Birth to Five Language Development (CMD 550 Sum23))

Toddler Language Development

Toddlers 18-36 months

During the toddler years, children are going through a major growth spurt (both physical and mental) where they are intaking all the stimuli around them and integrating these stimuli into their knowledge and understanding. Through the utilization of cognition, children are making significant gains in language content (semantics), language form (phonology, morphology, and syntax), and language use (pragmatics). This section will include information regarding typical development and milestones a child will make during the toddler years.

Development of Language Content

Language content refers to semantics, or the meaning of words. Content development relates to the variety and amount of words used when communicating with others.

Here are milestones in language content:

By 12 months:

Uses 2-3 words

From 12-24 months:

Uses 10-20 words
Uses the word “more”

"At approximately 18 months, children experience a “vocabulary explosion” or “vocabulary spurt,” in which their rate of vocabulary acquisition increases exponentially rather than linearly "(Samuelson & McMurray, 2017).

From 24-36 months:

Uses 450 words
Names common objects
Labels sizes and colors
Uses Wh words to ask questions

Ways to support vocabulary development:

Parallel talk - describing the activities you and your child do during the day
Name familiar and unfamiliar objects
Talk about new experiences and environments to support a robust vocabulary
Describe sensory information your child is taking in regarding taste, smell, touch, smell, sight, and emotions
Repeat new words frequently and embed them into sentences with strong contextual information
Expand on what your child is saying
Read your child books containing novel vocabulary

Development of Language USE

What is language use?

Language use refers to pragmatics skills which indicates how language is being used and includes the ability to engage in social interactions with others.

Toddlers learn how to use words, non-verbal communication (i.e., eye contact, gestures, facial expressions), and engage in conversation to express their wants and needs. During this stage, toddlers learn how to match language to the situations they encounter (i.e., social situations).

The milestones for language use during toddler ages are:

1 year old:

Saying “mama”, “dada”, and exclamations such as “uh-oh!”
Uses gestures like waving bye, reaching for “up,” and shaking their head for "no".
Says 1 or 2 words, like hi, dog, dada, mama, or uh-oh.

2 year old:

Use simple two-word phrases, such as "More milk."
Ask one- or two-word questions, such as "Go bye-bye?"
Follow one-step actions, such as "Get your plate."

3 year old:

Say their first name when asked.
Ask questions that start with who, what, where or why, such as "Where is daddy?"
Puts three words together to share about things.

Ways to encourage language development use:

As the caregiver you can play a yes-no game. Ask questions such as, "Can a turtle run? Why?" and "Can a horse fly? Why?"
As the caregiver you can ask questions that include a choice. "Do you want a banana or an apple?" "Do you want to wear your pink dress or your purple dress?"
As the caregiver you can help the child name their body parts, and talk about what they can do with them. "This is my mouth. I can eat cookies, sandwiches, and nuggets with my mouth. What is it called?"

Development of Language FORM

Form refers the building box and structure of language, this includes grammar (morphology), sentences (syntax) and sound awareness (phonological awareness).

Hallmark gains in language form for Toddlers

In the toddlerhood the formation of 2 to 3-word sentences begins.

- At 2-years of age 2-word sentences are expected (i.e. mommy up).
- At 3-years of age 3-word sentences are expected (i.e. I go car).

At this age toddlers begin to use past tense language (hopped, skipped) and plural language (dogs, cats).

- Toddlers are experimenting with this langauge and may not always be correct in their use. Toddlers might try to make feet plural by saying "feets" and making go in the post tense by saying "goed" instead of went.

Cognition

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, cognition is defined as "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses."

Here are typical cognitive development milestones you should expect to see:

12 months (1 year):

Your toddler will start to look for things they see you hide, and will often throw and bang toys to explore them!

15 months:

Your toddler will start trying to use things the right way, like holding a book or a cup. They also will start being able to balance toys to stack them!

18 months:

Your toddler will often copy you, especially with common small activities such as chores.

24 months (2 years):

Your toddler will start to hold an object with one hand and manipulate it with the other, such as holding a container with one hand and opening the lid with the other. They also will start to play with multiple toys at once. At this age, they will start to sort their toys by color and shape!

30 months:

Your toddler will start to follow 2-step directions, and will often play pretend with their toys!

36 months (3 years):

Your toddler will start to listen to warnings, such as saying something is hot and not to touch it. They will also try to problem-solve independently to make more complicated toys work; they can even solve some small puzzles!

References

Cognitive Development: Infants and toddlers | Virtual Lab School. (n.d.). https://www.virtuallabschool.org/infant-toddler/cognitive-development/lesson-2

Cognitive development: two-year-old. (n.d.). HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/Cognitive-Development-Two-Year-Old.aspx

DiProperzio, L. (2023, March 4). Language development milestones: Ages 1 to 4. Parents. https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/language/language-development-milestones-ages-1-to-4/

Mayo Clinic. (2023, March 11). Language development: Speech milestones for babies. Retrieved July 10, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/language-development/art-20045163?reDate=01072023

Pro-Ed Inc. (n.d.). Speech and Language Milestone Chart. Retrieved July 14, 2023 from https://www.ldonline.org/ld-topics/speech-language/speech-and-language-milestone-chart

Raising Children Network. (n.d.). Language development: 2-3 years. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/development/language-development/language-2-3-years

Samuelson, L.L & McMurray, B. (2017). What does it take to learn a word? Cognitive science, 8(1-2), 10.1002/wcs.1421. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1421

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. (n.d.). Age Appropriate Speech and Language Milestones. Retrieved July 10, 2023. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=age-appropriate-speech-and-language-milestones-90-P02170

Toddler speech development: What’s typical for a 2-year-old? (2023, March 4). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/toddler-speech-development/faq-20057847

framing the picture of toddlerhood

Overall, the toddler years are a period of rapid growth, learning, playing, and exploring. Toddlers learn from observing those around them, through trial-and-error, and from having different social and contextual experiences. Cognitive and language development occur simultaneously. Cognitive development and refinement influences toddlers’ linguistic abilities. Their vocabularies become more expansive, increasing the meanings of words that they can understand and express. They become more advanced in their ability to string together words to make coherent phrases and sentences. Finally, they use language for a variety of functions, which helps them cultivate meaningful relationships with their communication partners and enjoy sharing experiences with those around them. These developments help them blossom as they approach the preschool age.

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