Watching your child get to grips with learning language is a bit like watching a magic show. One minute, they are saying single words and pointing, and the next, they’re speaking in sentences, telling stories, and even haggling for that extra sweet. As well as seeing just how rapidly children learn, you’ll also start to get a real insight into how they see the world, and how they think. Let’s take a look back at the progress your little one has made last year and what exciting milestones to expect soon*
It’s around the age of two that most children go through their first ‘word explosion’. Their vocabulary grows from a handful of words to a couple of hundred in just a few months. Remember the days when “mama” and “dada” were their favorite words? Between the ages of 2 and 3, children start to pick up lots of words very quickly, naming everything they see, from “doggy” to “apple,” and even mastering animal sounds. A favourite question around this time of course is “WHY?” Children start to realise that asking a simple question can unlock lots of new and interesting information about the world. Once you think about it like that, you can understand why they like to use the word ‘why’ rather a lot! If you’d like to learn more about why children ask ‘why’ so much, check out this nice article from the BBC. And you might like this Youtube video of a 3-year-old who is really on a roll with the ‘why’ question.
When turning three, your child’s language development is kicking into top gear. This year, you’ll notice their sentences getting longer and more complex. They’ll most likely start using plurals, pronouns, and prepositions more accurately. You’ll hear them say things like “I want the blue one” or “We went to the park”.
Storytelling becomes a new favorite activity. Children at this age often become eager to tell everyone everything – to narrate their day, recount stories from books, and maybe even create their own imaginative tales. This is a great time to ask open-ended questions like “What happened next?” to encourage their narrative skills. Having words really opens up children’s imaginative abilities and of course the more they do this the more sophisticated they get in speaking and communicating too.
If your child is learning other languages at the same time and growing up in a bilingual environment, this brings some more unique opportunities! Although they might mix words from both languages or take a bit longer to reach certain language milestones, this is a normal part of bilingual language development and not a cause for concern. Studies show that these children typically catch up with, and often surpass, their monolingual peers in language proficiency by school age. On top of that, bilingualism comes with cognitive benefits! Bilingual children often excel in problem-solving and multitasking. Encourage their use of both languages through books, games, and conversations, and watch as they effortlessly switch between tongues!
There is so much to look forward to as children move into their fourth year. And while every child is different and will learn at different rates and express themselves in different ways you can be sure they will always surprise you with what they can do and how fast they change. Enjoy!
*Please remember that all children learn and develop at different rates. What we describe above is what is the average profile of a child’s learning and development. However, if you have any concerns about your child’s development, we would recommend that you speak to your GP or health visitor. You can also find additional sources of support in our “Need Some Advice?” article on the home page.