Hello November! 2019 is almost over and we are heading into a new decade. We are officially heading into the holiday season too - can you believe it? Let me be the first to say- I am not prepared, but I am determined not to get caught up in the chaos that ensues as we rush into the holidays. Planning ahead and using my iPhone calendar app has helped me stay organized during the "Back to School" season. I'm hoping that these strategies will help me close out the decade strong! If you have any holiday organization/ survival tips- please share!
For this month's blog, I wanted to take some time to talk about language milestones. I was inspired by conversations I've had with parents over the last few weeks- voicing their concerns about their children's language development. "He understands, but he's just not saying enough words." This is a very common worry shared by many moms and dads. In addition, potential delays in development are often highlighted during holiday visits with friends and family who have trouble understanding your child's speech (or lack thereof.)
Just like sitting up, crawling and walking, there are developmental milestones for language development too. Speech pathologists and pediatricians use milestones to track development and make sure that it is occurring within the normal range. Parents and caregivers can use developmental milestones as well- to help understand what is typical and recognize when to seek an evaluation and/ or treatment.
The chart below is a simplified guide to help you remember the MINIMUM your child should be saying by the ages below. By your child's first birthday, he/ she should be consistently saying one or more words. By age 2, he/ she should be combining at least two words to make simple phrases. And by 3 years of age, he/ she should be putting together 3 or more words to make simple sentences.
Age 1 - 1 word Ex: "Ball" "Help" "More" "Up" "go" "All done"
Age 2 - 2 words Ex: "Mommy go" "Eat banana"
Age 3 - 3 words Ex: " I want bye-bye" "Where Daddy go?"
These milestones represent what your child should be SAYING, but there are expectations for comprehension as well. For a detailed look at language milestones click here.
It is important to know what is expected as your child's speech and language develops, as well as to know when to seek help. If you are concerned about your child's speech and language development, contact Having Our Say today!