Which developmental milestones are important for speech and language development in infants?

The focus on cooing, babbling, and the emergence of first words is essential for understanding speech and language development in infants. These milestones directly relate to a child's ability to communicate verbally.

Cooing typically begins around 6 to 8 weeks of age, where infants start to produce vowel-like sounds. This stage is important as it helps with the development of vocal cord control and is the groundwork for further vocalization. By around 4 to 6 months, infants start babbling, combining consonant and vowel sounds, which is crucial for practicing the sounds needed for speech. The transition to first words typically occurs between 10 to 14 months and signifies a major leap in language acquisition, allowing the child to express simple ideas or needs.

In contrast, milestones such as walking, running, crawling, or standing are physical in nature and do not directly contribute to the development of speech and language skills. Similarly, drawing and writing skills, while important for literacy development, come later and are not relevant to an infant's early communication development.