Final answer:
The statement that children are alert to their surroundings and attach meaning to gestures is true. They use gestures to communicate before they can speak and develop an understanding of others' mental states as they grow, illustrating their awareness and interpretative abilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement Children are alert to their surroundings and attach meaning to gestures is true. From a developmental psychology perspective, children are in a constant state of learning and deciphering their environment. Even before they have developed spoken language, children demonstrate an awareness of their surroundings and understand and communicate through gestures. Piaget referred to the sensorimotor stage, which lasts until about 2 years old, where children learn through senses and motor behavior. In this stage, development of object permanence and recognition of gestures takes place. Additionally, as children age, theory-of-mind (TOM) develops, allowing them to grasp that others have different thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Thus, children are indeed observant of their surroundings and capable of attaching meaning to gestures.