Communication From 1-2 Years

How Speech and Language Develop

If you've made it through the first year, you've watched your baby go from communicating mostly through crying, sounds, facial expressions, and gestures to saying their first words.

And then, somewhere between 1 and 2 years, things really start to take off.

This is such an exciting time for communication. Your child isn't just learning new words—they're learning that words have meaning, words can get them what they want, and words can help them connect with the people around them.

From gestures to words

Around their first birthday, communication may still look like pointing, reaching, waving, showing you things, and making sounds to get your attention.

Those gestures are important. They are communication.

As children move through the second year, you may notice that gestures begin to pair with words. Instead of simply pointing to the cup, your child may point and say, “Cup!” Instead of reaching toward you, they may say, “Up!”

This is the beginning of using words intentionally.

Around 15 months, many children are beginning to use a few words besides “mama” or “dada,” point to ask for something or get help, and understand familiar words and directions.

By 18 months, many children are using more words, following simple directions, and communicating more intentionally through both gestures and words.

Remember, though, that development doesn't happen on an exact schedule. Milestones are meant to give us a general picture of development, not a deadline that a child must meet on a specific birthday.

Understanding comes before talking

One of the most important things to remember is that language development is about much more than how many words your child says.

Before children can consistently use words, they are busy learning to understand them.

They may begin to understand:

• Their name

• Familiar people and objects

• Simple directions

• Body parts

• Common routines

• Words like “more,” “all done,” “go,” and “come”

• Simple questions such as “Where's your shoe?”

A child will generally understand much more than they are able to say.

This is an important part of language development that can sometimes be overlooked because we naturally focus on the words we can hear.

The vocabulary explosion

During this year, your child's vocabulary can grow quickly. At first, you may hear a handful of words. Then suddenly it seems like they're learning something new every day.

And remember—a word doesn't have to sound perfect to count as a word. “Ba” for ball, “wa” for water, “nana” for banana, or “ca” for cat can all be meaningful words if your child is using them consistently and intentionally.

Speech sounds are still developing at this age, so it is very normal for young toddlers to simplify words or leave sounds out.

What matters is that they are communicating and continuing to make progress.

Their brains are changing, too

There is another really important piece of development happening during this year that has nothing to do with how many words your child can say. Their brain is changing rapidly.

Between 1 and 2, toddlers are becoming more mobile, curious, independent, and aware of the world around them. They want to explore. They want to try things themselves. They are beginning to recognize that they have their own ideas and preferences.

And sometimes that looks like:

“No.”

“Mine!”

“I do it!”

Running away when you ask them to come.

Trying something again after you've already told them not to.

Having a complete meltdown because you gave them the blue cup instead of the green one.

It can be easy to look at these moments and think, They're being difficult. They're testing me. They're trying to get their way.

But developmentally, there is much more happening underneath the behavior.

Toddlers are still developing the skills that allow them to control impulses, manage big emotions, shift their attention, and think before they act. These skills—often referred to as executive function and self-regulation—develop over time through relationships, experiences, practice, and support from adults.

So when your 18-month-old throws themselves on the floor because you won't let them climb onto the table, they aren't thinking, “I'm going to make Mom's life miserable today.”

Their brain is still learning: I want something → I have a big feeling → I can't have it → what do I do with that feeling?

That's a lot for a little brain to manage.

At the same time, toddlers are figuring out that they are capable of doing things themselves. They want to open the door, feed themselves, choose what they want, carry their own cup, and help with whatever you're doing.

This doesn't mean we don't set boundaries. They absolutely need boundaries.

It means we can set those boundaries while remembering that our toddler's brain is still developing. We are not just managing behavior—we are helping them learn how to manage themselves. And that is a skill that takes years to develop.

I'll save the deeper dive into toddler behavior, big emotions, boundaries, and why toddlers seem to say “no” to absolutely everything for another post. For now, when your toddler is having a hard time, it can help to remember:

They aren't giving you a hard time. They're having a hard time with a skill their brain hasn't mastered yet.

Then come the two-word combinations

One of my favorite milestones during this stage is when those single words start coming together.

“More milk.”

“Mommy up.”

“Go outside.”

“Daddy car.”

“Doggy eat.”

These little phrases may sound simple to us, but they are a huge developmental step.

Your child is beginning to understand that words can be combined to communicate a more specific idea.

By 19–24 months, the American Speech Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) includes using and understanding a growing vocabulary and putting two or more words together among the communication milestones for this age range.

Communication is happening all day long

One of the best things you can do for your child's language development doesn't require flashcards, apps, or special activities.

Talk to them.

Talk about what you're doing: “I'm washing your hands.” “You're putting your shoes on.” “Let's get your cup.”

Talk about what they're looking at: “That's a big truck!” “Look at the dog.” “Your banana is all gone.”

And most importantly, give them opportunities to communicate back.

Pause.

Wait.

Look at them.

Give them time to make a sound, use a word, point, gesture, or show you what they want. I recommend counting to 10 and then repeat or say something in a different way to see if they will respond.

Sometimes we are so good at anticipating our children's needs that they don't have much reason to communicate them.

That doesn't mean you should make your child work for everything they need. It simply means that small pauses throughout the day can create opportunities for them to initiate communication.

Read, sing, play, repeat

You don't need to sit down and formally “practice speech.”

Some of the best language learning happens during everyday routines and play.

Read the same books over and over.

Sing songs.

Make animal sounds.

Play peek-a-boo.

Pretend to feed a doll.

Build with blocks.

Push cars.

Play outside.

Follow your child's interests and talk about what they're doing.

Repetition is not boring to toddlers. It's how they learn.

If your child loves trucks, talk about trucks. If they love animals, make animal sounds. If they want to read the same book 14 times in a row, read it again.

Those everyday interactions are building vocabulary, comprehension, social communication, and eventually sentences.

ASHA specifically recommends talking about what you're doing and what your child is seeing, expanding on the words your child uses, and reading and talking about pictures together.

What about speech sounds?

At 1–2 years, your child's speech may not be easy for everyone to understand.

That's okay. Their mouth, tongue, lips, jaw, and brain are still learning how to coordinate the many movements needed for speech.

You may hear words that sound very different from the adult version. You might even find yourself translating for grandparents or other family members.

Try not to constantly correct your child.

Instead, model the word naturally.

Child: “Ba!”

You: “Ball! You want the ball!”

They hear the correct model without being made to feel like they said it “wrong.”

At this age, the goal isn't perfect pronunciation.

The goal is communication.

Speech and feeding are connected, too

As an SLP who works with both communication and feeding, I see these areas overlap all the time.

The same little mouth that is learning to chew, move food around, drink from different cups, and manage different textures is also developing the coordination needed for speech.

That doesn't mean feeding difficulties automatically cause speech delays—or that every child with a speech delay will have feeding difficulties.

But oral movement, sensory experiences, motor development, attention, imitation, and communication all develop together.

This is one reason I look at the whole child rather than focusing on just one skill.

When should I be concerned?

Children develop at different rates, and there is a wide range of what can be typical.

Milestones are not a screening or diagnostic tool, and children may reach individual skills at different points within a developmental range. ASHA's milestones are designed to help parents know what to expect and when it may be helpful to seek guidance.

It's worth talking with your child's pediatrician or a speech language pathologist if you notice things like:

• Your child is not gaining new communication skills.

• Your child is not using gestures such as pointing, showing, or waving.

• Your child seems to have difficulty understanding familiar words or simple, routine directions.

• Your child is not using words to communicate.

• Your child is not progressing toward combining words as they approach age 2.

• Your child loses words or communication skills they previously had.

• You have a gut feeling that something isn't quite right.

You don't have to wait until age 2—or any particular age—to ask questions.

Early support can be incredibly helpful, and sometimes a conversation with an SLP simply gives parents reassurance and ideas for what they can do at home.

Something I want parents to remember

Your toddler doesn't need you to turn every moment into a speech lesson.

They need YOU.

They need your face, your voice, your attention, your silly songs, your repetition, your pauses, your responses, and your willingness to follow their lead.

Communication grows through connection.

So talk during the diaper changes. Narrate the grocery store adventure. Sing in the car. Read the same book again, using a different voice. Let them “help” make dinner. Play on the floor. Wait for their response.

That's where so much of the learning happens.

And if you're wondering whether your child's communication is where it should be, trust yourself enough to ask.

You know your child best.