Early Childhood Language Development

Stages

• At six months old a child is able to vocalize with intonation, respond to his name, and recognize angry and friendly tones. At 12 months a child is typically able to use one or more words with meaning and understand simple instructions. By 18 months he can use between five and 10 words, mostly nouns. At 24 months kids are able to combine sentences and are starting to use pronouns and possessive pronouns. The explosion that follows in the months and years to come is incredible.

Development

• Early childhood language development starts from the moment a child is born, making it the responsibility of the parents to interact with their child in a way that stimulates conversation. It is important as parents to be animated, use facial expressions and make eye contact with the child. It is also a good idea to talk about things happening in your surroundings, and name people and objects that are involved in each story. Respond to your child by mimicking noises he makes.

Progress

• The biggest growth in early childhood language development comes between the ages of three and six. While a three year old will only use about 2,000 to 4,000 words, a five year old may have a vocabulary of 5,000 to 8,000 words. Sentences expand from a length of three or four words to longer phrases, with more advanced grammar. Five year-old children are able to remember simple songs and rhymes and retell even slightly lengthy stories.

Misconceptions

• While the natural ability of some children is greater than that of others, the amount of effort that parents and caregivers put into early childhood language development is directly related to the ability to communicate and reason that each child has. Children should be exposed to language in a number of environments, and parents should converse with their children at every given opportunity. This will help their children to develop needed communication skills.

Expert Advice

• The Teaching Research Institute recommends that even if your child is not old enough to respond, treat your child as if you are having a conversation. Look him in the eye, let him respond to what you say, and respond to any noises he makes. Early on you will be developing your child skills associated with language, such as taking turns, using facial expressions and keeping eye contact. Encourage your child to interact with other peers in a comfortable environment. Above all listening to your child with interest, attention and patience will help stimulate early childhood language development.