Final answer:
Introducing simple sign language is an effective activity catering to the speaking component for older infants, as gestures often precede verbal communication and can support cognitive development and language recall.
Step-by-step explanation:
Activities Catering to the Speaking Component for Older Infants
Among the activities designed for older infants to support their speaking skills, introducing simple sign language is a particularly effective strategy. This activity is grounded in research that suggests gesture usage predicts subsequent language development. Babies are known to communicate through gesturing before they can speak. Introducing sign language can facilitate early communication, and since it is processed in different parts of the brain compared to spoken language, it can provide deeper cognitive reinforcement and a greater chance of recall.
Babies, even before they learn to speak, are acutely sensitive to audio-visual synchrony and can recognize their mother's voice from birth. As such, pairing gestures with spoken words enhances language learning. As they grow and start babbling, they replicate sounds from their own languages, setting the stage for their first meaningful words. Simple sign language can act as a bridge for infants to communicate before they acquire the ability to form words and can contribute significantly to the development of their speaking abilities.