Every child in this world attains his/her developmental milestones at a certain pace. Not necessarily all of them have to talk, crawl or walk at exactly the same age. It is quiet evident that it varies from child to child. But, there is a certain time scale by when a child is supposed to attain each skill one by one. Language development milestones are also a sequential and progressive process in which children develop their speech and language.
Language Development Milestones: Parents can follow a checklist based on which they can keep an eye on the child’s language development. If you observe that any of the development patterns is not exhibited, you can consult a doctor. Let us observe the language milestones.
From the day of birth to the age of 5 months:
- would react to loud noises and sounds
- follows a sound by moving the head
- focuses on the speaker’s face
- would either cry or laugh expressing feelings
6-11 months of age:
- understand the meaning of no
- develops ba-ba and ma-ma sounds
- mimics your sounds
- communicates through gestures
12-17 months:
- would browse through books and would handle toys for short periods of time
- understand gestures and can follow directions
- would give answers to simple questions non-verbally
- improper and unclear 2-3 words phrases will be uttered
18-23 months:
- would enjoy listening to a speaker
- would execute simple commands without the need of gestures
- would lengthen his sentences to 8-10 words (pronunciation would still be improper)
- would start asking for foods using the respective names
2-3 years:
- would at least know a 50 words by now
- can speak around 40 words
- can answer simple questions
- can form and speak 2-3 word phrases
3-4 years:
- can group objects into their respective categories
- understand and identify colors
- can repeat sentences
- clarity in speech and pronunciation
4-5 years:
- can speak about 200-300 words
- can answer questions (especially why questions)
- knows the meaning of words
- long and complex words may still be improperly pronounced
5 years:
- knows and speaks 2000 words, at least
- can follow sequences
- length of sentences is increased to 8-10 words
- describe objects
- starts conversing well enough
If you find any discrepancy in your child in relation to any of the language development milestones mentioned above, it is better to see a doctor straight away.
