CCW: Parent Family>>Language Development>>Stages

Each child develops in a unique way, and some develop more quickly than others. It is difficult to know what to expect as your baby grows. Do not expect your child to grasp the complexity of language immediately. It is a process that takes time, but with practice and positive encouragement, your baby will be able to sort it out.

Language development charts and milestones help you know what to expect from your child and whether your child is developing at an acceptable rate. It can be harmful to expect too much from your child, but you should see progress. Although children develop at different rates, if you think your child is significantly behind in language development, talk to your health care provider about your concerns and questions. Early detection and treatment is important for getting your child back on track.

Stages of Language Development Timeline (in years)

This timeline gives a broad overview of what to expect from your child as she develops and begins learning about the world around her. For a more detailed development chart to help you keep an eye on your child’s progress, take a look at some of these web sites:

Language Development In Children, developed by the Child Development Institute presents information on the development of language in children. A language chart describes typical language development for children at the age of 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, 60 months, 6 years, 7 years, and 8 years.
Learning Disabilities Online is an interactive guide to learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and children. This organization provides a detailed list of development milestones your child should reach by certain ages. It also has information on what to do if your child is lagging behind significantly.
Typical Language Accomplishments for Children, Birth to Age 6 is a list of basic language milestones for children from newborns to age 6. (based on Preventing Reading Difficulties in Children, a report of the National Research Council, by the Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children).
Developmental Milestones: A Guide for Parents The First Year, created by the National Network for Child Care (NNCC), is a chart with development milestones to evaluate children’s motor, sensory, thinking, language, and social skills.

Babies

The infancy period is the perfect time to introduce language to your child. Your baby may not be able to understand words, but she enjoys hearing your voice. During this period, most babies will pay attention to new faces and surroundings, respond to loud noises, and smile at the sound of a parent's voice.
Other signs to look for include:

By 3 months: smiling at other people
By 4 months: babbling
By 6 months: responding appropriately to friendly and angry tones
By 12 months: beginning to pay attention to speech, responding to "No," using exclamations, trying to imitate words, and saying ‘Mama’ or ‘Dada’

During this period, your child is getting ready to talk. While her speech may consist mainly of gibberish that has tones and variations, she is practicing for real communication in the future.

Toddlers

As your child enters the toddler stage, his rate of language development will increase significantly. In fact, after about sixteen months, toddlers learn more words in a week than in the previous six months! By the end of the second year, most children can say at least 50 words and will probably move from using single words to short sentences. Some children will be much more talkative than others during this time period, and oftentimes, boys develop language skills more slowly than girls. If you are concerned about your child’s progress, consult your physician or healthcare provider.

Preschoolers (ages 3-5)

During the preschool years, your child will most likely be chattering. This is an important step to learning new words and how to use them. She will be speaking in sentences and beginning to understand the basic rules of grammar. She will also be able to speak clearly enough for strangers to understand her. By the end of the third year, your child will most likely be able to say her name and age. She will use pronouns (I, you, and me) and some plurals, such as dogs or books. Milestones for the end of the fifth year include knowing the difference between words like "same" and "different," telling stories, and speaking in sentences of five or six words.

Your preschooler may pretend to read her favorite books. She may look at the pages and create her own story to go along with them, or she might recite the words she remembers as she turns the pages. Encourage this interest in reading. Not only will it help her think of herself as a real reader, but it will also help her reading improve as she gets older.