19 Oct Language Development from Infancy to Age Three
It is quite natural for parents and loving caregivers to compare his/her own child with the other children in a group setting. For example, as a parent of a baby, you may hear your son producing lovely consonant sounds (ma-da-ba-pa) while changing his diaper. Then in your TLC class, you may observe a same-age baby already vocalizing away (jargoning) as if she were talking in her own unique and adorable language. Similarly, if you are a parent of a toddler, you may hear your daughter communicate in full many-word sentences, while in class you could observe a same-age child using mainly gestures to communicate.
Language development, similar to other areas of development, is an individualized process. Every child passes through each skill at a different rate- each skill building upon the next.
Take a moment before class to review this excellent parent resource from Pathways.org on typical language development in children 0-3 years. In addition, following is a trusted resource from the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association. This excellent chart is organized by development and outlines what children should be producing (expressive language skills) and processing (receptive language skills). Both resources provide excellent ideas for play at home to support language skills. And, as always, if you have any concerns about your child’s development, please do not hesitate to be in touch.