The term "toddler" usually refers to a child from 1 to 3 years of age, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is during these first three years of life that speech and language development are the most intense, reports the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Although toddlers develop language skills at varying ages, normal development follows a typical pattern.
Development by End of Year 1
By the end of your toddler's first year, he should be babbling and showing increased attention to speech. He should understand and respond to "no" and other simple verbal requests. He should say "mama" and "dada" and one or two other simple words. Toddlers typically use a wide range of speech sounds and inflections at this age, and they begin to try to imitate words and use simple gestures to communicate.
Development by End of Year 2
Toward the end of your toddler's second year, she should be able to name familiar objects, people and body parts. She should have a vocabulary of about 20 words by 18 months and 50 or more by her second birthday, according to KidsHealth, a website of the Nemours Foundation. She should be combining two words to make short phrases and should be able to follow simple instructions. Toddlers can typically make sentences of two to four words by age 2, and they understand the concept of "mine."
Development from 2 to 3 Years
During this time, your toddler's speech should develop rapidly, with his vocabulary expanding to include so many words that you no longer try to keep count. He should begin to recognize colors, use sentences of three or more words frequently, and understand concepts such as "up" and "down." As his third birthday approaches, your toddler should understand instructions that are more complex.
Features
Shortly after your toddler's first birthday, she should begin to understand most of what you say. You'll find that you no longer need to use baby talk to get her attention. Most toddlers' first words aren't very clear--you may be the only person who understands those first words. According to KidsHealth, parents and other close family members and caregivers should be able to understand about half of your toddler's speech by the time she is 2 years old, and about 75 percent by age 3. Girls typically develop language skills quicker than most boys do.
Significance
You should carefully monitor your toddler's speech and language development so that you can discuss possible delays with your doctor. Causes of delays include problems with the palate or tongue, oral-motor problems and hearing difficulties. Speech delay may also be a sign of overall developmental delay.
