The Sequence of Language Development

Through the Second Year

• Before a baby utters that first word, he or she understands some of the words you use. Sometime around the first birthday, babies imitate sounds, including syllables, grunts, screams and tongue clicks. This vocal play will evolve into pointing at and naming objects: ball, cat or juice. By 1.5 years, some children will even piece together two-word sentences to express their wants and needs. Around this same time, children experience a ̶0;language explosion,̶1; wherein they suddenly and quickly learn and use new words. While children can speak 10 to 20 words at 18 months, they will say almost 200 and understand almost 500 by the time they turn 2.

Third Year

• Add in some adjectives and children learn to speak sentences of three to four words in the third year. While vowels are pronounced correctly, children may yet have some difficulty with some consonants, such as ̶0;r̶1; and ̶0;l.̶1; They will begin to use articles, verb endings and possessives. During this time, they will use and understand about 1,000 words, expanded with abstract, emotional and spatial concepts.

Fourth Year

• During the fourth year, speech becomes clearer to non-family members for most children. For others, this is the time when speech difficulties can be diagnosed and a speech pathologist employed to help.That doesn̵7;t mean that children pronounce all consonants correctly, as it is normal for letters such as ̶0;r̶1; and ̶0;l̶1; to still challenge these young speakers. Children will begin to seek out new words as their desire to express themselves and question their environment increases. They will be able to relay stories, even if they still make a few mistakes.

Fifth Year

• Vocabulary may double in the fifth year as children prepare to enter school. Sentences are more complex and much clearer as 4-year-olds learn to structure sentences and use proper grammar. They further master the ability to tell stories, recalling and communicating a series of events. At this stage, they learn to follow a set of directions, as well as carry on conversations about matters without changing the subject. In addition, they begin to associate the words they speak with those in books, understanding that letters make the sounds that create those words. Some may also be able to write a letter or two, which means they are preparing for the next phase of language development: reading and writing.

Beyond the Fifth Year

• As children enter school, they will fine-tune their language skills as they learn to read and write. Lessons in grammar, composition and literature along with time spent talking with friends and family will continue to grow their vocabulary as long as they retain the desire to learn.