This morning, my six-year-old came into our bedroom and started reading a story from a book. She followed each word on the page, slowly forming full sentences. Sometimes she stumbled and asked for help with some “funny words,” but by the end of the book, she had told us a story about a bear in the snow.

Verbal communication is one of the many reasons why humans have become so successful as a species. From warning each other of danger to communicating complex information, our ability to speak has been crucial.