Early Speech and Language Development: What Parents Should Know

As a parent, you may wonder if your child’s speech and language skills are on track. While every child develops at their own pace, there are developmental milestones from birth to early childhood that can indicate typical speech-language development. Here’s a brief guide for what you can expect in the early years:

Birth to 6 Months: Building the Foundation

• Coos, gurgles, and makes vowel-like sounds (e.g., “ahh,” “ooh”)
• Turns toward familiar voices and responds to sound
• Starts to use different cries for different needs

6 to 12 Months: Babbling and First Words

• Babbles using consonants (e.g., “ba-ba,” “da-da”)
• Uses gestures like waving or reaching

Understands simple words like “no” and “bye-bye”

Says their first word around 12 months

12 to 24 Months: Expanding Vocabulary

Rapid increase in vocabulary; says 10-50 words by 18 months, and around 200 words by 24 months

• Begins combining two words (“more juice,” “bye-bye dog”)
• Follows simple directions like “give me the ball”
• Points to objects when named

2 to 3 Years: Talking in Sentences

• Uses short sentences (3-4 words)

Continued rapid increase in vocabulary; growing to 200-300 words by 2.5 years, and increasing to around 900 by 3 years

• Begins asking simple questions (“Where go?” “What’s that?”)
• Speech becomes clearer, though some sounds may still be difficult

3 to 4 Years: Clearer Speech and Conversations

• Speaks in longer sentences (4+ words)
• Understands and answers basic “who,” “what,” and “where” questions

Speech is understood by others, especially familiar listeners, most of the time

• Can tell simple stories

When to Seek Help?

If your child isn’t meeting these milestones, don’t panic! Some kids develop at different rates. However, if you notice:

• No babbling by 12 months
• No words by 18 months
• Difficulty understanding or following directions
• Struggles to put words together by age 2
• Speech that is very hard to understand after age 3

It may be helpful to check in with a speech-language pathologist. Early intervention is key!

By knowing what to expect, you can encourage your child’s language growth through play, reading, and daily conversations. Keep talking, keep engaging, and enjoy watching their communication skills grow!