One of the most anticipated child milestones for most parents is baby's first word. But even before Baby utters that first coveted Mama or Dada, his language skills have already been developing. They will continue to develop through his childhood years, though all children reach different milestones at different times.
Features
Though closely related, speech and language are not the same. Language, according to the Speech-Language-Hearing Association, is made of socially shared rules that include what words mean, how to make new words and how to put words together. Speech, on the other hand, is the verbal method of communicating. Speech includes articulation, or how speech sounds are made; voice, the use of the vocal cords to produce sound; and fluency, the rhythm of speech. Children begin developing these sounds shortly after birth.
Early Verbalizations
You can expect that baby will begin making cooing sounds before he is 3 months old. He will communicate by crying differently for different needs. By the time he is 6 months old, he will start babbling syllables, such as bababa or mamama, and experiment with different intonations and pitches. He will also use his voice to express pleasure and displeasure.
Early Understanding
By the time your baby is 3 months old, he will recognize the sound of his parents' voice, and smile when spoken to. By the time he is 6 months old, he will respond to changes in his parents' tone. He will also begin to respond to his own name.
Development
From 6 to 12 months, you will notice a huge explosion in both your child's language--expressive, which is spoken, and receptive, which is understanding. By your child's first birthday, he will have most likely spoken his first words, practice different inflections and become aware of the social development of speech. He should be able to understand and follow simple directions. He will also imitate words spoken by others.
Toddlers
By the time your child is 24 months old, he will be able to communicate his wants and needs, and will put together two- to three-word sentences. He will start to use pronouns and ask questions, though he may still be difficult to understand. By the time your child is 3, his vocabulary will have increased to nearly 1,000 words and he should be able to relate his experiences. Though he may not be able to answer all questions, he will most likely understand what is being asked.
When to Be Concerned
Your doctor will ask about your child's speech and language develop at every well visit. Let your doctor know if your child hasn't mastered most of the speech and language milestones for her age. Depending on the circumstances, your child's doctor may refer your child to a hearing specialist or a speech and language specialist.
