by Narissa Ventress, M.A., CCC-SLP
At 16-18 months, toddlers are becoming confident communicators, often using both words and gestures to express themselves.
What Should My Child Be Doing?
- Receptive Language: Follows two-step directions, recognizes body parts and familiar objects, and shows understanding of simple prepositions.
- Expressive Language: Uses 10-15 words, tries combining words, and engages in conversational babbling.
Ways to Encourage Language Development
- Expand Vocabulary: Add descriptive words like “big red car.”
- Read Together: Choose interactive books that ask simple questions.
- Use Everyday Descriptions: Narrate your actions, like “washing hands.”
A Note for Parents
If your child isn’t combining words or using a range of sounds, reach out to a specialist for advice.
Here are some tips for helping your baby develop speech and language skills:
- Talk to your baby often. The more you talk to your baby, the more they will hear language and the better they will become at understanding and using language.
- Read to your baby. Reading to your baby helps them learn about language and how words sound.
- Sing to your baby. Singing to your baby helps them learn about rhythm and melody, and it also helps them develop their vocal cords.
- Play games with your baby. Games like peek-a-boo and patty-cake help your baby learn about social interaction and how to take turns.
Be patient. It takes time for babies to develop speech and language skills. Be patient and encouraging, and your baby will eventually reach their milestones.
For more examples and a wonderful explanation of the developmental milestones, see the video below published by the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine:
For more info, see:
Verbal Expectations: Birth to 3 Months
Verbal Expectations: 4-6 Months
Verbal Expectations: 7-9 Months
Verbal Expectations: 10-12 Months
Verbal Expectations: 13-15 Months
