Every child develops at their own pace, but here are some general language milestones you might notice as your child grows:

👶 First Year

• By 3 months: Your baby may start making cooing and gurgling sounds.

• By 6 months: You’ll likely hear babbling and playful, sing-song sounds.

• By 12 months: Babbling starts to sound more like real talking, and your baby may say their first word!

🧸 At 18 Months

• Says around 8 to 10 words that others can understand.

• Has a vocabulary of about 5 to 40 words—mostly names of people or things.

• Repeats words they hear in conversations.

• May say “hi,” “bye,” and “please” when reminded.

🚼 At 2 Years

• Vocabulary grows to about 150 to 300 words.

• Starts putting 2 to 3 words together, like “dog bark” or “more cookie?”

• Begins using “me” and “mine,” and may refer to themselves by name.

• Can follow simple 2-step directions (e.g., “Get your shoes and bring them here”).

🎈 At 3 Years

• Uses 3- to 5-word sentences.

• Understands and responds to questions like “who,” “what,” “where,” and “why.”

• Starts asking short questions, often beginning with “what” or “where.”

• Vocabulary expands to around 900 to 1,000 words.

🎨 At 4 Years

• Vocabulary grows to 1,500 to 2,500 words.

• Uses longer sentences with 5 or more words.

• Begins using grammar more like adults do.

• Can tell simple stories with a beginning, middle, and end.

• Follows 3- to 4-step directions.

🎓 At 5 Years

• Recognizes some letters of the alphabet.

• Uses sentences with about 6 words.

• Connects ideas using words like “and,” “but,” and “then.”

If you ever have concerns about your child’s speech or language development, it’s a good idea to talk with your pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist. Early support can make a big difference!

Get Down to Your Child’s Level
When you're interacting or playing with your child, try to be face-to-face. This helps you see what they see and respond to what they might be thinking. It also allows your child to clearly watch your facial expressions and how your mouth moves when you speak—important for learning language!

Follow Your Child’s Lead
Join in your child’s play by copying their actions, sounds, and words. If they’re playing with trucks, grab one and play alongside them. Use simple phrases like “truck go!” or “vroom vroom” to add language naturally into the activity.

Use Communication Temptations
If your child isn’t starting conversations, you can create moments that encourage them to speak. For example, give them yogurt without a spoon and hold the spoon while looking at them expectantly. When they reach for it, model a phrase like “spoon” or “I want spoon.” Reward any attempt to communicate—whether it’s a sound, gesture, or word.

Use More Comments, Ask Fewer Questions
Asking too many questions can sometimes shut down communication. Instead, comment on what your child is doing. If they’re looking at the cookie jar, say “more cookies!” to give them the words they might want to use. This helps build vocabulary and confidence.

Expand and Extend Your Child’s Utterances
When your child says something, repeat it back with a little more detail. If they say “tree have no leaves,” you can say, “That’s right! The tree has no leaves.” If they say “juice,” model a slightly longer phrase like “more juice” or “want juice.” This helps them learn how to build longer, more complete sentences.

Use Visuals
Visuals like objects, pictures, symbols, or written words can help your child understand and remember new concepts. Unlike spoken words, visuals stick around and can be referred to again and again. They’re especially helpful for routines, tasks, or choices—no need to rely on memory alone!

🌈 Help Your Child Blossom Through Language

Support children with language delays using these playful, proven strategies.

🎭 Imitation

Children learn by copying.
💡 Make it fun and interactive!

• Encourage movement (jumping, clapping) and sounds (“whee!”)

• Model slightly advanced phrases (e.g., child says “ball,” you say “big ball”)

• Celebrate every attempt with smiles and praise

🟢 Tip: Keep your language just one step ahead of your child’s level

🗣️ Self-Talk

Narrate your actions to build vocabulary.
🧼 Example: “Toothpaste cap off. Get the toothbrush.”

• Speak while your child watches you

• Use short, clear phrases

• Pause during routines to let your child fill in words

🟢 Tip: Gradually leave out full sentences for your child to complete

👀 Parallel Talk

Describe what your child is doing.
🎨 “You’re painting! Red paint on the paper.”

• Follow your child’s lead

• Talk about their actions, emotions, and interests

• Avoid questions or pressure to respond

🟢 Tip: This is about connection, not correction

🧩 Modelling

Gently guide your child’s speech.
🗯️ Child: “Dog run.” You: “Yes, the dog is running!”

• Repeat and expand their words naturally

• Correct errors by modeling, not pointing them out

• Keep the flow of play going

🟢 Tip: Use modeling occasionally, not constantly

🏗️ Expanding

Add detail to your child’s ideas.
🧱 Child: “I make a tower.” You: “Yes, a very tall tower!”

• Build on what they say during play

• Introduce new vocabulary and concepts

• Reinforce their efforts with enthusiasm

🟢 Tip: Expansion helps grow sentence structure and confidence

📚 Vocabulary & Concepts

Help your child build vocabulary through everyday experiences and playful learning.

• Are Games Just for Fun? – Tipsheet to support vocabulary development through playing games

• Developing Oral Language – Tipsheet to develop oral language skills during everyday activities

• Ripley’s Aquarium Shark Cam – Live cam and activities to promote vocabulary and language development

🧭 Following Directions

Support your child’s ability to listen, understand, and follow instructions.

• Help Your Child Follow Directions – Tipsheet on how to support instruction-following

• Barrier Games – Printable games to support understanding of concepts like before, after, beside

❓ Asking & Answering Questions

Encourage your child to understand and use “Wh” questions confidently.

• Explaining “Wh” Questions – Tipsheet and song to support learning of question types

• Super Duper Handy Handout – Activities to help your child understand and ask questions

🗣️ Expressive Grammar & Syntax

Help your child use correct grammar and sentence structure in speech.

• Tip Sheets – Support for understanding and using prepositions and pronouns

• Talk and Play a Game Online – Use language skills to sequence steps and describe a car

• Untitled Handout – Additional support resource

• Word Games – Create silly stories together using Mad Libs-style prompts