{"id":876,"date":"2020-08-28T19:24:35","date_gmt":"2020-08-28T17:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nannynme.co.za\/wp\/?p=876"},"modified":"2020-08-28T19:24:35","modified_gmt":"2020-08-28T17:24:35","slug":"language-development-in-early-childhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nannynme.co.za\/wp\/language-development-in-early-childhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Language Development in Early Childhood"},"content":{"rendered":"

Language is more than just verbal communication. It is also the ability to express ourselves, to respond and understand when someone is trying to communicate with us. Language development is a crucial part of the child\u2019s overall development. It supports your child\u2019s ability to communicate, express and understand feelings. It also aids in problem solving, developing, and maintaining relationships. The basis for literacy – learning to read and write is grounded in learning to understand, use and enjoy language.<\/p>\n

A baby\u2019s communication skills develop drastically during the first year of life. Here is an indication of the sequence of this language development:<\/p>\n

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From 12 to 18 months<\/strong>, toddlers start to associate meaning to the words that they are saying. From this point on they often experience a surge of language development and keep adding more and more words to their vocabulary. At this stage, they can understand far more than they can express verbally and are able to follow simple instructions as well.<\/p>\n

From 18 to 24 months, <\/strong>toddlers are able to put two words together into short sentences. They will understand much of what you say, and you should start to be able to understand what they are saying to you (most of the time).<\/p>\n

Here is a more detailed description of language development from 12 to 18 months:<\/p>\n

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NB!<\/strong> Language develop varies greatly from child to child, however if your toddler has not started saying some words by 18 months, it may be a good idea to talk to your GP or consult a speech therapist and audiologist to assess your child\u2019s speech and hearing ability. Often a lack of hearing can greatly influence a child\u2019s language development without their parents even knowing it. It is for this reason that an annual hearing test is essential in all children from birth to 8 years old.<\/p>\n

From 2 to 3 years old<\/strong>, your child\u2019s vocabulary will expand rapidly and may learn new words every day. Their receptive language is incredible, and they are able to understand more words than they can express. \u00a0Your child starts moving to using three or more words in a sentence such as \u201cMommy get in car\u201d. Your toddler at this stage should understand one and two step instructions as long as they relate to things they already know. They also begin to answer questions from adults about \u2018who\u2019 \u2018what\u2019 and \u2018where\u2019 but may not understand \u2018why\u2019 and \u2018how\u2019 questions yet.<\/p>\n

Your toddler will be able to know from the tone of your voice whether you are happy, angry or affectionate. Your child may be able to ask for help at this stage if he is struggling with something. He will also understand household routines and may be able to guess what\u2019s happening next.<\/p>\n

By age three, your child will be able to use most of the speech sounds in his words by may still pronounce them differently from adults. Your child may also get the hang of speaking in turn and may be able to have a short conversation with you or even make up a simple story with your help. Your child will be able to talk and play by age three, giving voices to toys and will also start learning to share toys and take turns. You may hear your child experimenting with language through rhyming, singing and listening to stories.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>How to encourage early language development in babies and toddlers:<\/strong><\/p>\n