Birth to Age 3 - Language and Literacy Development Guidelines

As babies grow into toddlers, their language and literacy skills keep strengthening and developing. Did you know that babies prefer the sound of human voices more than any other kind of sound? This shows that children are born ready to hear and learn human language! 

However, it doesn’t immediately guarantee babies’ full understanding of language — they need to have interesting and engaging experiences to help with that. 

Paying Attention to Your Child’s Changing Abilities

It is important for caregivers and parents to pay attention to their infants’ and toddlers’ fast-changing ability to understand words and hand gestures that are spoken or directed at them (known as “receptive language” because they are “receiving” a message). 

Just as important is their ability to communicate to others (known as “expressive language” because they are “expressing” or sharing a message). Babies can do this in multiple ways, from cooing and smiles to words and simple sentences. 

Caregivers and parents must pay attention to changes in babies’ ability to communicate, and then change their own language to match their skill level. It is key to not only language development but also the development of other skills.

How Language Develops in Babies and Toddlers

The development of “receptive” and “expressive” language goes along a fairly predictable path, with babies progressing from responding to their internal feelings with crying and smiling to later using these ways in combination with communicating with a caregiver. 

Later, as infants gain control over their mouth they start making more unique and complex sounds. A child’s first words are an important milestone, not only in language but also in brain (cognitive) development. This is because these words pave the way for the development of abstract thinking, which is the ability to think about objects, principles, and ideas that are not physically present. 

In the next few months, children’s list of words goes through a “growth spurt,” making this time extra important to both the number and quality of children’s communication with caregivers and parents. Having learned their first words, toddlers start putting words together into sentences, one step at a time becoming skilled in grammar and the rules of the language.

Stay Away from Baby Talk

To create the best environment for infants and toddlers to start using language, remember that in these early years children can understand more than they can express or say. 

Because of that, instead of overly simplifying language when talking to a baby or even copying the child’s language level, caregivers and parents should instead use more advanced – but not too difficult – words while talking about their child’s actions, asking questions, or giving directions. In addition to letting their children hear more intelligent language, caregivers and parents should have back-and-forth conversations with their infants and toddlers.

Research suggests that having conversations may be more important than just the number of words a child hears. As children use more expressive language, the best ways to support language development involve re-phrasing and adding onto children’s sentences, as well as having longer conversations with children about familiar objects and events. 

The end of toddlerhood is marked by another important milestone in language and brain development: when children begin using words to stand for the non-present people, objects, and actions in their world. Playing make-believe with young children will support this developing ability.