Between the ages of one and two your child’s comprehension of language grows by leaps and bounds. You no longer have to wonder if he understands you because he will show you by his actions that he does. When you announce it’s time to go, you’ll find him getting his shoes or waiting by the door. If you ask if she wants a snack she’ll respond yes or no. During this time your child should start being able to follow simple commands such as “Give me your cup,” and answer questions like “Where is your nose?” Although your child may understand much of what you say her speech skills are not as developed and communication from child to parent is still more difficult.
As your child’s language skills develop try speaking slow and clear. Use simple words and shorter sentences. Use the correct names for objects instead of “nosey” use “nose”. Provide a good speech and language model for your child. If you haven’t already, start reading to your child everyday. Point out the objects in books and name them. Read books that have common everyday objects or themes that your child can relate to. Read my blog “Top 10 Read-alouds for Infants and Toddlers” for some good book choices.
During this year your child’s will begin to talk. At age eighteen months she should know about 18 words and by the time she is two the number should have grown to about 50 words. She should easily be combining words into simple two-word sentences like “drink more” or “go bye-bye”. By this age your child should be using at least two pronouns, usually I, me, or you, although not always correctly.
You may be the only one who understands many of the words your child uses, although a stranger should understand about 50% of your child’s words. It is common for children to substitute letters that they cannot say for ones that they can. They may not use the ends or beginnings of words either.
When your child tries to pronounce words do not ridicule or demean his attempts in any way. Give your child time to finish what they are saying even if you didn’t understand all of it. Then answer by parroting back what he said. For example if your child says, “mik” you can parrot back, “milk”. This lets your child hear the correct pronunciation of the word he used. Many times you will understand a question like “Out?” or “Book?” because of the voice rising at the end of the word.
At this stage your child will probably still use a lot of gestures and that is fine. It is important to employ a running commentary with your child, giving him time to respond in between your statements or questions. If your child points at the fridge don’t just open it ask, “Do you want something out of the fridge?” Then wait for your child’s response. Then ask, “What do you want?” If your child points or says the word say, “Oh you want an apple? Okay, you can have an apple.” For more information about how to encourage your child to speak read Kristyn Crow’s blog on encouraging children’s language development.
For more information read my blogs on other Speech and Language Topics:
Child Speech and Language Development
Speech and Language Delays
Causes of Speech and Language Delays
Speech: Birth-12 months
Speech: 2-3 years
Speech: 3-4 years