All About Child Speech and Language Milestones

From first words to full sentences, your child's language skills will advance significantly in the first few years of life. But it can be hard to know if they're hitting expected milestones, and you might find yourself wondering: When exactly will my toddler start talking?

"Every child develops on their own timeline, but the best way to help develop your baby's language skills is to simply talk to them," says Rahil Briggs, Psy.D., a child psychologist at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York City. "The number-one way children learn to speak and boost their vocabulary is by listening to their parents at home."

We turned to speech and language experts to learn more about child verbal development, along with what to expect at every age. Ahead, find all the answers to your child's speech milestones, from 1 to 4 years old.

1-Year-Old Language Development

Your little one is just beginning to communicate beyond crying. At this age, your kid should be able to do the following.

Say a handful of words

Your toddler still has a limited vocabulary at this point, but you can help it grow by reading out loud and talking to them every day, Dr. Briggs recommends. "At this age, the main concern is that baby's speech is 'mama' and 'dada' specific, meaning that when [they say] those two words, [they are] actually referring to Mom [or] Dad—not the cup or dog."

Imitate your voice

Even though your child isn't saying many words, they're babbling a lot and attempting to imitate the sounds of others. Parents "should be hearing vowel and consonant babbling by 8 or 9 months, and it continues as your baby starts to form words around 12 months," Dr. Briggs says.

Respond accordingly

Pediatricians are mostly concerned with your child's receptive language right now. Do they recognize your voice? Do they turn their head toward different sounds? Do they laugh when others laugh?

"Even at this age, your baby can communicate with intent and get what they want by pointing or looking toward an object. They should also be able to follow your eyes and look where you're looking," says Kenn Apel, Ph.D., president of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders in Minneapolis and co-author of Beyond Baby Talk. These responsive actions are more important than how many words your child can say at this age.

Follow simple direction

In addition to responding, see if your child follows simple one-step directions and commands, such as raising their arms when you say "up," taking a sip of water when you tell them to, handing over a toy upon request, and stopping what they're doing when you say "no" (although they will probably try to do it again!).

Use hand and body gestures

During the first year, kids will use their hands and body movement to help them communicate with their limited vocabulary. And while gesturing is a natural part of communication for people of all ages, little kids in particular will use gesturing to help their cognitive and language skills build. According to research, kids who use gesturing when talking can be a positive sign of language growth.

2-Year-Old Language Development

This age is the magic number for gauging if a child is on track with speech. Around this period, your growing toddler should be able to do the following.

Expand their vocabulary

By 24 months, your child should be using about 50 words regularly, such as more, juice, and Grandma. "The year between 12 and 24 months is the most exciting year in terms of language development," Dr. Briggs says. "Your [child] is having a vocabulary boost and should be repeating words they hear from you."

Link together words

You should also notice your toddler putting together two-word sentences, such as "My ball" or "Car go." But don't worry about pronunciation at this point—only about 50% of what they say will be completely understandable.

Use pronouns

By now, your tot will start understanding the concept of "me" and "you"—although they might not always use the words properly. For example, they might refer to themselves as "you." This is common and nothing to worry about; they'll get the hang of it in time.

Identify objects and body parts

Your child should be able to point to their nose, eyes, mouth, and so forth and start saying each body part, although many children will point well before they can verbalize it. Your little one can also point to pictures of the correct objects when prompted with "Where is the ball?" or "Show me the dog."

3-Year-Old Language Development

Your little one is developing into quite the chatterbox. By now, your toddler should be able to do the following.

Speak clearly in simple sentences

After your child turns 3 years old, you should easily understand what they say—or at least 75% of it. "You can hold a conversation with a child this age where [they] ask you questions and tell you things that happened in [their] day," Dr. Briggs says.

String multiple words together

You'll be amazed at how your little one talks in sentences between three and six words. "They are complete sentences, but simple ones, such as 'Mommy is eating,'" Dr. Apel says. To help your child get plenty of practice stringing words together, try helping them along in a few fun ways:

• Add the word "please" to another word to create a word combo like "up please."
• Repeat two-word combinations back to your child when they use them.
• Model word combinations to your child to encourage them to try.

Choose the right words

The days of pointing are nearly over. Your kid should know a word for almost everything they want to identify, and they should be able to ask for or indicate objects verbally.

Follow two-part requests

Understanding and carrying out more complicated requests is another development. Your tot should act accordingly when directed with commands, such as "Please take off your boots and put them on the shelf."

According to Dr. Apel, "These should still be simple directions used in an everyday context so that it's something [they've] experienced before. If it's a brand-new experience, it might be more difficult for your child to carry it out."

4-Year-Old Language Development

You're officially in "big kid" territory now. Your child is growing in leaps and bounds, and their language is getting quite impressive. At this age, your child should be able to do the following.

Speak clearly in more complex sentences

Your growing preschooler now has the ability to tell you an entire story—such as the cool stuff they're doing at preschool—and you can understand nearly every word of it. "By [the time your child is age] 4, even strangers should be able to understand what [they] are saying," Dr. Apel says.

Identify colors, shapes, and letters

Experts say 4-year-olds should name at least some colors, shapes, and letters. Take every chance to explore different letters and words with them, Dr. Apel suggests. "You can take any moment, such as eating breakfast, as a chance to teach something new. For instance, explain how Cheerios is a long word, but milk is a short one. It might take only a few minutes, but a child can learn a lot in that short amount of time."

Understand the concept of time

Your child might not be able to tell time yet, but they should understand the general concept of ordering moments throughout the day—breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, dinner at night, for example.

"It's important for kids to have some redundancy in life," Dr. Apel explains. "Doing the same things each day is good because it allows them to concentrate on picking up the language around them, not the task."

Follow more complex commands

At 4, your child should be able to follow three- or four-step commands, such as "Put your book away, brush your teeth, and then get in bed." Your child should also be able to verbalize their own wants and needs, making requests such as "I want pizza for dinner, and I want to watch Toy Story before bed."

Pediatricians and speech pathologists are always on the lookout for issues with receptive language, so if your child can't follow instructions or doesn't seem to understand what you're saying, it's advised to consult a health care professional.

The Bottom Line

It's important to remember that all children are different, and every child develops at a unique rate. Milestones are an estimate, and not an exact guidance. That being said, if you find that you have questions or concerns about your child's language development, be sure to reach out to a pediatrician or health care provider for further assistance.