Let’s follow Sarah, a 2-year-old, as she hits some key speech milestones:
- First words: Sarah says “mama” and “dada” around her first birthday.
- Growing vocabulary: By 18 months, she’s using about 20 words regularly.
- Two-word phrases: At 2 years old, Sarah starts saying things like “more juice” and “bye-bye car”.
- Following instructions: She can now follow simple two-step directions like “Get your shoes and bring them to me”.
| Age |
Typical Speech Milestone |
| 6 months |
Babbling sounds like “ba-ba” or “ma-ma” |
| 1 year |
First words appear |
| 18 months |
Uses about 10-20 words |
| 2 years |
Combines two words |
Sarah’s parents keep track of these milestones, celebrating each new skill she develops. They know that every kid grows at their own pace, but they’re happy to see Sarah’s language blossoming.