When Do Toddlers Start to Talk
Communication in toddlers plays a crucial part in their development, with both verbal and non-verbal forms. Toddlers may rely more on gestures, facial expressions, and body language to express their needs and emotions initially, such as pointing to an object or using sign language but as their language skills grow, they begin to use simple words and phrases, allowing for more complex interactions.
Social interactions, like playing with peers or engaging in conversations with caregivers, play an important role in expanding their vocabulary and understanding of language. Encourage open communication through reading, storytelling, and active listening to foster their confidence and to help them express more freely.
Toddler Speech and Language Milestones
While most toddlers follow a similar pattern, what is important to remember is no two kids are the same and toddlers talking age has a wide variation hence some could do this a few weeks to months earlier or later than the others and still be well within the normal range for their age. If you are worried, talk to your paediatrician as more often than not it may just be nothing to worry.
15 months: Typically toddlers begin to say 1-2 words by this age like "mama", "dada", "nanna".
18 months: Toddlers add a few more words by this age and say anything around 3-4 words or more. They still rely predominantly on gestures like pointing and shaking head in no.
2 years: This is when most toddlers experience a vocabulary burst and begin to talk by stringing 2 words together like "hi daddy", "more milk", "go play"and a few early talkers even 3 words together, but in case your child is not there yet do not panic, as it could happen anytime soon. They still prefer to point at things or use gestures and expressions to tell you how they feel and may now do more than just wave, blow a kiss or nod, they could imitate you or use more complex gestures to communicate.
30 months: At this milestone most toddlers have a vocabulary of atleast 50 words, usually much more than that. They are getting better and more confident at expressing through speech, gestures, facial expressions and would understand almost everything you say. They can follow two step instructions like " pick up your clothes and put it in the basket" or "get the book and put it on the table". Their speech and pronunciation is still developing and hence may not be very clear and many a times would not be pronounced right, caregivers should be able to follow what they say half the times.
3 years: Toddlers begin to string 3 or more words together, have a conversation with you in small sentences, tell you what they want and even strangers should now be able to follow their speech.
Activities to help toddler talk
Talking regularly using new words, sounds routines, games helps your toddler learn and pick up speech faster. Interactive conversations not just gets their attension but is a great way to teach them listening skills and to pay attension to what you have to say. Few thing to do daily to help them learn faster are:
Talk to your child often using right names for things even if they can't say the word or pronounce it differently.
Read books to your child daily with a lot of interesting colorful bright pictures and ask them what is happening in the book or to find where things are on the page. Encourage them to turn the pages.
Sing them rhymes and songs using gestures to engage them also to teach them new words like itsy bitsy spider or humpty dumpty sat on a wall.
Don't push them to stop using gestures as that is also a important phase of communication development rather add to it by asking is this what you want when they point to things or say lets get more books, or lets get you more milk when they point to milk or food.
Play lots of games with your toddlers using right words for everything you use as part of the games and set a routine like ready set go while you wait for them to say go. Keep in mind toddlers need time to process so wait a few seconds for themto respond.
When to seek help?
If your child is not talking at all by 2 years of age.
If your child doesn't say words like mama or dada by 18 months of age and doesn't follow simple 1 step instructions.
If your child doesn't follow anything you say or doesn't look at familiar things when you say the name
Your child doesn't follow two step instructions by 30 months of age.
Doesn't say 50 or more words at 30 months of age
Doesn't point to two or more body parts when asked at 2 years of age.