A mother eagerly awaits the joyful moment when her child begins preparing for speech. There are certain signs that, when they appear, indicate that a child is getting ready to talk—and that parents will soon delight in hearing their child’s sweet early words. Most importantly, these signs suggest that the child is unlikely to experience speech delay, a challenge faced by many children.
When a child starts speaking, they usually begin with single words, but they will eventually reach an important developmental phase known as the language explosion stage. In an exclusive interview with Sayidaty & Your Child, speech and language therapist Dr. Laila Masoud highlighted three key signs that indicate a child has reached this stage—most notably a rapid weekly increase in vocabulary—along with other indicators explained below.
Expected Age for a Child to Start Speaking
From birth until around 3 months, infants begin making cooing sounds. Between 4 and 6 months, these sounds develop into clearer vocalizations such as “ba-ba” or “ma-ma,” which are early attempts at communication.
According to doctors and speech specialists, by around 12 months, many children begin saying their first real words, such as mama, dada, or papa. If your child does not say clear words by their first birthday, there is no need for immediate concern—as long as they can communicate through gestures and respond to simple commands like “no,” “come,” or “stop.”
By around 18 months, most children can say about 10 words on average. Increased interaction leads to a rapid growth in vocabulary and comprehension. By the age of two, a child typically starts pointing to themselves when hearing their name.
However, if your child has not spoken any words by 15 months, it is important to consult a doctor. At this stage, a child should understand basic words, follow simple instructions, and know around 10 words by 18 months.
Signs That Your Child Is Ready to Speak
Visual Eye Contact and Coordination
Early eye contact between a mother and her baby is one of the first signs of healthy brain function. Strong visual interaction supports emotional well-being, successful breastfeeding, sensory coordination, and early language storage.
Call your child by their name regularly. If your child quickly turns toward the sound of their name—whether called by you, the father, or others—this is a strong indicator that they are ready to learn speech and are developing normally. By six months, a baby typically recognizes their name and begins imitating others’ movements.
When you place a toy in front of your baby, they should naturally shift their gaze between you and the toy and follow it visually. A healthy child shows interest, shared attention, and joy, rather than staring blankly. This desire to interact is a key sign of healthy cognitive and language development.
Imitation of Movements and Sounds
A child who imitates gestures and movements—such as waving goodbye, nodding the head, or mimicking facial expressions—is showing readiness for speech. You may notice joyful sounds, increased drooling (which supports oral motor development), and imitation of actions like kissing or clapping.
Sound imitation is equally important. If your child copies sounds they hear—such as making a kissing sound when you kiss them—this is a strong sign of healthy speech development.
Responding to Simple Commands
From birth, speaking to your child consistently is essential. Over time, you will notice your baby responding to simple instructions, such as opening their mouth when food is offered or stopping a behavior when firmly corrected. These responses indicate healthy coordination between hearing, vision, and reaction—key foundations for speech.
Three Key Signs of the Language Explosion Stage
1. Rapid Weekly Vocabulary Growth
You can be confident your child has entered the language explosion stage when you notice their vocabulary increasing quickly. Learning and repeating new words every week is a strong indicator of healthy language development.
2. Clearer and More Advanced Words
At this stage, your child’s speech becomes more understandable. Instead of using single, unclear words like “water,” they begin using verbs and adjectives such as eat, drink, play, big, small, long, and short, reflecting rapid linguistic progress.
3. Ability to Form Simple Sentences
During the language explosion stage, your child starts forming simple, clear sentences. Although not complex, these sentences allow meaningful communication, and your child will feel proud and happy when others understand and respond to them.
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