Toddler peers: From nonverbal coordinated action to verbal discourse

Twenty-four toddlers (24 months of age) interacted with an adult play partn er who experimentally created two different nonverbal interactive concerts surrounding her: speech to the toddlers. One a nonverbal imitation game, mi micked that hypothesized to facilitate toddlers' discourse with one another . The second mimicked another frequent form of toddler peer interaction, pa rallel play. After establishing the nonverbal context; the adult-verbally d escribed her own or the child's nonverbal action. Being engaged in nonverba l imitation games facilitated toddlers (1) responding verbally to the adult s speech in a topically well-connected way and (2) maintaining topically-co nnected responses over successive turns. Using nonverbal imitative acts, to ddlers appear to nonverbally negotiate a topic for their interactions that facilitates their skill in verbal discourse.