Is Your Toddler Meeting Their Speech and Language Milestones? Find Out Here!

As parents of young children, it can be difficult to track all the milestones your toddler should be reaching. One area in particular that can often cause confusion is language development. How many words should your toddler know? When do you expect them to start speaking in full sentences?

It’s easy to become anxious and overwhelmed by all the changes your child goes through during their early years. But don’t worry! In this blog post, we will identify some key language milestones and provide advice on easily navigating these stages. So, take a deep breath – we’re here to help guide you through an exciting language development journey with your toddler!

Language Milestones at Age 1

Typically, your child will say their first 2-3 words after their first birthday. You will likely notice their vocabulary developing around 12-17 months. However, most of your toddler’s communication will be non-verbal during this time, mainly consisting of gestures, “bahs,” “oohs,” and “aahs.”

While most of their speech will be indistinguishable initially, your toddler’s ability to understand you and the world around them will skyrocket during this period.

Your little one will also start imitating the sounds and words that they hear you make. This is where feedback starts to come into play. Let your toddler know that you understand them by repeating the word back to them when you notice they are imitating you. This is a great way to positively reinforce language learning and help them work on their pronunciation.

After the 17-month mark, your child’s vocabulary will start expanding rapidly. They will start asking for their favourite foods, making animal sounds, and using pronouns like “mine.” This is when many toddlers begin putting together 2-word sentences such as “more milk.”

By the time they reach their second birthday, your toddler will have around 50 words in their vocabulary, although their pronunciation will still be rough around the edges.

Language Milestones at Age 2

Your toddler’s second year will be full of language milestones. They will start to understand spatial concepts like “on” or “in” and understand pronouns like “me,” “you,” “I,” or “him.”

Some other words you can expect to hear from your two-year-old are:

· Pretty
· Big
· Mommy
· Daddy
· Milk
· Juice
· Baby
· No
· Yes
· Bye-Bye
· Ball
· Plane
· Cat
· Dog
· Cookie

After turning two, your little one will start using three-word sentences as their vocabulary continues to expand. You will also notice that they start asking more questions and apply the question inflection at the end of their sentence.

Here are what some common sentences from your two-year-old might look like:

· “There dog” (There’s a dog)
· “I see plane” (I see a plane)
· “I fall down” (I fell down)
· “My ball”

Answering simple questions is another change you will notice in your little ones after they turn two. They will also use start using plural words and past tense verbs as their language abilities expand.

Every child develops at a different pace, but if your child isn’t saying more than 25 words or doesn’t form their own two-word phrases, it might be a sign of a speech and language delay.

Language Milestones at Age 3

After your toddler’s third birthday, you will continue noticing advancements in language development. First, they will begin categorizing objects into groups, such as clothes, food, toys, etc. They will also start to identify different colours. This growth will play into their ever-expanding vocabulary and ability to form full sentences.

Some sentence examples you can expect to hear from your three-year-old include:

· “Daddy, get in car”
· “Again, please”
· “I’m [name]”
· “What’s that?”
· “Where’s the button?”
· “I ride my bike”

Another significant change you will see is in their pronunciation. While more difficult sounds won’t be crystal clear, many of their consonant pronunciation will be easily understood by family and even strangers. They will also describe how to use objects like spoons or cars.

Instead of simply repeating common words and phrases they hear, your toddler will start expressing themselves with language and having fun with it. They will enjoy listening to poems and stories and begin to find language absurdities amusing, like “there’s an ostrich on your head.”

If your child’s vocabulary is less than 200 words at age 3, they don’t ask for things by name, or they seem to struggle with pronunciation, this may be an indication of a speech and language delay.

Language Milestones at Age 4

At the age of four, children rapidly emerge into their own little worlds, filled with rich language and interactive capabilities. At this age, they understand complex questions

and spatial concepts such as “behind” or “next to” and can describe how to do things like painting a picture.

They even have developed some understanding of past tense verbs, negotiating more complex words such as ‘hippopotamus’ with minor errors. It’s exciting to witness their ability to communicate through words and list items in categories like animals or vehicles and respond enthusiastically to questions that require explanations of why something occurs.

During this milestone period, toddlers suddenly become wonderfully inquisitive experts on the planet around them.

Here are some sentences that you might hear from your four-year-old:

· “I found my bike by the tree.”
· “Where did mommy go?”
· “There’s a ball under the car.”
· “I fell down and got a owie.”
· “I want juice.”
· “I like your coat, Mommy. It’s soft like my blanky.”

You can expect them to engage in active conversations full of questions about why things are the way they are. They can also discuss how they are feeling and retell their favourite stories in their own words.

Language Milestones at Age 5

By their 5th birthday, children generally understand basic concepts of time, such as what happened first, second, or third. Additionally, many 5-year-olds can follow a series of up to three directions, recognize rhymes and engage in conversations.

Furthermore, children at this age typically craft sentences consisting of eight or more words and can describe complex objects and abstract concepts. They can also use imagination to create stories and correctly use compound and complex sentences when speaking.

Here are some examples of what you might hear from your five-year-old:

· “Jimmy’s dog went to the vet.”
· “I saw a pretty bird today.”
· “My favourite ball is lost.”
· “Why do I have to wear a coat today?”

Five-year-olds will also be a lot more receptive to complex questions like “What did she say?” or “How old is your daddy?”

Meeting Language Milestones

It is important to note that these milestones indicate your child’s increasing language skills, but they do not necessarily guarantee that all children will reach them by the same age. The reality is that some toddlers will take longer to develop language skills, while others will start applying them ahead of schedule.

If you’re looking for a way to help your child unlock the potential of their language skills, individualized sessions can offer the motivation and guidance needed for success. Countless studies show how children’s language development can improve when they receive personalized instruction. If you want to give your child an extra boost that could make all the difference to their communication abilities, book a one-on-one session with me today!