Final answer:
The correct order of prelinguistic vocalization development in infants is crying, followed by cooing, and then babbling (option b). These stages are universal across cultures and are significant for the subsequent development of language skills.
Step-by-step explanation:
The development of prelinguistic vocalizations by infants follows a specific order. The accurate sequence is: crying, which occurs from birth to signal needs; followed by cooing, a one-syllable combination of a consonant and a vowel sound that babies start almost immediately after birth; and finally babbling, which is the repetition of syllables such as 'ma-ma' or 'ba-ba' and starts after cooing. Therefore, the correct order of prelinguistic vocalization development is b) Crying, cooing, babbling.
Infants in all cultures generally follow this sequence of vocal development. As they grow, their gesture usage predicts subsequent language development. Babies are also sensitive to the languages around them and will coo in tones that replicate sounds from their own cultures, highlighting the importance of environmental influence on language development.
These preliminary stages of communication are crucial as they pave the way for the next significant milestones in language development, which include uttering the first meaningful word around the age of 12 months and starting to combine words around 18 months.