As a child grows, he learns everything from the world around him. Some things he learns because we teach them and others, such as walking, learn them by instinct or intuition. They speak without learning that we teach them, by imitation, by being able to associate words with people or objects and repeat them to do what human beings most need: communicate.
The first words are usually mom and dad and after these two come all the others. When? It depends. Not all children begin to walk at the same age and not all children begin to speak at the same time, so in principle we should not become obsessed with the moment when our baby begins to speak.
However, this does not mean that there is no limit from which there may be a problem and therefore, when there is no reference from other children or when it is not known what that limit is, we may be missing a very valuable opportunity Start helping you before. Therefore, so that you have that reference and can see if your child is having a correct speech development today we will try to answer this: How and when do they start talking?
In Babies and more How children learn to speak: the development of language month by month in the first year of the baby To find out, and although this setting dates, as I say, is very relative and we must always keep in mind that the pace of children is variable, we will use the well-known Haizea-Llevant Development Chart. This is a table based on a population of 1,702 children of different ages who were studied to know when do children start doing different things.
This table specifies an act, a word, or something that each child does and three ages are given. The first age tells us when 50% of the children do it, the second age tells us when 75% of the children do it and the third age tells us when 95% do it. That figure, the last one, is the limit. It does not mean that if a child does something later they have a problem, because there is 5% of children who will do it later and that they are probably perfectly healthy, but that is the moment when they say "eye, let's look at this child with love and time. "
Because if only one thing is slow, it may be normal, but if there are several items in which it passes from age and still does not, it would be advisable to seek help in an early stimulation center to assess the child and see if Everything is normal or if there is any cause for it to go slower than the average of the children of its age.
The first thing they say: dad and mom
As we have already commented, and as we all know, the first thing children say is usually dad and mom, and normally, as they spend more time with the mother, the first thing they say is dad. It is not that they love the father more than the mother (ungrateful, who spend more time with the mother and so they thank him), it is that mom tells him about dad, who will come from work, that will tickle him, etc. and dad, well he also talks about dad, doesn't he?
The fact is that (outside jokes) the first thing they usually do is like pedreretas, like a "P" that does not get to be and, after the weeks, they release the first "Pa-Pa", or perhaps a "Pa-Pa -Pa-Pa-Pa ". Sometimes no, sometimes they say "Ma-Ma" first, it is also valid. 50% of children say it already at 7.6 months of age. 75% say so at 8.8 months and 95% at 9.6 months. It is a "Pa-Pa" or "Ma-Ma" that can be nonspecific. That is, who says it because yes, because he knows, without being very clear about the meaning of what he says.
Later, they say it by associating it with the person. That is, they say "Dad" and "Mom", knowing that they refer to them. 50% of children associate it with 11.5 months, 75% at 13 months and 95% at 16 months.
With this we already know that if a child does not say "Pa-Pa" or "Ma-Ma" at 9 and a half months we could ask ourselves if there are other areas or items on the table that it costs, or if at 16 months they do not Call your mother or father, you may need a referral to a specialist.
Is made to understand
Between these first words and all that will come later, we have to see that the child makes himself understood. Around 12 months we have to see that they begin to understand words and that they begin to ask for things, perhaps with the index, perhaps with gestures, perhaps in a way they always use and that mom and dad already understand. The point is that that intention must be thereWell, it's communication.
In Babies and more, what was your baby's first word?When does the "No" come
One of the words that most hear us say is "No", so at 17 months 50% of children already say it. 75% of children say so at 20 months and 95% at 24.
It is very possible that at 18 months they say "water" and other common words at home, but as "No" is common in all families, the assessment is made with this word. If after 2 years the child still does not say "No" it is necessary to see if it is because he barely speaks or if, on the other hand, he does say many other things.
Other words
A little later, so that everything does not remain in knowing if it says dad, mom and no, they are asked for other usual words, such as car, house, cat, dog, train, etc. For this they are shown a picture with several drawings and the child is asked to say what each thing is. Saying one is enough (and obviously, you don't have to say it well).
At 19 months, 50% of children are able to name one of the drawings taught to them. At 22 months it is 75% and 95% do it at 25 months.
When do they start to put words together?
After the loose words, to be able to communicate, it is necessary to gather words. The children begin to unite them to say things like "handsome baby", "I want water", "mommy tit", doing it 50% at 21 months, 75% at 23 and 95% at 25. At this time, that of the two years, it is said that he already knows between 150 and 300 words.
The pronouns "me, you, mine, for me"
It is also interesting to know when they begin to use pronouns like me, you, him, (is) mine or if he says that something is for him, that is, "for me". In this sense there is enough room, because parents tend to say the name in the third person, instead of "you" or "you". In the same way as babies we say "What does the baby say?", As adults we also say, "What does Guim say?" instead of "what do you say". Or we say "Who has it been? Was it Guim? Was it you?" That's why 50% do it at 22 months, 75% at 23 months and 95% at 36 months.
And later?
There are more things that can be assessed later, but as the idea of the entry was to see if in the first words, if in the first communicative attempts, the children are fulfilling the expected, I stay in what happens until 2-3 years , it will be enough to verify that everything is going well. Later, children already interact with other children, talk with them, go to school and parents have more references to see how well everything is going or if they see that development is a bit slow and could be assessed by a specialist.
Photos | Jeremy Salmon, Theodore Scott on Flickr
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