Children go through predictable language stages in the first year of life and a wide range of development in the second year. During the first 12 to 18 months of life, a baby learns social skills, how to make sounds, and how to understand what you are saying. Your baby learns that his own behavior, such as smiling or making sounds, has a powerful effect upon the behavior of others.
At birth your baby will cry, but the cry will not have specific meaning. By 2 to 3 months, babies start to develop cries that have more meaning, such as hunger or pain. They also begin cooing. A 3 to 4-month old baby will begin to babble randomly and by 5 to 6 months will be able to babble rhythmically. As a child gains more control of his muscles, he can make more sounds. A baby learns the subtleties of speech and language by listening to adults. Between 6 and 11 months your baby will be able to imitate sounds that you make. At 12 months, your baby may be able to speak 1 or 2 words.
At 18 to 24 months, children frequently have a vocabulary spurt. They may quickly go from saying 5 to 10 words to more than 50 words. Children begin to use single words to communicate and eventually they combine words. Usually, children understand more language than they can express during their early years. Children will start understanding language a lot more when they are about 2 or 3 years old.
By the end of age 2, children begin combining words to make 2 to 4 word sentences. They are able to pronounce most vowels and say simple phrases. A child at this age will repeat words that are heard in conversation, begin to use pronouns, and ask for common foods by name. By the end of 3 years, a child will speak 4 and 5 word sentences and use more pronouns. Strangers can understand most of their words. The child has fun with language and is able to express ideas and feelings.
At the end of 4 years, language allows the child expression of thoughts. Some degree of hesitancy and uncertainty is common at this age. Basic rules of grammar are mastered. Sentences are composed of 5 to 6 words and stories are told. Complex sentences may be used with up to eight words. "Why?" and "Who?" are asked. Past, present, and future forms of verbs and the difference between single and plural nouns are understood. The child at this age is able to describe how to do things and even define some words. There may be difficulty with complex words and still some mispronunciation.
Remember, children vary in their speech and language development. There should be a natural progression from one phase to the next. If you are concerned about your child's speech, contact your healthcare provider. They will help determine if your child needs extra help to learn to speak or use language.
If you are concerned about your child's speech or language development, call your child's provider.
Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
HIA File CHL3769F.HTM Release 9.0/2006
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