It doesn't work to apply the averages to individual toddlers, of course, because the age at which a child begins talking is governed by physical maturation. Typically, however, the language progression is:
Cooing
Gurgling
Babbling
Gibberish
Individual words
Two-word sentences
Complex sentences
The most common progression is for children to begin with one word, gradually add others, and then combine them into two-word sentences before creating more complex sentences. This is not the only pattern, however.
When it comes to saying those first dozen words, researchers say that simply practicing doesn't make speaking perfect. Toddlers will be able to get the words out when the speech centers of the brain mature. But vocabulary comprehension grows quickly. Don't judge your toddler's progress with language by her ability to speak, because the amount youngsters understand is a much better predictor of later language ability. Just keep talking to your toddler, even if you don't receive a reply!
Some youngsters mouth rapid-fire streams of gibberish. Their voices rise and fall as if they were expounding on the state of the universe. Their facial expressions are as serious and their gestures as dramatic as Shakespearean actors, yet they don't utter a single recognizable word. This apparent delay can be worrisome to parents, but when toddlers finally start saying words people can understand, they usually begin with short sentences rather than individual words, and continue to progress rapidly. Einstein didn't begin talking until he was almost three!
On average, girls start talking at an earlier age than boys do, if only by a few months. Some children speak later than others because there is simply no need for them to talk — their parents and older siblings are all too adept at figuring out the meanings of their grunts and whimpers. They fulfill their toddler's requests without letting them know that there are other, better ways to communicate.
The best way to encourage youngsters to use words rather than gestures to communicate is to demonstrate the correct way to ask for an item. For instance, when your toddler points at a glass of water and grunts, you can respond, “Water? Can you say ‘water’?” After a brief pause to let the question sink in, hand over the water whether or not he attempts to say the word. Your child may be unable to speak because his brain is not sufficiently mature. Trying to force him will only make him feel bad. Pushing toddlers is a definite “no-no.” There will be plenty of times when you find yourself using the “just tell me what you want” line when you really don't know what your toddler is trying to communicate. But there's no point in creating a scene when you do understand the gesture.
Children who have delays in several areas, such as premature babies often do, may have language delays, too. Parents can expect toddlers with slower overall development to begin talking later rather than sooner. There's no need to be concerned about exactly when children start talking as long as the child is younger than two, or the following signs are present:
Gibberish and babbling continue
Attempts to imitate sounds continue
Comprehension continues to improve
Responds to your hearing tests (see page 25). Still, if you can't shake the feeling that something's wrong, talk to your pediatrician.
Cooing seems to be innate. Even deaf infants coo. But if babies cannot hear their parents' responses and feedback, instead of progressing to gurgles, babbles, and gibberish, the coos will gradually disappear. Even if your state mandates newborn hearing evaluations, seek a second opinion from a speech and language expert!
