Speech development in children – stages, support, and development chart

Every parent waits for that special moment when their child says their first word. Most caregivers dream that it will be: mama or dada. When this moment doesn't arrive, anxiety sets in. Parents wonder how speech development in children progresses and whether it is time to seek help from a speech therapist. Fortunately, most toddlers acquire linguistic skills at their own pace, which falls within the norm. Check out how you can support your child's speech development through the right approach, games, and play!

What is speech?

Did you know that humans are the only living beings who have developed speech as a system of communication between group members? Producing specific sounds that form words understood by a given community allows us to express emotions, needs, fears, and build intimate relationships. Specialists have observed that speech development in children proceeds at an individual pace. Even if you notice some delay in this process, it is relatively rare to be dealing with a disorder. Nevertheless, it is always worth making sure by seeking advice from a specialist.

Speech is defined differently by various branches of science. From a sociological perspective, it is defined as a means of communication between people. It serves to convey information, express feelings, and take part in discussions. The term "speech" encompasses a socially introduced system of signs, sounds, and grammatical rules that remains characteristic of a given culture.

For linguists, speech constitutes a system of sound symbols. It developed because humans as a species mastered the ability of abstract thinking and concept creation. These remain understandable to others, and can thus be received by them.

A speech therapist defines speech as an individual function for which we need properly functioning:

• hearing organs,
• speech center in the brain,
• articulation tools.

Furthermore, frequent contact with language plays a key role. Among the features of speech, speech therapists distinguish: emotional coloring (intonation, timbre), vocabulary, grammatical correctness, clarity, fluency, and tempo.

Stages of speech development in children

Are you wondering how a child's speech development progresses? The table assumes that it occurs gradually according to a specific pattern. There are 4 stages of a child's speech development, each with its own characteristics. It is accepted that these occur at specific ages of a young person, although these are averaged values. In some, the first sounds, words, and sentences appear faster, while in others, individual processes proceed with a slight delay. As long as it is not significant, there is usually no cause for concern, but it is always worth consulting a speech therapist.

The melody stage

Speech development in an infant begins with cooing, which occurs during the 0–5 months of life. This stage is characterized by the fact that the sounds produced by the child's articulation organ remain similar to the 'g' sound. Between the 6th and 9th month of life, babbling occurs, which consists of the toddler repeating syllable strings devoid of meaning – e.g., mamama, sasasa, popopo.

The first words stage

Between the 10th and 18th month of life, a child learns to speak their first words. They are relatively simple. An average girl who is 1.5 years old knows 112 words, while a boy knows 75.

The word combination stage

This lasts from the 18th to the 24th month of life and is characterized by the child learning to combine simple words. E.g., mama give drink, mama cat. A 2-year-old child usually knows a few word combinations.

The sentence and conversation stage

A 3-year-old child primarily uses simple sentences, which over time become increasingly complex. A young person learns the art of communication naturally, absorbing grammatical rules from their surroundings. The foundations of language are usually mastered by the age of 4–5.

How to support a child's speech development?

Speech development in children proceeds at different rates. However, it usually falls within the accepted norm. If you want to support this natural process, create the right environment for language learning. The child needs contact with various words and phrases. They also want to engage in a dialogue with you, so listen carefully to what they say. Maintain eye contact during conversations and be responsive. Appropriate games and play can also support speech development in children. Maria Montessori noticed that young people learn best when they are provided with the freedom to discover themselves.

Games and activities stimulating a child's speech development

Stimulating speech development by parents is very important. Specialists have noticed that the best results come from activities based on games and play. How can you use research findings in practice?

Singing songs stimulates speech development in children. It doesn't matter what your vocal skills are. Your little one won't judge you, but will be happy when you hum a lullaby. You can sing to your child as early as during pregnancy, getting them used to your voice. When they are born, they will feel safer knowing its timbre.

It has been observed that speech development in children is more effective when books are read to them. Young people then naturally become accustomed to a wealth of words and the melody of language. Reading together also has a soothing and calming effect on a child. It makes falling asleep easier. You can read fairy tales to an infant, as your little one begins to understand speech much faster than they begin to use it. When the child grows up and starts exploring the world, reach for colorful books with hard pages and rounded edges. This way, they won't hurt themselves with them.

Show your child various colorful pictures and say: this is a dog, cat, horse, car etc. Then, encourage them to repeat these names as you point to the illustration. Praise them for every success, using positive reinforcement. If the toddler makes a mistake, do not criticize them, but correct their statement. Simply say: you're right, that is a cat.

A shape and color sorter is an extremely useful toy that was inspired by the Maria Montessori method. It is worth opting for a set made of natural wood, which is safe and ecological. It consists of a large sorter on which circles differing in printed shape and color are placed. A young person, using this toy, gains many useful skills. They learn colors, shapes, and their names. They also train their small hand. For an older child, it is worth encouraging them to count the individual colors and shapes in the sorter. The toy can also be used as a left-hemisphere puzzle and a set for creating sequences – useful tips can be found in the attached brochure.

Nature Progressive Puzzles and Vehicles catch the eye with colorful and shiny graphics against matte wood, and also encourage learning how to connect individual elements. The varied difficulty level makes these ideal puzzles for little explorers. For older children, 4 game scenarios have been prepared, which focus mainly on supporting speech development and communication. They encourage creating simple sentences, playing association games, or telling stories.

Other ways to support speech development in children

Speech development in children proceeds through imitation. It is impossible to learn a language without being exposed to it daily. A young person must learn its melody, tempo, etc. They acquire useful knowledge when parents talk to them. You can talk to an infant while changing their diaper, washing, feeding, or cuddling. Show them various things and talk about what they are. Use simple sentences, but use correct language. Speech development in children does not proceed correctly if you deliberately distort words. Do not encourage bad habits in your little ones, because they are difficult to eradicate later. When talking to the child, maintain eye contact. When the toddler looks at your face, they can imitate jaw movements, etc. React when a young person wants to tell you something, even if they are only using cooing or babbling.

Are you wondering how else you can support speech development in children? We recommend pointing at various objects with your index finger. Combine this activity with talking about them. Over time, the young person learns what a spoon, a cat, or a flower looks like. They begin to independently reproduce words they acquired through daily interactions with caregivers.

Not every mother can or wants to breastfeed. There is nothing wrong with that. However, if you choose this solution, know that it brings benefits to the child's speech development. While breastfeeding, the toddler learns to keep their tongue in a vertical position, exercises the orbicularis oris muscle, and performs jaw movements. If you have any difficulties, seek help from specialists. Sometimes, for the child to begin breastfeeding, a short tongue-tie needs to be clipped. This procedure will also facilitate speech development in the long run. If you don't know how to latch the child to the breast, a lactation consultant will help.

Bibliography

1. Albert R. R.; Schwade J.A., Goldstein M.H.; The social functions of babbling: acoustic and contextual characteristics that facilitate maternal responsiveness; Developmental Science, 21 (5), 2018
2. Tarkowski Z.; Dziecko nie mówi. Dlaczego? Czy i kiedy zacznie?; Wydawnictwo Harmonia, 2018