Language Development in the Early Years (0-5)
According to the Raising Children Network, there are a number of big milestones during language development in the early years (0-5). Let’s take a look at these various time frames outlined by the organization.
0-3 months
It’s normal at this stage for babies to fuss and cry. Towards the end of this period, they start becoming more alert to sounds.
3-12 months
At this stage, babies usually laugh and coo, play around more with sounds and communicate with gestures. Many babies begin forming words, too, towards the end of the stage.
12-18 months
During this time frame, babies begin saying their first words—ones often rich with meaning, says the Raising Children Network.
18 months to 2 years
In this stage, a toddler’s vocabulary will have grown and begins putting two words together, making short sentences. They also begin to understand much of what is being said to them.
2-3 years
During this phase, toddlers begin speaking in longer, more complex sentence structures while incorporating different speech sounds.
3-5 years
Conversations with kids in this stage are usually longer and more abstract, according to the Raising Children Network. They also begin to understand some grammar rules.
The Healthy Early Years site says a child’s language development in the early years (0-5) has a major impact on their future life chances. For kids, however, to have optimum language success, according to the Maternal and Early Years organization, parents need to have a high level of communication with their children. A quality way for parents to do this is by establishing a regular reading routine together.
The organization adds that studies show that a child’s language and vocabulary skills will suffer if parents aren’t engaging with their kids enough.
The Latino Literacy Project provides great parental support that both encourages communication and fosters strong language stimulation in bilingual homes. Educators can either participate in an online webinar or complete a program training course in their area.