ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on typical language development. The language development pyramid is a helpful model for showing the component skills for language development. Attention and listening is the foundation for play. A baby needs to play to learn about the world around them, in order to start to understand language. Social communication skills, which include the use of empathic and reciprocal facial expressions, body language and tone of voice, develop concurrently alongside attention and listening. "Play" is a baby's way of exploring the world around them. They do this through their senses, mainly sight, sound and touch, and with their body movements. Sooner or later, if there are no sensory or motor difficulties, and no social communication difficulties, most babies will have a go at copying the communication behaviours of the adults. This will include talking. All children should be given the opportunity to move on from spoken language to written language.
