Typical Development of Toddlers (12 - 35 months) Flashcards
Language – Content
6 points
• From 12 months – 18 months children typically acquire 50 words in their spoken lexicon
- Children’s receptive language and vocabulary precedes their expressive language and vocabulary in the initial lexicon
• Many of the earliest words spoken by children during this period are nouns
• Between ages of 1 1⁄2 years and 6 years, estimated that child adds approx. 5 words to their lexicon everyday
• Children invent new words when a gap exists in their vocabularies [either because they’ve
forgotten or haven’t learnt word]:
- Example: “I’m spooning [stirring] my Milo.”
• Repetition is expected in early language development
- 1 to 3 years - expect repetition of words, phrases, intonation, songs
(peaks at around 2 1⁄2 years)
- Want to see a reduction in imitation by approximately 3 years
among a child’s first ten words
animals (e.g., doggie, kitty)
food (e.g., cookie)
toys (e.g., ball)
among a child’s first ten words
animals (e.g., doggie, kitty)
food (e.g., cookie)
toys (e.g., ball)
Fast mapping / “quick incidental learning” – QUIL
“Quick, sketchy, and tentative formation of a link between a referent and a new name that enables a child to have access to and use the word in an immediate, although somewhat limited way. Gradually the meaning of the referent widens as the word is freed from aspects of the initial context.”
QUIL - Underextentions:
- “Process in which a child applies a word meaning to fewer exemplars than an adult would. The child’s definition is too restrictive and more limited than in adult usage.”
- Example cup= only child’s cup
QUIL - Overextensions:
“Process in which a child applies a word meaning to more exemplars than an adult would. The child’s definition is too broad and thus beyond acceptable adult usage.” (Owens, 2012, p 439)
Example: doggy= all animals
Overextensions common among toddlers in all languages
Overextensions typical in children’s language between the ages of 1 and 2 1⁄2 years of age (Weiten, 2007)
As many as one-third of a child’s first 75 words may be overextended (Owens, 2012, p 208)
Expressive vocabulary:
12 months: produces 5 or more words (i.e., starting to use first words)
18 months: 10 - 20 words (hoping to see approx. 50 to begin two word combinations)
24 months: 50 – 200 words
36 months: 900 – 1200 words
•Two word combinations
- Begin at about 18 months
- Children start combining words when they have approximately 50 words
- First two-word combinations often contain a combination of a noun and a verb
Typical, monolingual English speaking toddler: 43 verbs at 2 years (Hadley, Rispoli, & Hsu, 2016)
Early Multiword Combinations
Not yet ‘true’ two word combinations:
→ All-gone
→ Go-bye
→ Go-potty
•Comprehend multiword utterances before they use
•Initially no regard for word order go potty / potty go; eat cookie / cookie eat (Owens, 2012)
Typical language development: Semantics
The appearance of word combinations, often feature the combination of verb (i.e., action) and a noun (i.e., object): ® “eat cookie”
red flag - No verbs at 2 years of age
When children begin to combine two words the combinations result in meanings that are not present in the meaning of the either of the words alone, e.g.,
→ nothing in the word ‘doggy’ that means “possession”
→ nothing in the word ‘bed’ that means “possession”
→ combine the two words ‘doggy bed’”conveys a meaning of “possession” (i.e., it’s the doggy’s bed)
Semantic relations
- Semantic relations are “a combination of two or more individual semantic roles …;
- typically semantic relations express meanings in addition to the meanings expressed by individual words.”
- 18 to 36 month age range.
- Progressing to multi-word combinations requires an ability for the child to use the same vocabulary to express a variety of meanings e.g.,
- mummy hit → mummy = agent
- hit mummy → mummy = object
- mummy hat → mummy = possessor
Understanding & Understanding interrogatives
Understanding interrogatives:
2-0 years: “What?”
2-6 years: “Where?”
3-0 years: “Who?” “Whose?” “Why?” “How many?” (Nb: respond with number, but may not be correct)
Using interrogatives:
20 – 24 months: “Me go?” with rising intonation
3-0 years: “What?” “Where?” “Who?”
Development of prepositions & Pronouns
Development of prepositions: • 24 months: in, on (locational) • 36 months: under (locational) Development of pronouns • 12 – 26 months: I, it • 27 – 30 months: my, me, mine, you • 31 – 34 months: your, she, he, yours, we • 35 – 40 months: they, us, hers, him, them her The general order is: • Reference to self • Reference to another person/proximity
Language – Use - 15-24 months
15 months:
• Calling
• Exclaiming
18 – 24 months:
• ^ word use over non-verbal communication
• Requesting answers / information
• Answering
• 18 months: 2 instances of intentional communication per minute
• 24 months >5 instances of intentional communication per minute (Chapman, 2000)
Language – Use - Summary
- 12 – 18 months: gestures are combined with word-like vocalisations containing consonants
- 15 months: gesture should be paired with eye gaze
- 16 months: gesture and words for object names
- 20 months: words predominate for object names
- 18 – 24 months: conventional words or word combinations are used with increasing frequency to express a range of intentions
