Language and Communication: The First Five Years (continued)

• imitates sounds
• listens to familiar words
• says "no" and shakes his head
• says two or more words clearly to a parent, although others may not understand
• uses Mama or Dada as name
• uses jargon; babbling combinations that sound more like real speech with inflection changes
• waves bye-bye or patty-cake to verbal requests
• enjoys interactive games such as peek-a-boo
• links meaning to words; is able to recognize objects/pictures by name; points to the car
• responds to simple instructions such as give me your hand, where is your nose
• has a receptive vocabulary of about 100 words

Second Year Milestones

Between 14 and 18 months the child

• says four or more words clearly
• names a few objects if someone points
• labels pictures of common animals and objects
• uses at least one word to express an idea. For example, she may say "eat"
• asks for things by name
• makes up own meaningful words
• babbles or talks into a play phone and makes pretend conversations
• follows simple commands

Between 18 and 20 months the child

• listens to short stories or music
• discriminates sounds; imitates words and sounds more frequently
• uses l0-15 or more different words
• follows verbal instructions, such as put the pencil on the table
• may begin to "sing" simple tunes

Two-to-Three Year Milestones

At 2 years the child

• uses simple sentences
• refers to self by name
• puts words together into noun-verb sentences (want cookie, see car)
• refers to self by name
• listens to short stories and identifies actions/characters in the book
• asks "what's this?" or "where's my---?"
• identifies body parts, clothing items, common objects and actions
• follows simple two-step commands
• comprehends terms that are opposites
• has a spoken vocabulary of up to 300 words
• uses the word 'no,' which signals a shift in the child's sense of self in relation to others and in his desire for independence

 By 3 years the child

• has an understanding
• of close to 50,000 words, and most of the communicative skills needed to function in society takes part in conversations
• answers who, where, and when questions
• adds many new words each month
• uses sentences of at least 3-4 words
• uses words to relate observations, concepts, ideas
• understands simple time concepts: yesterday, lunchtime, tonight
• matches and names colors
• knows name and address
• can recite some nursery rhymes and sing songs
• can tell a story, although sequence may not be right
• frequently asks questions
• can produce m, n, p, b, t, d, w, without difficulty
• may count but may still not understand quantity

As toddlers develop a sense of themselves as individuals, they learn to use words in addition to, or instead of, action to express their needs and reactions. By the end of toddlerhood the child uses language to express his needs and feelings and to interact with others in more diverse ways. Whereas behavior and crying were the main avenue for communication in infancy, the toddler is now able to use words that have universal meaning.