Language Development
Children go through a number of different stages as language develops, from the earliest stage of producing cooing sounds through being able to produce complex, multi-word sentences.
By age one
Milestones
- Recognizes name
- Says 2-3 words besides “mama” and “dada”
- Imitates familiar words
- Understands simple instructions
- Recognizes words as symbols for objects: Car – points to garage, cat – meows
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Respond to your child’s coos, gurgles, and babbling
- Talk to your child as you care for him or her throughout the day
- Read colorful books to your child every day
- Tell nursery rhymes and sing songs
- Teach your child the names of everyday items and familiar people
- Take your child with you to new places and situations
- Play simple games with your child such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”
Between one and two
Milestones
- Understands “no”
- Uses 10 to 20 words, including names
- Combines two words such as “daddy bye-bye”
- Waves good-bye and plays pat-a-cake
- Makes the “sounds” of familiar animals
- Gives a toy when asked
- Uses words such as “more” to make wants known
- Points to his or her toes, eyes, and nose
- Brings object from another room when asked
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Reward and encourage early efforts at saying new words
- Talk to your baby about everything you’re doing while you’re with him
- Talk simply, clearly, and slowly to your child
- Talk about new situations before you go, while you’re there, and again when you are home
- Look at your child when he or she talks to you
- Describe what your child is doing, feeling, hearing
- Let your child listen to children’s records and tapes
- Praise your child’s efforts to communicate
Between two and three
Milestones
- Identifies body parts
- Carries on ‘conversation’ with self and dolls
- Asks “what’s that?” And “where’s my?”
- Uses 2-word negative phrases such as “no want”.
- Forms some plurals by adding “s”; book, books
- Has a 450 word vocabulary
- Gives first name, holds up fingers to tell age
- Combines nouns and verbs “mommy go”
- Understands simple time concepts: “last night”, “tomorrow”
- Refers to self as “me” rather than by name
- Tries to get adult attention: “watch me”
- Likes to hear same story repeated
- May say “no” when means “yes”
- Talks to other children as well as adults
- Solves problems by talking instead of hitting or crying
- Answers “where” questions
- Names common pictures and things
- Uses short sentences like “me want more” or “me want cookie”
- Matches 3-4 colors, knows big and little
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Repeat new words over and over
- Help your child listen and follow instructions by playing games: “pick up the ball,” “Touch Daddy’s s nose”
- Take your child on trips and talk about what you see before, during and after the trip
- Let your child tell you answers to simple questions
- Read books every day, perhaps as part of the bedtime routine
- Listen attentively as your child talks to you
- Describe what you are doing, planning, thinking
- Have the child deliver simple messages for you (Mommy needs you, Daddy )
- Carry on conversations with the child, preferably when the two of you have some quiet time together
- Ask questions to get your child to think and talk
- Show the child you understand what he or she says by answering, smiling, and nodding your head
- Expand what the; child says. If he or she says, “more juice,” you say, “Adam wants more juice.”
Between three and four
Milestones
- Can tell a story
- Has a sentence length of 4-5 words
- Has a vocabulary of nearly 1000 words
- Names at least one color
- Understands “yesterday,” “summer”, “lunchtime”, “tonight”, “little-big”
- Begins to obey requests like “put the block under the chair”
- Knows his or her last name, name of street on which he/she lives and several nursery rhymes
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Talk about how objects are the same or different
- Help your child to tell stories using books and pictures
- Let your child play with other children
- Read longer stories to your child
- Pay attention to your child when he’s talking
- Talk about places you’ve been or will be going
Between four and five
Milestones
- Has sentence length of 4-5 words
- Uses past tense correctly
- Has a vocabulary of nearly 1500 words
- Points to colors red, blue, yellow and green
- Identifies triangles, circles and squares
- Understands “In the morning” , “next”, “noontime”
- Can speak of imaginary conditions such as “I hope”
- Asks many questions, asks “who?” And “why?”
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Help your child sort objects and things (ex. things you eat, animals. . )
- Teach your child how to use the telephone
- Let your child help you plan activities such as what you will make for Thanksgiving dinner
- Continue talking with him about his interests
- Read longer stories to him
- Let her tell and make up stories for you
- Show your pleasure when she comes to talk with you
Between five and six
Milestones
- Has a sentence length of 5-6 words
- Has a vocabulary of around 2000 words
- Defines objects by their use (you eat with a fork) and can tell what objects are made of
- Knows spatial relations like “on top”, “behind”, “far” and “near”
- Knows her address
- Identifies a penny, nickel and dime
- Knows common opposites like “big/little”
- Understands “same” and “different”
- Counts ten objects
- Asks questions for information
- Distinguished left and right hand in herself
- Uses all types of sentences, for example “let’s go to the store after we eat”
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Praise your child when she talks about her feelings, thoughts, hopes and fears
- Comment on what you did or how you think your child feels
- Sing songs, rhymes with your child
- Continue to read longer stories
- Talk with him as you would an adult
- Look at family photos and talk to him about your family history
- Listen to her when she talks to you
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