1 Year Old: Language

When do children usually say their first words?
Beginning at around 12 months, if you listen carefully to your toddler’s babbling, you’ll likely hear your child’s first actual spoken words.

What are the most common first words?
Not surprisingly, the most typical first words are “mama” and “dada,” followed by words that your toddler hears repeatedly day after day, such as “hi,” bye-bye,” and “no.”

Does my toddler understand what I'm saying?
Your young toddler understands many more words than you think.

Between 13 and 20 months, your toddler’s brain develops in a way that allows it to process speech more quickly. This makes your child better able to understand what you are saying.

Watch for motions, such as picking up or pointing at an object that you name, that indicate that your toddler knows what you are talking about.

What happens in the brain to help young toddlers acquire language?
As you might imagine, the human brain—a wonder in its complexity and capabilities—takes some time to develop. At birth, your newborn’s brain was only one-quarter of its adult size.

Nature makes sure that the parts of the brain that control basic bodily functions—such as breathing, sleeping, sucking, and swallowing—mature first.

Once the brain can fulfill its most vital functions, its neurons can “branch out” and the cerebral cortex—the part of the brain responsible for mental activities such as thinking, remembering, and feeling—can fully develop.

The connections that form in your toddler’s cerebral cortex help to provide a better understanding of language.

How can I help my toddler learn to talk?
Talking to your toddler frequently and using a rich variety of words can greatly help with speech development. In fact, some experts say that language is the area of development most affected by intervention.

Here’s how you can help:
Be a narrator. One of the best ways to help your child learn to talk is to talk to your child. Talk about what you’re doing; talk about what your child is doing; talk about the things you see.

Have a conversation. Toddlers like to feel that they are part of the speaking world. If you respond when your child says a word or two to you, he or she will have a sense of accomplishment and be flattered by your attention.

Be your toddler’s echo. Restate or expand upon whatever your toddler says to you. For example, if your child says, “Outside,” you can say, “Yes, let’s go outside to take a walk in the park.” This lets your child know that you are listening and trying to understand.

Tell your child again and again. Unlike adults, toddlers love repetition. Your toddler will love it if you repeat rhymes, songs, and stories over and over. Repetition helps toddlers remember the language that they are desperately trying to learn.

My 15-month-old hasn't spoken any words yet. Should I be concerned?
Not necessarily—some young toddlers are the silent type. Some toddlers say no words at all before age 18 months. This does not mean that there’s a problem, or that they don’t understand what you are saying. Some children may not be “talkers” early on. And boys tend to develop language more slowly than girls.

My 18-month-old just started talking. Is this normal?
“Normal” language development varies. Some children may say more words sooner; some may say fewer words later. What’s most significant is that you notice an increase each month in the number of words your toddler says. If you’re worried, talk to your health care professional.

Now that my child is talking, how quickly will new words be learned?
Your child’s vocabulary will expand fast. By about 18-20 months, toddlers can say anywhere from 20 to 50 words.

Most children, by their second birthday, will probably be using 2- to 4-word sentences.

Why do toddlers start talking a lot more just before their second birthday?
Some time after about 18 months you may notice that your toddler—who knew maybe 50 words—is all of a sudden using new words every day.

Researchers have noticed that this development takes place at about the same time that significant changes occur in an important language center of the brain known as Wernicke’s area. They speculate that an increase in the number of synapses—connections between brain cells—in Wernicke’s area helps greatly with the understanding of word meaning.

Source: Wyeth Mama Club