Communication beyond words: multimodal language and interactions in early childhood education

Abstract

The objective of this study is to demonstrate how infants, who do not yet communicate verbally, actively participate in relationships with teachers in early childhood education institutions. This work investigates the communication of babies in Early Childhood Education institutions, focusing on multimodal language, which is the combination of gestures, looks, vocalizations, body movements and the use of space and objects. Based on psychoanalysis, multimodal linguistics and studies by Parlato-Oliveira (2019; 2022; 2024; 2025), this study recognizes the baby as a language subject from the first months of life, in which communication precedes and sustains verbal speech. This research was based on qualitative observations recorded in a field diary throughout 2025, analyzing three representative episodes: the body that precedes speech, the gesture as a construction of shared meaning and the listening to silence and the absence of verbal response. Each episode highlights the richness of multimodal interactions and the importance of sensitive listening on the part of professionals, who transform gestures, silences and movements into meaningful bonding and learning experiences.The results highlight that recognizing and embracing multimodal language contributes to constituting subjectivity, developing language and creating more affective, inclusive and interactive educational environments. Therefore, this work reinforces the need for professional training that values ​​attentive listening and interpretation of the baby's multiple forms of communication, reaffirming their condition as an active subject in Early Childhood Education.