What is speech and language?
Many parents and caregivers wonder about their child’s speech and language development. ‘Speech’ refers to how we make and combine sounds to say words. ‘Language’ refers to the words we use and how we use them to communicate. Language is often divided into two categories:
- Receptive language: how we understand what is said to us
- Expressive language: how we share our own thoughts, needs and ideas (this can be verbal or non-verbal)
What does early speech and language development look like?
Early speech and language development can look different for every child. However, there are general milestones that can be used to track your child’s speech and language development. These milestones look at a child’s speech, receptive language, expressive language and overall communication.
Milestones from 0 to 3 years
(Adapted from Toronto Preschool Speech & Language Milestones)
By 6 months
- Startles in response to loud noises
- Turns to look where a sound is coming from
- Makes different sounds for different states (e.g., happy, hungry, tired)
- Watches your face while you talk to them
- Smiles or laughs when you smile or laugh
- Imitates some sounds
- Coos or babbles with simple sounds (“pa”, “ba”, “ma”)
By 9 months
- Responds to their name
- Uses some functional gestures (e.g., reaching to be picked up)
- Enjoys social games (e.g., peek-a-boo, tickle games)
- Enjoys being around people
- Understands “no” (although they may not always follow)
- Babbles and repeats sounds (e.g., “bababa”, “mamama”, “dadada”)
By 12 months
- Can follow simple one-step directions (e.g., “sit down”) (they may not always follow!)
- Follows a point
- Gets your attention using sounds, gestures, pointing
- Uses intentional gestures (e.g., waving hi/bye, shaking head for “no”)
- Combines different sounds together (e.g., “abada baduh abee”)
- Uses three to five words consistently
By 18 months
- Understands simple prepositions (e.g., in, out, on, off)
- Can point to at least two body parts when asked
- Uses 20 words consistently
- Responds with gestures or words to simple questions (e.g., “where is teddy?”)
- Makes at least four different consonant sounds (p, b, m, n, d, g, w, h)
- Points to pictures with one finger
By 2 years
- Follows two-step directions (e.g., “go find your shoes and put them on”)
- Uses 100 to 150 words
- Combines two to four words (e.g., “red car”, “ball go down”)
- Is understood about 50 per cent of the time
- Begins to engage with other children (e.g., sharing toys, imitating actions/words)
- Engages in early pretend play (e.g., giving teddy a drink, pretending bowl is a hat)
By 2.5 years
- Understands size concepts (e.g., big/little) and quantities (e.g., a lot/a little, more)
- Uses over 350 words
- Uses a variety of action words (e.g., run, spill, fall, eat, sleep, go)
- Participates in some turn-taking activities with other children
- Puts sounds at the beginning of most words
- Uses words with two or more syllables or beats (e.g., “pu-ppy”, “ba-na-na”)
- Remembers and understands familiar stories
By 3 years
- Understands who, what, where and why questions
- Uses sentences of five to eight words
- Talks about past events (e.g., what they did at day care, trip to the zoo)
- Tells simple stories
- Is understood most of the time by people outside of family
- Enjoys playing with peers and has preferred playmates
- Engages in multi-step pretend play (e.g., pretending to cook a meal)
What are some strategies I can use to support my child’s speech and language development?
Face to face
Getting face to face with your child allows them to watch your mouth while you speak to see how you form sounds and lets you see each other’s facial expressions for better interactions. Get on your child’s level by lying down with them on the floor during tummy time, sitting them facing you on your lap or pulling up a chair facing them when they are in their highchair.
Imitate gestures, sounds and words
Imitating your baby can help them learn how to imitate you. This is how your baby learns to make different sounds and words. Watch your baby and copy their actions, sounds and words—they may start to catch on and copy back-and-forth with you!
Show
Using visuals can help support your child’s understanding of language. Try using pictures, gestures and facial expressions to help support your spoken language. This will help your child follow and learn new words.
Model short words and phrases
Keeping language short and simple can help children understand you and learn to imitate you. If your baby is not using any words yet, try using one word to label actions, people and objects (e.g., “up!”, “mama”, “ball”). If your baby uses one word, try modeling simple two-word combinations (e.g., if they say “ball”, try “big ball”; if they say “milk”, say “more milk”). Try to stay one word ahead of their current level.
Word choice
The words you use matter! Children are more likely to try words that help them get what they want (think common requests such as “more”, “milk”, “up”) or words that are fun (think animal sounds like “moo” or “baa”, or words like “boom” or “uh oh!”). Children may also have an easier time with one-syllable words and words with simple sounds such as /m/ and /b/.
Playing at home
Teaching language through play can be enjoyable while developing skills. Find activities that are fun for your child and that you can do together, such as baking, sorting laundry, stacking cups or blocks, drumming with pots and spoons, blowing bubbles, filling the sink with water and washing dolls, washing the car, bath time or making a fort.
Try the following activities with your child to help bring out language and gestures from them while you play and interact:
- Activate a wind-up toy, let it run and then hand it to your child. Wait for a request or comment to wind it up again.
- Stack four blocks into a tower and then knock it down. Pause and see if your child will ask you to do it again.
- Blow bubbles and then close the container. Pause and wait for your child to ask for more or for help.
- Place a desired food item in a container with a tight lid. Leave it in front of your child and wait for a request to open the container.
- Sit on the floor facing your child. Roll a ball to hem and practise give and take. After receiving the ball, hold onto it and see if your child requests or comments to continue the activity.
- Put an object that makes a noise (cereal, toy necklace) into an opaque bag. Shake the bag to make the noise and wait.
Learning language through singing and finger plays
You can also help your child learn language through singing. Demonstrate or model the song for your child and encourage your child's attempts to sing, gesture or both along with you.
- Fill in the blank ("Old MacDonald had a farm _____").
- Praise your child for any attempts to sing or gesture on their own.
- Clap along.
Examples of gesture games and finger plays include:
- Peek-a-Boo
- This Little Piggy
- Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
- If You're Happy and You Know It
- Pat-a-Cake
- Itsy Bitsy Spider (also called Eensie Weensie Spider)
- Round and Round the Garden
Examples of songs and nursery rhymes you can sing to your child include:
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
- I'm a Little Teapot
- Hickory, Dickory Dock
- Humpty Dumpty
- Skinamarink
- Five Little Monkeys
- One, Two Buckle My Shoe
- This Old Man
- Baby Bumblebee
- The Wheels on the Bus
- B-I-N-G-O
- Doe, a Deer (Do-Re-Me)
- Baby Shark
What should I do if I have concerns about my child’s speech or language development?
Community preschool speech and language programs
If you are concerned about your child’s speech or language development, get in touch with your local Preschool Speech & Language Program (PSL) to access a speech-language pathology assessment. If you live in Ontario, visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/preschool-speech-and-language-program to find your local PSL and for information on how to self-refer. You do not need a health-care provider's referral to access your local PSL—families can refer themselves online.
Private speech-language pathology services
Some families will consider hiring a private speech-language pathologist (SLP). If you have extended health coverage, you may also check with your insurance provider to see if private speech and language therapy is covered. Some insurance companies may pay for part of these costs. A registry of private SLPs can be found through the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario. You can search under "Find a Registered Professional" by visiting www.caslpo.com.