Children learn to talk at different rates. Some children walk early, some talk earlier than their peers. How do you know if your child is just a 'late talker' or if you should turn to a Speech-Language Therapist for advice? Below is a rough guide to what you should expect from your pre-school child.
By 6 months my child should:
Look at me when I talk. Take turns with sounds. Try to copy sounds I make.
By 18 months my child should:
Understand common words and phrases in context. " where's Mummy?", " get your shoes". They can point to body parts such as 'eyes' and 'nose' on themselves. They will be using between 5-20 words. These may not be clear. They will use a smaller range of sounds which include; m,n,w,p,b,t,d. They point to show an adult what they want. They are starting to be interested in simple pretend play such as putting a doll to bed.
By 2 years my child should:
Be able to follow instructions containing two key words. E.g. "put teddy on the bed" Have at least 50 words and be linking words together e.g. "more juice". They may miss the ends off some words. They may watch other children play and copy their actions. They are beginning to enjoy playing with role play toys such as a tea set and construction toys such as lego.
By 3 years my child should:
Be able to complete a simple inset puzzle by him/herself. Understand longer instructions and be able to predict what might happen next. Be linking 4-5 words in sentences and beginning to link his/her ideas using 'and'. Use a wider range of speech sounds including; k/c,g,f,v,s,z,h,l,y. Their speech may not be clear all the time as some sounds are still immature. They may still simplify clusters of sounds e.g. 'st' in 'stop'. They are beginning to join in with and cooperate with other children in their play and talk about events in the recent past.
By 4 years my child should:
Be easy to understand, using full sentences to communicate, asking and answering questions. Using language to talk about past events. They should be able to take part in simple conversations with adults and other children. Their speech will be clearer and they may be beginning to use :ch,j. they will be able to concentrate and play with 'small world' toys, making up stories and acting out characters in the story.