Development Milestones For Language - Birth to 6 Years

Development milestones for language show the timeline of language development by age. They are important for both Speech Pathologists and parents. Usually, they serve as a general guideline about the development norms of language.

Development milestones for language

First of all, understand the difference between speech and language.

Speech is the vocal form of communication with the use of sounds or words. Its components include articulation, fluency, and voice. While the language is the whole system that we learn to communicate our ideas.

Read More: Speech Sound Development Chart (Letter sounds by age)

Human beings use language to share their thoughts or ideas. It may be verbal or non-verbal. It is important to note that communication is a two-way process. The understanding of the language is as important as expression. The former one is Receptive Language and the later one is Expressive Language.

A language disorder is an impairment in understanding or expression of language. It is necessary to consult for Speech Therapy in this case.

Development Milestones for Language in Children 

Language is a complex process that's why the child takes time to acquire it. It has different components which are as follows. 

• Phonology (system of sounds in a language) 
• Morphology (Formation of words from sounds)
• Syntax (Rules for the formation of words into sounds)
• Semantics (Meaning of the words or phrases)
• Pragmatics (Social use of the language)

Language acquisition starts after the birth of the child. Some studies show that the process starts even before birth. According to these studies, a fetus starts hearing the mother's voice. Furthermore, it can also recognize different sound patterns.

Early years are very crucial for language development. This process continues for years before someone masters it.

Language Development Stages 

We can divide this timeline into the following pattern.

• Sounds
• Babbling (a combination of vowel and consonant sound baba, dada) 
• Holophrase (Expression of thought in the form of a single word e.g., cup implies to, Give me a cup.)
• Telegraphic Speech (Using 2-3 words instead of a complete sentence. For example, TV on implies to switch on the TV)
• Sentences
• Over-Generalization (Applying a language rule on everything. Like a kid saying ''taked'' instead of took)

Read More: Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Language Development Milestones by Age

This period is vital for the development of both speech and language. The first thing which a baby use as communication is Cry. Let's start with language development in infancy.

0 to 6 Months 

• Crying in different patterns to express different needs like food or intimacy. 
• Looking at the face of human
• Recognition of voice of the mother and close family members. 
• Reaction on other's voices.
• Differentiate between sounds or sound patterns.
• Cooing sounds.
• Maintain Eye contact
• Starts smiling.
• Gurgling sounds.
• Move eyes in the direction of the sound
• Babbling (4-6 months)
• Expression of comfort or discomfort through different sounds
• Attention towards musical sounds
• Vocal Play

Up to 12 Months

• Turn-taking in regard to vocal play
• Gestures to show intent
• Canonical or Jargon Babbling 
• Vocal Play with intonation
• Attempt to imitate sounds 
• Participation in simple interactive games
• Understands simple words for daily objects
• Speaks 1 or 2 words
• Turns towards the direction of the sound
• Understands simple instructions

Up to 2 years

• Recognition of familiar names including people and objects
• Recognition of right pronunciation of the simple words
• Try to imitate words
• Follow simple commands even by gestures
• Understands simple questions
• Words include object, agent, possession, and location
• Start speaking simple phrases 
• Combination of 2-3 words / Telegraphic speech appear 
• Turn-taking in conversation
• Vocabulary can increase to 200-300 words by the end of 24 months
• Use of words like I, me, mine and, you

2 to 5 years

• Speaks 3-4 words sentences 
• Ask Questions
• Start following syntactic rules in sentences
• Use of pronouns and present progressive tense (by the age of 3)
• Starts categorizing the objects
• Awareness of Rhymes 
• Expression of emotions
• Speech intelligibility is 75% 
• Use terms like in, out, under, etc. 
• Change the topic during conversation
• Start using prepositions and pronouns
• Understanding of questions like how and when
• Development of Semantic understanding between sentences
• Understanding of letters, their sounds, and numbers
• Use of complex grammatical structure by the age of 5
• Use of past tense, verbs 
• Learn words without visual reference 
• Start learning abstract words
• The vocabulary may consist of 4000 words by the end of 4 years
• Use of this, that, there, and here

Above 5 Years 

• Use of stress on syllables
• Understanding of facial expressions or body language
• Following multiple directions command
• Phonological Development completion by the age of 7 years
• Comprehension of prosody in speech
• Understands different meanings of the same words and use them in speech
• Effective use of language in different situations
• Can learn information through the text
• Refined conversational skills
• Vocabulary more than 10 thousands words
• Sentences with complex structure
• Effective use of verbal and non-verbal language

Guideline for Parents

It is important to consult a Speech Pathologist if you find a delay in development. Following are the few of the red flags. 

• No to little eye contact
• Little vocal play
• Understanding the deficit
• Little to no attention towards sounds
• Behavior problem 
• No imitation of sounds
• Less vocabulary
• Little to no use of gestures

Here are some examples of disorders that can hinder language acquisition. 

• Specific language impairment
• Pragmatic language impairment
• Autism
• ADHD
• Hearing Impairment

Children may learn a language at a different pace. Sometimes your child may be a late bloomer. You can also encourage the toddler to talk. Here are some activities. 

• Speak about the activity your child is watching or doing
• Encourage the kid to imitate
• Show pictures of the animals and say the animal sounds
• Recite the poem or sing a song
• Appreciate by saying Good or Thank you if the child responds well
• Imitate the sounds of your child
• Encourage the peer socialization

Take-Aways

• Some factors may have an impact on the acquisition of language. These include culture, social life, and home environment.
• Children acquire language skills through mutual relationships, experiences, and daily activities.
• Playing activities are very helpful in learning language skills. Toys, pictures, and cards are helpful in this regard. 
• Stories, poems, and rhymes are also very helpful. 
• Keep your child away from electronic gadgets at an early age. These tools can become an obstacle to acquiring language. 

Read More: Language Development in the Digital Age (Research)

Conclusion

"Development milestones for language" give you an insight into the child's progress. It is also helpful for parents as a guideline. They should seek SLP's consultation if you find any concerns. Language development in children is critical for a successful life. So, parents should give an environment which is helpful for this purpose.