Milestones in Language Development: What to Expect in the First Five Years

Do you remember your baby babbling for the first time? Indeed, it is a very loving and special moment to experience! The first words, the first sentence, the first conversation, all these milestones are moments to cherish! In their language development journey, your child’s communication skills evolve rapidly, giving you a reason to look after their learning habits and imaginative play!

The first five years are filled with milestones that shape how they communicate with the world. Join us as we take a closer look at language development in children. From early childhood milestones to what activity kits you must give them, we have covered a lot of insights in this blog.

Early Childhood Language Development Milestones For First 5 Years

From their first coos to their first complete sentences, the milestones of language development in the first five years are an indication of a child’s growth. What does it mean when your child says their first words or starts weaving sentences together? Let us break it down for you, step by step:

Birth to 5 Months

Smile when you appear.
Make soft cooing noises.
Be quiet or smile when addressed.
Appear to recognise your voice.
Use different cries for various needs.

6-12 Months

Make gurgling noises while playing.
Babble and produce a variety of sounds.
Use your voice to express preferences.
React to changes in the tone of your voice.
Pay attention to toys that make sounds.
Show awareness of music

12-24 Months

Your baby will most likely start responding now
They can understand the meaning of your actions such as clapping, sitting, or jumping.
You might also ask them about their body parts such as ‘Where is the nose’, and ‘Where are your fingers’.
They also make animal sounds such as ‘moo’, ‘meow’, and more.

2-3 Years

Recognise the names of people, objects, and body parts.
Follow simple instructions accompanied by gestures.
Say up to 10 words.

3-4 Years

Your baby will now express more.
They will speak properly while expressing things in short.
They might answer your questions back, group objects into food or clothes, recognise colours, and look out for creative ways to engage themselves.

4-5 Years

Use basic phrases, like ‘more milk.’
Ask short questions, such as ‘Go bye-bye?’
Follow simple instructions and comprehend basic questions.
Know 50 or more words.
Speak enough for you or another caregiver to understand at least half the time.

Looking for baby learning toys? At Skillmatics, you can shop for high-contrast flashcards, sight words flashcards and other spelling learning toys.

How Parents Can Help Kids To Achieve Language Development Milestones?

Little treasures are born curious. From giggles to conversations, the first words, phrases, and sentences are not just milestones! As a parent, you can gift your children something that will not only support their learning but also keep them engaged in imaginative play. Explore a wide range of baby learning toys and activity kits at Skillmatics.

High Contrast Flash Cards for Infants

It is said that babies can only see the world through a black-and-white lens for a few months after they are born. To enhance their visual and language power, bring our High Contrast Flash Cards for your little ones! High-contrast cards are an effective tool for infant language development because they engage their developing visual system and encourage interaction that supports communication skills.

Letters, Numbers & Animals | Magnetic Matching Activity

Wondering what’s inside this wonder box? This Magnetic Matching Activity comes with one magnetic board, 36 child-friendly magnetic coins, and an instruction booklet. Through this insightful activity kit, children will learn all about animals, their habitats, letters, numbers with this fun sorting and magnetic matching activity. Shop for this magnetic alphabet and numbers activity kit today at Skillmatics!

Muddled | Fast-Paced Word Building Game

Get ‘muddled’ with this word-building game set! Skillmatics brings you a color-coded word-building game for all kids. Children have to roll the vibrant dice and shuffle the letters in minds to form words as quickly as possible. Later, they have to race against the clock to create words that match the color patterns on the dice. But beware, thinking too slowly might leave them in a muddle!

Flash Cards: Sight Words

Is your little one ready to embark on their kindergarten adventure? Include their preschool learning with our Sight Words Flashcards. They are made for ages 4 to 9, these Sight Words flashcards offer a fun and interactive way to develop reading and literacy skills. Our collection introduces 500 essential sight words through 6 unique games which makes learning both effective and entertaining. Give your child the confidence to conquer the world of words.

Ready To Spell | Learning Activities

Are you tired of making your kid learn spellings? Spelling toys for preschoolers is the perfect tool to help your child master spelling, step by step! It comes with color-coded boards, this activity kit guides your little one through spelling Consonant-Vowel-Consonant words, 4-letter blend words, and digraph words. Shop for spelling learning toys for young brains at Skillmatics!

How To Recognise If Kids Facing Any Delay in Language Development?

Every child develops at their own pace, but when it comes to language skills, how can you tell if there's a delay? Usually, when a baby doesn’t respond to sound or vocalise should be taken to the doctor right away! In many cases, parents find it difficult to know if their kid is taking a bit longer to react to a speech. Here’s how parents can take care. Consult your doctor if your child:

Is not making gestures, such as pointing or waving at the age of 1
Faces trouble imitating sounds by 18 months of age.
Has difficulty in understanding simple verbal commands by the age of 18 months.
Repeatedly uses oral language to communicate by 2 years of age.
Unable to follow simple directions by the age of 2 years

Conclusion

Kids are picky, and honestly, that’s a big part of their charming personality. The demand for new toys is changing each day. Knowing what to expect can guide you in nurturing your little one’s communication abilities. A celebration will provide the right amount of encouragement to your kids.

Explore the exciting collection of Skillmatics' baby learning toys and educational games! Seize this opportunity to select something special that will ignite your child’s curiosity while developing a love for learning and exploration. Choose our skill-building games and spelling learning toys for ages 0 to 8+ years and see the joy of learning unfold!

FAQS

Q: Why should parents be aware of language development milestones?

A: As parents, milestones aren't only fun to look forward to but also an important aspect to take into consideration of. One can assess a child's language abilities through these milestones and support them further.

Q: What are the main stages of language development in children?

A: These stages are generally categorised into pre-linguistic and linguistic phases. The pre-linguistic phase marks the initial stage of speech development, followed by the babbling stage, the first words stage, the two-word stage, and the telegraphic stage.

Q: When do babies usually say their first words?

A: Most children say their first words between 10 and 14 months of age.

Q: What are the signs of a language delay?

A: Some symptoms of a language delay in babies can be difficulty following directions, poor speech, and not babbling by the age of 15 months.

Q: How can I support language development in a bilingual environment?

A: To support language development in kids, you can add some games, toys and activities to their playtime.

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