What Are 24-month-old Communication Milestones?

How many words should my 24-month-old be saying? Is her speech development on track? What can I do to help her along? In this post you will learn what the 24-month-old milestones are and how to help your child achieve them!

These are great questions, and we’re here to help! Here are some common communication milestones that most children meet by the end of 24 months:

• Say a minimum of 50 words
• Use simple 2-word phrases: “More milk.”
• Ask 1 or 2-word questions: “Go home?’ or “Daddy?”
• Follow simple commands, “Put the ball on the table.”
• Answer simple questions: “What’s that?”
• Respond to basic yes/no questions.

This information should serve as a general guide to help you understand your child’s speech and language development. Remember, each child is different and develops at a different pace. However, milestones help determine when a child may need extra support and attention. For a more detailed communication milestone guide, please check out our FREE Communication Milestones Checklist here.

‍Additionally, we’ve created two online courses to help YOU know how to help your child meet their communication milestones. Learn more about it here:

What Can I Do to Help My Toddler Reach Their Milestones?

Here are some things you can do with your child to help with speech and language development:

• Sing songs
• Read together
• Imitate actions, such as clapping
• Repeat animal sounds
• Practice counting

--Source Credit‍

‍

Motor Skills and Sensory Experiences

This is a good time to use motor skills and sensory experiences to encourage talking. Most two-year-old children are active and like to do things with you. Let them help you with simple household activities and chores by giving simple instructions and lots of affirmation. The kitchen is a great place to start! As you’re preparing breakfast, have your toddler help you scramble the eggs or fold the napkins. Give simple commands as they help you, and praise them for their efforts.

This is a good time to learn some manners, too!

• “Thank you!”
• “Yes, please.”
• “Good job!”
• “Time to eat!”

Mealtime is the perfect opportunity to use the senses to build language skills. Let your child scoop with a spoon or pick up finger foods. Use simple words to talk about the experience:

• “The soup is hot. Blow it!”
• “You like French fries—yum!”

Make clean-up fun! Sing a clean-up song as you’re clearing the table together. Give simple instructions, such as...

• “Find the spoons,”
• “Wipe the table,”
• “Throw the napkin away.”

Using motor skills and sensory experiences to build language skills is a great way to help your child meet their communication milestones. Be creative and have fun!

For more ideas, visit https://pathways.org/easy-daily-activities-to-help-baby-reach-milestones/.

If you feel that your child may not be meeting speech and language milestones, we recommend following up with your pediatrician and an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist. A speech-language pathologist can assess your child’s receptive (listening & understanding) and expressive (talking & communicating) language skills and determine if a delay is present and the best way to proceed with an early intervention treatment plan if needed.

To learn simple and effective strategies to help get your little one talking, check out our Talk on Track (newborn-14 months) and Time to Talk: Toddler Course (15-36 months). We’d love to equip you to experience the joy of your little one talking to you! If you’ve ever asked the question, “does my child need speech therapy?” you can check out our free 45-min webinar here!