A toddler's vocabulary often consists of 200 or more words by the age of three, and many children can put together three- or four-word phrases. At this stage of language development, children can comprehend and communicate more clearly. You should be able to comprehend around 75% of what your toddler says by now. The rest is just noise - not real communication. Around one in five children will have a speech problem that affects their ability to speak properly. This may be because they have a syndrome that causes problems with speech development or it could be because they learn English as an additional language. No matter why they have a speech problem, early identification allows for appropriate treatment to be provided. Children start off being born with a natural instinct to talk. They make noises to attract attention or when they are excited about something. These sounds are called infant vocalizations and they help develop vital brain cells responsible for speech. By the time toddlers begin to babble, these same brain cells will have grown even further. In fact, research shows that babies who cry it out gain weight faster than those who don't! Babies' brains are always growing and changing, so any activity that stimulates learning brings about positive changes on the brain. MRI scans show that when kids play with toys that require different skills such as putting blocks together to build a house, this activates areas of the brain that are used when speaking or listening.