals on an object or event, is essential for language learning. Pointing helps establish joint attention, creating opportunities for communication and learning.

3. Pointing and social-emotional development:

Pointing is not just about language; it’s also about social interaction. It allows children to:

  • Engage with others: Pointing invites others to share their focus and participate in their world.
  • Express emotions: Pointing can convey excitement, curiosity, or concern.
  • Develop social understanding: By observing how others respond to their pointing, children learn about social cues and communication.

4. Pointing and cognitive development:

Pointing is linked to cognitive skills, such as:

  • Understanding object permanence: The ability to know that objects exist even when they are out of sight.
  • Categorisation: The ability to group similar objects together.
  • Problem-solving: Pointing can be used to ask for help or to indicate a problem.

5. Types of Pointing:

It’s important to note that there are different types of pointing, each with its own significance:

  • Imperative pointing: To request something.
  • Declarative pointing: To share interest or direct attention.
  • Informative pointing: To provide information.

If you have concerns about your child’s pointing or overall communication development, don’t hesitate to seek professional guidance from a speech-language therapist. Early intervention can make a significant difference in supporting your child’s communication journey.

How can we create opportunities for pointing?

  • ‘Where’s the…?’ games:
    • Play games like ‘Where’s the doggy?’ or ‘Where’s the ball?’ and encourage your toddler to point to the object.
    • Start with familiar objects and gradually introduce new ones.
  • Reading together:
    • When reading picture books, ask your toddler to point to specific objects or characters on the page.
    • Use phrases like, ‘Can you point to the puppy?’
  • Everyday activities:
    • During daily routines, ask your toddler to point to things they want or need.
    • For example, ‘Do you want the apple or the banana?’
    • When walking outside say ‘LOOK’ and encourage pointing.
  • Use of toys:
    • Use toys that have buttons or points of interest that when pressed make a noise. Encourage your toddler to point to the area that makes the noise.
    • Use toys that have many different parts, and ask the toddler to point to a specific part.

Model pointing:

  • Point yourself:
    • When you see something interesting, point to it and say the name of the object.
    • For example, ‘Look! A bird!’
  • Point to show choices:
    • When offering choices, point to each item as you name it.
    • For example, ‘Do you want the blue cup or the red cup?’ (Point to each cup).
  • Point to indicate direction:
    • When giving directions, point in the direction you want your toddler to go.
    • For example, ‘Let’s go that way!’ (Point).

Make it rewarding:

  • Respond to pointing:
    • When your toddler points, immediately respond to their communication.
    • Give them the object they want, or acknowledge what they are pointing at.
  • Use positive reinforcement:
    • Praise and encourage your toddler when they point.
    • Say things like, ‘Good pointing!’ or ‘You showed me the car!’
  • Show excitement:
    • When they point to something, show excitement, this will encourage them to point again.

Use specific techniques:

  • Use gestures and verbal cues:
    • Combine pointing with verbal cues and other gestures.
    • For example, say ‘Look!’ while pointing and nodding your head.
  • Simplify the environment:
    • Reduce distractions to help your toddler focus on the object you want them to point to.
  • Use exaggerated movements:
    • Use large, exaggerated pointing movements to draw your toddler’s attention.

Consider developmental factors:

  • Age-appropriate expectations:
    • Remember that pointing develops at different rates for different children.
    • Be patient and supportive.
  • Underlying issues:
    • If your toddler is not pointing by 18 months, or if you have any concerns about their development, consult with a speech and language therapist.
    • There may be underlying sensory or motor issues.

Key points:

  • Consistency is key. Practise these strategies regularly.
  • Make it fun and engaging for your toddler.
  • Celebrate every success, no matter how small.
  • If you have any concerns about your child’s development, contact your local health services.

Great toys and items for pointing

1. Interactive books:

  • Touch-and-feel books: Books with different textures, flaps to lift, and sounds encourage interaction and pointing. ‘Where’s the…?’ questions prompt pointing to specific features.
  • Books with simple pictures: Clear, uncluttered pictures make it easier for toddlers to focus and point to objects or characters.

2. Cause-and-effect toys:

  • Activity cubes: These often have buttons, dials, and levers that produce sounds or actions when manipulated, prompting pointing and exploration.
  • Pop-up toys: Toys where figures pop up or things happen when a button is pressed encourage anticipation and pointing to the action.
  • Simple musical instruments: A toy piano, drum, or xylophone encourages pointing to the keys/surfaces to make sounds.

3. Toys with parts to manipulate:

  • Shape sorters: Encourage pointing to the shapes and the matching holes.
  • Stacking cups or rings: Nesting cups or stacking rings invite pointing to select the correct size or order.
  • Puzzles with knobs: Simple puzzles with large knobs are easier for toddlers to grasp and point to the pieces.

4. Toys that encourage joint attention:

  • Bubbles: Blowing bubbles and following them with your eyes and pointing encourages joint attention (shared focus).
  • Balls: Rolling a ball back and forth and pointing to where it’s going can promote joint attention and turn-taking.
  • Wind-Up Toys: Wind-up toys that move across the floor can be exciting to follow with pointing.

5. Pretend play toys:

  • Toy telephones: Encourage pointing to the buttons and pretending to dial.
  • Dolls and stuffed animals: Pointing to the doll’s eyes, nose, mouth, etc., or asking the child to point to these features on themselves.
  • Toy food and dishes: Pretend play with food and dishes can involve pointing to request items or indicate actions (e.g., ‘Can I have the apple?’).

Tips for using toys to encourage pointing:

  • Get involved: Play alongside your toddler, modelling pointing and using language to describe what you’re doing.
  • Follow their lead: Observe what your child is interested in and use that to encourage pointing.
  • Limit distractions: Reduce background noise and visual clutter to help your child focus.
  • Use gestures and words: Combine pointing with words and other gestures (e.g., ‘Look!’ while pointing).
  • Be patient and positive: Celebrate all attempts at pointing and provide lots of encouragement.

Remember, the most important factor is the interaction you have with your child while playing. Use these toys as tools to create opportunities for communication and joint attention, and your toddler will be well on their way to mastering pointing!

Get in touch with me via my contact form if you need support

Sonja McGeachie

Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapist

Feeding and Dysphagia (Swallowing) Specialist The London Speech and Feeding Practice

The London Speech and Feeding Practice


Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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Connecting

Connecting with children in Speech and Language Therapy

A deep and meaningful relationship

In the realm of Speech and Language Therapy, connecting with a child goes far beyond the mechanics of language and articulation. It’s about fostering a deep, meaningful relationship that nurtures growth, builds confidence, and unlocks the potential for effective communication.

As Speech and Language Therapists we embrace this art and invest in building authentic connections. We want to pave the way for children to embark on a path of communication success that will resonate throughout their lives.

Establishing rapport and trust is the foundation upon which effective communication and progress are built. In this blog, we explore the significance of making a connection with a child as an integral part of Speech and Language Therapy. We look at strategies, benefits, and the transformative impact it can have on a child’s journey to communication success.

The importance of connection

Every child is a unique individual with their own personality, experiences, and challenges. Recognising and respecting these individual differences lay the groundwork for forming a connection that goes beyond the clinical setting. A strong therapeutic alliance encourages a child to open up, engage actively in sessions, and make greater strides in their speech, language and communication development.

Strategies I use for establishing connection

Face to Face:

I always aim to get down and dirty: I sit on the floor with a child or at a low level so that it is easy for a child to look at me, even for a brief moment, here and there. When sitting at a table I position the child so that they can make eye contact with me should they be so inclined. Important: not every child wants to make eye contact! We must not be too focused on a child looking at our face or into our eyes. Sometimes some individuals find this disconcerting and off putting. They would rather look at what they are doing, and that does not mean that they are not aware of you or not listening!

Active listening:

I devote my full attention to the child. This demonstrates that they are important and that I am genuinely interested in their world. This is not always possible for longer periods of time, but I aim for 3-10 minutes of top-quality time before I might have a little break. I would encourage all parents and caregivers to try this out for 1 , then 2, then 3 minutes: turn off your phone and be 100% with your child no matter what. You will see your child really appreciates your undivided attention.

Shared interests:

I try to discover and engage in activities, topics, or hobbies that resonate with the child.

Play-based learning:

Play is a big part of all Speech and Language Therapy sessions. This is because it is a child’s natural mode of communication and all learning comes through play and fun.

Respect for autonomy:

Encouraging a child’s autonomy is important. Where possible, I involve children in decision-making about session goals, activities, and approaches. This also makes sessions more motivating for the child.

As the connection strengthens, communication barriers begin to dissolve. Children are more inclined to take risks (challenges that are within their reach), try new sounds or words, and explore new ways of doing things.

Long-term progress:

A solid connection sets the stage for ongoing progress. The child is more likely to continue practicing and engaging in speech, language and communication exercises outside of therapy, leading to sustained improvements.

The transformation that can occur through a strong therapeutic connection is nothing short of remarkable. A child who once hesitated to communicate might now eagerly share their thoughts and ideas. Those struggling with speech sounds before might gain the confidence to practise them frequently and thus master them. The bond forged between the child and the Speech and Language Therapist becomes a source of motivation, encouragement, and resilience.

Please get in touch!


Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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A child playing with a spade in the soil
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Some ideas to encourage communication

Coming up with ideas for supporting your child’s speech, language and communication can be difficult especially during the holidays. All these activities are easy to implement and can be adapted to your child’s age and stage of development.

Some activities to support your family through the summer:

1. Create a story book / photo book of what you’ve been up to over the holidays

Collect photos of everyday activities and stick them into a file. You can print them out or you could just look at them on your phone or tablet. Create good little sentences or words / phrases for each picture: yummy ice cream / eating pizza / digging the sand / a sandcastle with mum.

This enables your child to develop

  • their attention and listening
  • sequencing of events
  • expressive language (talking)
  • and conversational skills.

2. Explore the outside world (e.g., water the flowers, dig in the soil)

Depending on your child’s language level keep it very simple: single words or short phrases. Or you could practise concepts such as ‘pronouns’: he is eating an ice cream / we are splashing in the pool / she is riding a bike.

3. Splashing in a paddling pool

This is a great activity to build attention. You can call “splash, splash, splash”, “ready steady go splish splash splosh”, ”pour pour pour”, “stir stir you’re stirring”.

Offer different sized containers. This is often so powerful and keeps your child occupied for a nice long time. No need to buy anything special: just bring out your kitchen utensils and some Tupperware containers.

4. Blow bubbles

Bubbles are a fantastic way to engage children. You can play ‘stop and go’ games, take turns and practise key concepts such as ‘under – blow bubbles under my hand’. Your child can practise their expressive language, creating sentences such as ‘blowing bubbles in the pool’.

5. Draw with chalk on pavement slabs to encourage speech sound production or just general nice communication

Use chalk outside to draw a ladder. Your child can practise their speech sound production without even realising it! You can go first to model the sound if needed. Drawing anything onto the pathway with coloured chalk can be really fun.

Afterwards you can wash the pathway and again there is lots of vocabulary you could use there to help your little one practise speech sounds. For example, if your child is practising the word “YELLOW” (as many of my children do) you can draw lots of little yellow things and then name them together:

  • yellow banana
  • yellow flower
  • yellow submarine
  • yellow balloon

You get the idea!

6. Walk in nature. Comment on what you see, smell, hear and feel

Make the most of where you live. Go for a walk. You can sing songs along your walk or comment about what you see, smell, hear and feel. For example: I hear the birds, they are singing; I smell the sea and can hear the waves crashing against the rocks. Make sure your comments are appropriate for the age and stage of your child.

7. Sing songs

This is a lovely way to get your child hearing language, rhyme and rhythm. You can take turns, and fill in the missing words such as “heads, shoulders, knees and ______”.

8. Word games (such as ISpy)

The beauty of this game is that it can be played anywhere and everywhere! The importance is that these word games develop phonological awareness (the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words).

Contact me for speech, language and communication support.


Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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