Frequently parents ask about what they should expect from their kiddo’s communicative abilities. The list below can provide you with a vague idea about what to anticipate. (Please note: “normal” or “typical” development happens within about a 3-6 month range of the ages listed below. If your child has not attained some of the skills listed in the below ranges, don’t fret – kids develop differently. Consult a speech language pathologist if you truly have grave concerns.)
(Paul, Rhea. 2006. Language Disorders from Infancy through Adolescence: Assessment and Intervention, 3rd edition. Mosby.)
- 0-2 months
- Vegetative sounds (burping, gurgling)
- 2-4 months
- Cooing with vowels (“ooo”, “ahhh”)
- Laughing!
- 4-6 months
- Vocal play like blowing raspberries and playing with his/her tongue
- 6-12 months
- (6-10 months)Canonical babbling with sounds like /d, m/ “dadada” or “mamama”
- (8-12 months) Reduplicative babbling with sounds like /d, m, b, g/ “da-ba-ma-da-ma-ba”
- (10-12 months) Your baby is starting to babble with adult intonation (it sounds like your baby is having an adult conversation in their “baby talk”)
- Your baby may start to refuse things by turning his/her head
- Your baby understands and enjoys games like “peek-a-boo!”
- Your baby understands from 3-50 common words
- 12-18 months
- Words are understood outside of daily routines
- Your baby will have about 50 words by 18 months
- Use of /t, d, n, b, m, g, k/
- Your baby will delete syllables and sounds in words
- 18-24 months
- Your baby is now requesting using simple words and gestures
- Your baby is starting to answer simple questions (ie., “What is this?”)
- A vocabulary spurt is expected at about 18 months – between 18-24 months your baby is expected to have at least 50 words (and maybe up to 200!) and some 2-word utterances like “mommy shoe”
- You can now be understood about 50% of the time!
- 24-30 months
- “Please” may now be used for polite requests
- Your child may now be engaging in pretend play
- Your child may now talk about objects that are not in his immediate vicinity
- Your child may attempt to tell a simple story
- Comprehension of “who”, “what” and “where” questions
- Your child is now using -ing words, “no”, “can’t” and other negation
- 30-36 months
- Your child may ask your clarify (“I don’t understand?” or “What’d you say, momma?”)
- Use and understanding of “why” questions increases
- Comprehension of spatial terms emerges
- Use of possessives (“mommy’s shoe”)
- Overgeneralization of past-tense verbs (I eated my lunch)
- Speech is 75% intelligible at 36 months!
- Your child can now produce some simple rhymes
These are just some things to look out for in your child’s early language development!