Parents and caregivers play a critical role in shaping their child's speech and language development. Here are some important speech and language milestones to look for in toddlers. It’s important to consult a speech and language pathologist if you notice any signs of delay or difficulty.
By your child’s first birthday, they should be using a few words, such as “hi, mama, dada” and they also should use common gestures (e.g., waving). Your child should respond to their name being called by turning their head to look for the person speaking. They are also able to respond to some simple commands, such as “no” and “come here”.
Around 18 months, your child should have a vocabulary of at least 20 words. A word is a group of sounds that is used consistently to refer to the same item/action, for example, referring to water as ‘odie’ consistently. ‘Odie’ is considered a word in the child’s vocabulary. Your child can follow simple directions, such as “hug the doll” and can identify, by pointing, one or two body parts.
By 2 years old, your child is starting to put two words together to form utterances, this sounds like, “mama come”, “eat apple”. From 18 months to 24 months, your child’s vocabulary should grow to about 50 words. Your child is VERY inquisitive, and asks questions, such as, “what’s that?”, “who’s that?”, etc.
By 3 years, your child is using longer utterances to make requests and have discussions. Your child is beginning to engage in imaginative play and can follow simple 2-step directions, such as, “Get your shoes and bring them to me”.
Please note, this list is not exhaustive, if you are concerned about your child’s speech and language development please reach out today for a free phone consultation. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for helpful tips!
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