Turning points in speech and language development in preschool period
0-6 MONTHS
snoring and babbling
Voice awareness (turning to voice, speaking, stopping crying)
Don’t set her eyes on what she’s interested in
Hearing testing is recommended if the newborn is indifferent to surrounding sounds and conversations.
Various intonations and short simple language should be used. Take turns while eating, drinking, mother speaks-baby eats.(This is the basis of conversation.) Play simple language games like Ce-e. A mother singing to her child is a great way to get attention. This increases the child’s awareness of human language and encourages early social interactions.
7-12 MONTHS
The first person and name words appear
Same syllable repeated – like father/grandfather
The level of understanding of daily routines increases, it proves
Respond to word extraction attempts. (when he said dad, yes he went to work..)
Talk about your daily routines often in simple language – in 2-3 words. This helps him build his receptive language skills. Play with routine songs. And wait in between for him to react (smile, voice, movement, reaction).
12 MONTHS
Says 3-5 words
knows your name
Understands simple instructions
Initiates, displays similar words, gestures, and sounds
Understands common objects and movements (cake, food, juice)
Name each item often. Immediately name the object or movement that he is interested in, in 1-2 words. When giving something, say its name. Songs, lullabies, color books, ce-e games are recommended.
18 MONTHS
Uses around 10-20 words with nouns
Understands pictures of nearby people and objects
Subtracts 2-word combinations
His needs simply pour out of his mouth
Pays attention to gestures, simple commands, imitates simple movements, hums or sings
Distinguish between picture and reality
Sing to your child often. Use and sing similar compositions over and over in daily activities. It would be more helpful if the lyrics fit the situation. Use simple, clear language. Imitate their movements and sounds frequently and set an example for the right language. You don’t have to correct your child, just model with an appropriate answer. Chat and discuss with your child about what he feels, hears and does during the day. Don’t forget to praise her communication efforts as well.
24 MONTHS-2 YEARS
Understands simple questions and directions
Expresses similar movements and activities in pictures (eating, sleeping)
Follows directions such as “open-closed-in”
Increase sentence length to 3 words
mentions himself by name
names pictures
Begins to use negatives “don’t go”
Uses plural suffixes
Vocabulary increases to 300 words in 1 year! In fact, children between the ages of 2 and 4 increase their vocabulary by 2 words per day.
It can linger for 6-7 minutes with an activity.
Repeat new words often. Use gesture and intonation when conveying important information. Talk about what we’re doing and maintain a simple dialogue about it. You can ask questions to encourage more thinking and expression, but it’s necessary to set the limit. Asking too many questions can lead to persistence and frustration if the child has trouble answering. Give your child time to answer. It is often necessary to wait 10 seconds for an answer. Read color books with simple and repetitive language. Play games that require listening and following (like “Simon says”) to improve listening skills. Make sure your directions are simple (Simon says “touch your nose”).
30 MONTHS- 2,5 YEARS
It has about 450 words.
She can tell you when you ask her name.
Uses past tense, plural suffixes, noun and verb combinations.
Begins to group objects according to their function and parts.
Uses simple adjectives.
Uses “no, not”, where? answers the question.
Be an example for her to use pronouns (I, you, she) in short phrases. Read similar and/or repetitive stories and encourage them to tell what happens next; or have them answer simple questions about the story. Keep listening and singing similar songs (like listening to a tape recorder in the car).
3 AGES
Names at least one color.
He usually talks while playing or alone.
It can convey a basic story or idea.
Can form sentences of 3-4 words.
Begins to understand “not”.
Can express concepts in a similar category or group (show me the animal)
May have an increased vocabulary of up to 1000 words.
He can say his name and the neighborhood he lives in.
Support vocabulary development. Keep naming the things you do in your daily life. Talk to your child in simple sentences of 4-5 words. Have them answer questions such as what and where. Play with your child as if you were a child. (Speaking with dolls and doing similar routines; games such as going to the market by car, buying milk and then returning home, placing the goods and preparing the food..) . As children play pretend games, they also grasp the social order. Playing with other children is likewise a good way to develop social and language skills. A child may not be able to hear all sounds, but around the age of 3 they may be more careful and smart. If a delay is suspected, consult a professional for language acquisition assessment.
AGE 4
Takes 2-step instructions.
It asks a lot of questions, including Who and Why.
Makes 4-5 word sentences.
Understands and uses spatial concepts (over, under, beside).
He speaks the past tense correctly.
Start categorizing objects into magical categories. (like animals, clothing, food) It might be a good idea to go to the zoo. You can decide what to eat for dinner. You can talk to your child in long sentences and read long stories to him. You can tell each other made-up or existing stories. Pronunciation is not perfect yet, you can set an example for correct sounds.
5 YEARS OLD
Defines objects according to their functions,
Uses spatial concepts (above, behind)
Makes sentences of 5-6 words.
Understands many contrasting concepts.
Can use different tenses and various sentence patterns. (such as future tense, present tense, past tense)
Listen when he talks to you and encourage him to discuss his feelings, ideas and thoughts with you. Encourage him to continue the dialogue. You can use adult language, they usually understand more than they can say.
6-7 YEARS
Phonetic (sound/letter) awareness skills develop.
Generates creative thoughts.
Understands time/space concepts (before-after; first-second-last)
Begin phonetic studies. Look at the letters and discuss what sound they might sound like. Discuss the spelling of the words and sound out each letter in the words. Divide big words into main parts (suffix- prefix). 1.,2.,3. Discuss the last sounds and chapters.
Although children progress along the same developmental line, each child is different and unique. If you suspect a delay, contact an expert.
