Your young child is born with the ability to communicate. While he can't create words or sentences, he does communicate with you. Your child communicates with you so he can get his physical and emotional needs met--he lets you know when he's hungry, tired, has a wet diaper and when he needs to be loved.
Listening
Young children, from infancy on, listen to you and pay attention to your words and tone. While it may not seem as if your child is learning, she is--before she reaches her first birthday, she will be able to distinguish the sounds of your speech. Once she becomes comfortable with this, she will begin to listen more closely to the sounds of your own language, be it English, Spanish or German, writes PBS.org.
Your baby focuses intently on your face as you communicate with her. She'll recognize your voice, being able to pick it out from other adult voices in the room. She's sensitive to changes in tone, volume, pitch and intonation.
Mimic Facial Expressions
As you play and talk with your baby, he will mimic your facial expressions, gestures and sounds. If you purse your lips or open your eyes wide, he'll do the same, carrying on a "conversation" with you. As he gets older, he will begin to imitate and repeat consonant and vowel sounds, writes PBS.org.
As he does so, respond so he knows you're tuned into what he's "saying" to you. For instance, if he stretches his arms out to you, reach back out to him, pick him up, cuddle and kiss him, recommends the Zero to Three website.
Nonverbal Communication
Your young child uses nonverbal communication to let you know what her needs are. An infant instinctively nuzzles her mother's breast when she is hungry. As she does so, she is communicating her physical need to you, according to the Zero to Three website.
An older baby can also use nonverbal communication, smearing the remains of her food all over her high chair tray. Or she turns her mouth away from the spoon her mother is holding out to her, as if to say, "No more. I'm full."
Play Acting
Your young toddler or preschooler has an active imaginary life. According to the Zero to Three website, children express themselves more freely when engaged in imaginary play. Your child may attribute an emotion he is feeling to his favorite stuffed toy, rather than admit to that feeling.
Toddlers often use imaginary or pretend play to try out different roles--such as mommy or daddy--so they can act out what you say, do or think.
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