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Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 1 to 3 Years
Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 1 to 3 Years
Overview
Language and communication development milestones relate to two areas:
- Receptive language. This is the ability to understand words and sounds.
- Expressive language. This is the ability to use speech and gestures to communicate meaning.
Most 1-year-olds start to understand the meanings of words. Their receptive language grows from understanding names of people and objects to being able to follow simple requests sometime between ages 1 and 2. Expressive language advances from primarily using gestures and babbling at age 1, to using words, simple phrases, and some early sentence structures between ages 2 and 3.
Language and communication milestones
| Age |
Milestone |
| 12 months: |
- Waves "bye-bye."
- Calls parents "mama" or "dada" or another special name.
- Understands the word "no."
|
| 15 months: |
- Tries to say one or two words besides "mama" or "dada."
- Looks at a familiar object when you name it.
- Follows directions you give using both a gesture and word, like holding out your hand while you say, "Give me the toy."
- Points to ask for something or to get help.
|
| 18 months: |
- Tries to say three or more words besides "mama" and "dada."
- Follows one-step directions without any gestures. For example, your child will hand you a toy when you say, "Give me the toy."
|
| 24 months: |
- Points to things in a book when you ask them.
- Says at least two words together, like "more milk."
- Points to at least two body parts when you ask them to show you.
- Uses more gestures than just waving and pointing.
|
| 30 months: |
- Says about 50 words.
- Says two or more words together with one action word, like "doggie run."
- Names things in a book when you point to them.
- Says words like "I," "me," or "we."
|
| 36 months: |
- Talks with you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges.
- Asks "who," "what," "where," or "why" questions.
- Can tell you what action is happening in a picture or book when asked.
- Says first name when asked.
- Talks well enough for others to understand most of the time.
|
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Speech and Language Development
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