Article published In:
Gesture and Multimodal DevelopmentEdited by Jean-Marc Colletta and Michèle Guidetti
[Gesture 10:2/3] 2010
► pp. 129–149
Edited by Jean-Marc Colletta and Michèle Guidetti
[Gesture 10:2/3] 2010
► pp. 129–149
Pointing gesture in young children
Hand preference and language development
This paper provides an overview of recent studies that have investigated the development of pointing behaviors in infants and toddlers. First, we focus on deictic gestures and their role in language development, taking into account the different hand shapes and the different functions of pointing, and examining the cognitive abilities that may or may not be associated with the production of pointing gestures. Second, we try to demonstrate that when a distinction is made between pointing gestures and manipulative activities, the study of children’s hand preference can help to highlight the development of speech-gesture links.
Keywords: toddlers, gestural communication, handedness, pointing, speech-gesture system
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