Children are most likely unaware of the meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those words as others respond to them. By eighteen months of age, most children can say eight to ten words. During this period, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts. At this age they also engage in representational or pretend play. At ages three, four, and five, a child's vocabulary rapidly increases, and he or she begins to master the rules of language.
Children vary in their development of speech and language.
The milestones are identifiable skills that can serve as a guide to normal development. Typically, simple skills need to be reached before the more complex skills can be learned. There is a general age and time when most children pass through these periods. These milestones help doctors and other health professionals determine when a child may need extra help to learn to speak or to use language. Here is a checklist that you can follow to determine if your child's speech and language skills are developing on schedule.