Language development begins at birth and continues throughout the primary years. Children develop language skills from their home environments and interactions with others.
Parents play a huge role in language development in the primary years. Parents and caregivers should speak and interact with children from birth, as this ensures proper language development. By age two children should connect words into small sentences.
A child with proper language development in the primary years masters the following skills: by age one he is babbling in a conversational manner, by age two he is speaking in small sentences to others and by age three he speaks with more complex sentence structure and expansive vocabulary.
There is no doubt that language development is pivotal in the development of children. However, there are many other aspects that contribute to proper language development. A child's emotional, social and physical development are significant factors in development, and a lack of development in one of these areas can contribute to delayed language development.
Because a child does not meet the characteristics of her age does not automatically mean there is a significant problem. There are many factors that contribute to a child's development; always consult with your child's doctor for specific developmental issues.