Shared Attention

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    Why pointing matters: Unpacking the power of this simple gesture

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding

    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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    Developing Joint Attention

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding
    Image by Freepik

    Joint attention skills — what are they and how can we facilitate those?

    Most of us want to make friends, connect with others and bond with a friend or be part of a community. To do so we need to develop an important social skill which is: initiating, responding to, and maintaining ‘shared/joint attention’ with another. When we can do this, we are able to focus on the same thing with another person or a group of people: music, hobbies, sport, art, books, toys, games or memories: remember when we did x y z…

    Many children who struggle with speech and language development are not able to share or hold attention with another person very easily. My latest blog is all about what we can do to help our children develop Joint Attention.

    So to re-cap, joint or shared attention happens when one person gets the other’s attention by either words, or gestures like pointing to something and saying ‘OMG look over there!’ – both people look at that same thing.

    What does it take to have or develop this skill?

    We need to first of all find something of interest that captivates our own attention. This part is usually not difficult for most people or children.

    Then, crucially, we need to direct our focus away from what we find interesting, for long enough to get another person’s attention onto the same topic. This could be just seconds or it could be longer if we are very determined and good at embracing others into our experience. But if we are not then it must not take longer than seconds!

    Let me give an example: if someone is in the room with me whilst I see something strange out the window, I would take that second to draw their attention to it. However, I might not be bothered to run upstairs and find someone only to show them something odd outside in the road. If I am very bored, I might do! But as I am rarely bored it is unlikely. So, unless someone else is right here with me, they are not going to be part of that particular experience, I would not share it.

    Back to our child: if we make it difficult for a child who is not naturally inclined to share an interest then it is not going to happen. We must be ready, and right there for our child to have that fleeting second to look at us before returning to their hobby/interest.

    This skill ‘to share a moment’ tends to develop around 12 months of age and starts with a child pointing to things. Prior to that, our child might give us something or come to show us a thing. Joint attention underpins language skills and is strong predictors of later language development (Law et al, 2017).

    What are the signs that my child is struggling with Joint Attention?

    • Tunes out or does not respond when I call their name
    • Cannot follow my suggestions for games or toys/play activities
    • Does not point to anything of interest, like a truck passing by, or an aeroplane in the sky
    • Ignores or does not respond to what I say, does not follow instructions, only when he/she wants to

    What can I do to help with this?

    Here are some ideas you can follow in no particular order – see which one sticks:

    1. Get down to your child’s eye/face level, we call it ‘face to face’. It does not require your child to make eye contact with you but they might just do so more easily if you are ‘just there’ and don’t have to crook their neck to look up at you. When reading a book with your child, instead of sitting behind try sitting opposite him/her.
    2. Mirror play – making funny faces together in a mirror can be fun.
    3. COPY your child: top tip!! Imitate your child’s vocalisations and actions. Even if these are repetitive, just enjoy the ride.
    4. Follow your child and let your child take the lead in the play activity. What does that look like? The adult has no agenda, does not want to teach, to ask questions (see point number 9) does not want to direct or show the child how to ‘do it better/differently’ – instead accept that the child is the boss when it comes to their play and take their lead in how a toy should be played with.
    5. Hold up objects to your face or at eye level so that your child can see your face and the item at the same time.
    6. Be the ‘funniest thing’ in the room; be hugely entertaining, watchable and offer the ‘irresistible invitation’ to look at you or play with you.
    7. Offer PEOPLE TOYS (any toy where another person is needed to have fun) so: wind-up toys, bubbles, anything that needs opening or holding or doing which is tricky for the child to do alone. I always try and hide the buttons that make something ‘go’ so that my child needs to come back to me for ‘more/again’.
    8. Do PEOPLE GAMES – as above really but games that do not need a toy, that need another person to have fun: being swung round, row row the boat, being pushed on a swing etc.
    9. REDUCE ASKING QUESTIONS – this is my favourite top tip!!! Instead of asking lots of questions try and make simple statements/comments on what is happening so there is absolutely no pressure on your child to ‘perform’. Equally, silence is actually golden sometimes! An odd bit of advice from a speech therapist? Try sitting with your child, next to them or opposite and just don’t talk but simply BE… yes easier said than done, I do know this. Turn off your phone (OMG did I just say that!?) yes, please turn it off and just be with your child for a little while, just like a comfy buddy who is just enjoying their company with no agenda. You might be very surprised how your child suddenly seeks you out!

    I will write about more ideas on this in my next blog so look out for more play ideas to encourage Joint Attention.

    Most important, try and have fun with your child. Think about what is fun for her or him. And make it EASY for your child, remember unless you are ‘right there’ it might not happen so easily.

    Happy New Year!

    If you need help with your child, please do not hesitate to contact me.

    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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