Your toddler will gradually understand how they can use words to describe what they see, hear, feel and think. Even before they utter their first word, they are listening to and learning from everyone around them (GOSH 2008).
How did my baby's speech develop in her first year?
From the moment your baby arrived in the world, they are learning how to communicate. Their first form of communication is crying. Your baby cries when they are hungry, uncomfortable or tired (ICAN 2007, Sheridan 2008: 8).
From around three months, your baby may start to babble to themselves and make sounds back when you talk to them (ICAN 2007, Sheridan 2008: 11). They may begin to recognize their name, and even respond when you say it from across the room (GOSH 2008, Sheridan 2008: 14).
From around six months, you may have noticed your baby favouring certain sounds, such as "ba" or "ma", as these were easier to pronounce. They may have repeated them over and over because they liked the way they sounded (GOSH 2008).
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How will my toddler learn to talk?
12 to 17 months
From around their first birthday, your toddler may begin to use one or more words and know what they mean (ICAN 2007, Sheridan 2008: 26). Their first words could well be a variation of "mommom" or "dada" (ICAN 2007, NHS nd).
By around
15 months, your toddler will probably raise their voice at the end of a question. They may make hand gestures to emphasize what they're saying, such as pointing and waving
(ICAN 2007, Sheridan 2008: 26).
Your toddler may be able to understand and follow simple or routine instructions, such as "Pick up your teddy bear" or "Come to the table"
(Sheridan 2008: 26).
18 to 24 monthsBy
18 months your toddler may use between six and 20 simple words
(Sheridan 2008: 29, ICAN 2007). By
two, your toddler may be using 50 or more single words
(Thomson Delmar Learning 2007, Sheridan 2008: 33, ICAN 2010a).
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They may be able to put two words together, making basic sentences such as "Carry me"
(DoE 2010: 8, ICAN 2010a). When you sing a
nursery rhyme, they'll attempt to sing along with you
(Sheridan 2008: 30). So if you sing "twinkle twinkle little..." and pause, your toddler may add in "star."
They will
chatter to themselves as they play. Enjoy listening to your toddler as they create their own little world. It doesn't matter if what they say doesn't make sense. The rhythm will sound like real speech
(DE 2010: 8, Sheridan 2008: 29).
Pronouns such as 'I', 'she', and 'it' may confuse your toddler. These labels for things and people are a little too abstract for them just yet. You may catch them avoiding pronouns, saying "Baby throw" instead of "I throw". There's no need to worry if your toddler's speech doesn't sound clear yet. Every toddler learns different sounds at different stages.
25 to 36 monthsYour excitable toddler may struggle not to shout when they are expressing herself. They don't yet understand how they can change their voice to find the right volume when talking
(Sheridan 2008: 41).
Your toddler will start to get the hang of pronouns, such as 'I', 'me', and 'you'
(Thomson Delmar Learning 2007, Sheridan 2008: 41). They will also be using the word "no" a lot. This is their way of asserting their
independence from you
(Thomson Delmar Learning 2007)!
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Between the ages of
two and
three, your toddler's vocabulary will increase to about 300 words
(ICAN 2010b). They will string naming words and action words together to form complete, though simple, sentences such as "I go now"
(ICAN 2010b).
Your toddler may ask you simple questions, such as "What?", "Where?" and "Who?" a lot
(Sheridan 2008: 41, ICAN 2010b). Get ready to be patient as your
curious toddler wants to know the answer to everything!
By the time they turn three, your toddler will be able to have a simple conversation with you about what's they're doing now or something they've done in the recent past
(ICAN 2010c, Sheridan 2008: 41).
But don't be surprised if your toddler gets the tense wrong when they're telling you about something that's happened. For example, they may tell you that they "swimmed", when they means that they "swam"
(ICAN 2010c). Try not to tell your toddler that they got the word wrong. Instead, answer them with the correct tense. So tell them, "yes, we swam yesterday."
By now your toddler may be able to tell you their full name, and perhaps even their age
(Sheridan 2008: 41).
How can I encourage my toddler to talk?
Talk to your toddler as much as possible as you go about your daily routine and when you are out and about. The more you talk to your toddler, the more new words they'll learn, and the better they'll get at talking (NHS nd, RCSLT 2003, Sheridan 2008: 74).
Chat with your toddler as you change their diaper, feed, or bathe them, and give them time to respond with a smile or eye-to-eye contact (GOSH 2008). Use everyday activities to help your toddler to make connections between actions and objects and the words that represent them. Point out things you see when you're out and about (GOSH 2008, NHS 2011).
Simplify your speech when you talk to your toddler. Use short sentences and emphasize key words. This will help your toddler to focus on the important information (DE 2010: 13, Sheridan 2008: 74).
Try talking to your toddler from time to time in sentences that are about one word longer than the sentences they are using. So if your child uses two-word sentences, use lots of three-word and four-word sentences when talking back to them (DE 2010: 13, NHS 2011). For example, if your toddler says "a fish", you could say, "yes, a big fish."
You can increase your child's vocabulary by giving them choices, such as "Do you want an orange or an apple?" (NHS 2011). You could even show your child both an apple and an orange. This helps your toddler to store a picture of the word in their mind.
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It will help your toddler to learn how to talk if you make time to sit in front of her and talk to them. You could even sit in front of them when you read a book, rather than have them on your lap, so they can watch you talking.
Look at books with your toddler regularly. Even if you don't follow the story as it unfolds, your toddler will learn by listening to you talk about the pictures
(NHS 2011, Sheridan 2008: 74).
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How will I know if my toddler is having trouble learning to talk?
There's no simple test that can tell you whether your toddler is having problems learning to talk (DE 2010: 16).
If you're worried, talk to your doctor. They will most likely be able to reassure you that your child's speech is developing normally, or refer you to a speech and language therapist for assessment.
