Huron Regional Medical Center

Speech Development: Is Your Toddler on Track?

IN TODDLERS' HEALTH

Hearing your baby’s first words is a very exciting event in your child’s development. The most intensive period of speech and language development for humans is during the first three years of life when the brain matures at a rapid rate, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (www.nidcd.nih.gov). Babies vary in their linguistic development. For example, the legendary Noble Prize winning physicist Albert Einstein is widely reported to have been slow to speak as a toddler. He was beyond two years of age before he spoke his first words, and they came out as a complete sentence. That account could be a myth or exaggeration, but according to the NIDCD these standard markers that can help you determine if your child is on the right track. By 14 months your child should
  • respond to one-step verbal commands
  • speak gibberish
  • use one to six words beyond “da-da” or “ma-ma”
By 18 months your child should
  • use close to 15 words
  • join simple words together
  • understand simple verbs like “eat” and “sleep”
By 20 months your child should
  • use six to 50 words regularly
  • refer to himself or herself by name
By 24 months your child should
  • use two-word combinations
  • understand yes or no questions
  • identify one item in a book verbally
  • understand that words symbolize objects, actions, and thoughts
  • use at least 50 words
  • be understood at least 50 percent of the time
By 30 months your child should
  • combine words often
  • follow a two-step verbal command
  • identify two to four pictures verbally
  • know nearly 270 words
  • name six body parts
  • say nursery rhymes or sing songs
By 36 months your child should
  • be able to speak so that most words are comprehensible to others
  • use pronouns such as he, she, they
  • follow a two- or three-part command
  • use four- or five-word sentences
Between the ages of two and six, your child will learn about eight words each day, but it’s important to remember that everyone learns at a different pace. Stay involved in your child’s language development, and consult with your physician if you feel your toddler might be developmentally behind.

Listening and Learning: Tips to Encourage Your Child’s Speech Development
Babies learn more about speech, language, and communication from their parents than from anyone else. That’s why it’s important to nurture the relationship you have with your children and interact with them every day. Here are a few ways to help your children develop their language skills.
  • Read to them every day.
  • Don’t use “baby” words. Instead, use the correct names of people, places, and things.
  • Encourage them to talk by using descriptive speech. When they say “dog,” respond with, “Yes, I see the big brown dog.”
  • Don’t talk for your children. Foster communication by asking simple questions.
  • Speak slowly and clearly.
  • Don’t constantly correct when your children mispronounce words.
  • Praise your children for using words correctly.
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