Your child isn’t born knowing how to speak. Speech is the sounds we use to verbally communicate with one another, while language is the content, or set of rules that dictates how we communicate. Not only is your child learning how to use expressive language as she begins to speak, but she’s also developing the ability to understand and respond to what she hears (receptive language). But, wait! Her language development isn’t happening independently. That is, it’s not completely separate from the other developmental areas (cognitive, social, emotional and physical). Familiarizing yourself with the sequence, or steps, of language and communication skill-building can help you to better understand your child’s overall development.
Your Baby’s Beginning Development
Before your baby can speak even one word, she’ll start communicating with you. Early on she’ll learn that crying gets your attention. She may start to whimper or cry when she’s hungry or needs a cuddle. Your child may also (by 3-months) start “cooing” when she’s happy or content.
By the time she’s half a year old your child will babble, gurgle and make sounds when she’s happy, sad or angry. Even though she’s communicating with her voice, real words won’t come until she’s somewhere near one year.
At 12-months your baby might imitate some of the sounds you make and say a few simple words, such as “mama” and “dada.” She’ll also have the ability to understand and follow simple one-step directions and recognize words for items that she knows (such as the name of her favorite toy). She may understand as many as 50 words by 12-months. This number increases to 200 or more words by 18-months.
From Just Starting to Speaking
Your child’s ability to communicate and use language starts exploding after the first year. By 24-months she may understand anywhere from 500 to 700 words. As your child moves towards age three, she’ll have hundreds of words (that she can speak) under her belt. Along with gaining new words, your child is moving step by step from using one word at a time to two words together to simple sentences.
It’s likely that your child can identify a few body parts (think head, shoulders, knees and toes) during the end of the toddler years. She may also be able to recognize the names of a few colors and shapes. By the preschool years she should have the ability to create more complex, multi-word sentences, ask questions and speak more clearly. Along with these developments, your child is starting to tell stories (or, at least, repeat the ones that she’s heard over and over again) and use time and comparison words (before/after, morning/night, shorter/longer).
As your child moves on to the grade school years (and beyond), she’s continuing to speak in more sophisticated ways. You’ll notice this as she engages in deeper conversations and expands her vocabulary. She’s also learning about grammar and usage, building her abilities to speak, read and write.
Developmental Connections
Language is a way that people (including your child) communicate with one another and express themselves. From the first time that she calls out “mama” or “dada,” she starts understanding that her words mean something to other people and can affect them.
The more social that your child becomes, the more she’ll need to develop her language and communication skills. Making new friends, having conversations with other children and engaging in pretend play scenarios are all challenges if your child isn’t able to communicate verbally (that’s not to say that children with some developmental or medical issues can’t communicate without speaking). But, that’s not the only way that your child’s language and communication development impacts (or is impacted by) another developmental area. Along with social development, the emotional domain is expanding along with your child’s growing language skills.
When it comes to emotional development, you may find yourself constantly saying, “Use your words” every time your child has a tantrum or an outburst. Of course, if your toddler is only 16-months, you can’t expect her to talk about her feelings in sentences. She may be able to say, “Mad,” but she won’t be able to tell you why she’s upset. As she grows and builds language and communication skills your child will also develop the ability to express her emotions and act socially. In turn, the ability to speak and use language can help your child to better control her emotions. Development is a two-way street, as much as language/communication development affects social-emotional development, the reverse is also true.
How do you see your child’s language development affecting other areas? Share your story in the comments section below!
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