Essential Communication Milestones for Toddlers: What Parents Need to Know
Gwen Swire • 2024-04-15
As parents watch their toddlers grow, understanding speech and language development milestones can be both exciting and daunting. Knowing what to expect at different ages helps parents support their child’s growth effectively.
As a local speech therapist in the San Gabriel Valley, I’m here to guide you through these crucial stages and offer tips on how to enhance your toddler's communication skills.
Early Communication Milestones
Birth to 6 Months:
- Reacts to sounds: Your baby should startle at loud sounds, turn their head towards familiar voices, and show pleasure in soothing tones.
- Coos and gurgles: Expect your baby to begin cooing and making pleasure sounds, especially in response to their parents' voices.
7 to 12 Months:
- Babbling: Babbling starts to take shape with sounds like "ba," "da," and "ga." It’s an essential precursor to actual speech.
- Gesture Use: Watch for gestures such as pointing or waving goodbye, which are critical for non-verbal communication.
12 to 18 Months:
- Single Words: Most toddlers will start to say single words like "mama" or "dada" and may use words like "no" to express dissent.
- Understands Simple Instructions: They can follow simple one-step instructions, such as "sit down" or "come here."
18 to 24 Months: The Vocabulary Explosion
- Word Combos: Toddlers begin to string two words together, such as "more milk" or "mommy go."
- Expanding Vocabulary: Expect their vocabulary to grow to about 50 words by the time they turn two.
Tips for Supporting Toddler Speech and Language Development
- Talk Often: Engage in plenty of back-and-forth conversations with your toddler, even if it’s just responding to their babbling.
- Read Regularly: Reading is a fantastic way to introduce new vocabulary in a structured way. Use picture books to point and name, and ask simple questions.
- Sing Songs: Songs and nursery rhymes are excellent for teaching language rhythm, sentence structure, and rhyming skills.
- Play Interactive Games: Use interactive games and toys that encourage verbal responses, such as naming body parts or objects around the house.
When to Seek Professional Help
If your toddler:
- Isn’t using gestures by 12 months.
- Prefers gestures over vocalizations to communicate by 18 months.
- Has trouble imitating sounds by 18 months.
- Has fewer than 50 words by two years.
It might be time to consult a speech therapist. Early intervention is crucial and can make a significant difference in your child’s communication skills.
Conclusion
Monitoring and understanding these milestones can ensure that your toddler is on the right track with their speech and language development. However, every child is unique, and some may reach these milestones a bit earlier or later than others.
If you’re in the San Gabriel Valley and have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, remember that help is just a call away. As your local speech therapist, I’m here to support and guide you through your child’s communication journey. Contact me today at Little Speech Corner to learn more about how we can help enhance your child's speech and language skills.
