Language At Three: A Snapshot
Your child is continuing to grow! By now they will start to explore their surroundings more and engage with others. By 36 months a child should start to show interest in books and initiating conversations, not just requesting and rejecting things. You should expect the following:
Receptive Language (Understanding)
Understand and follow more complex two-part instructions (e.g., "Put the socks on, then the shoes").
Comprehend simple "wh" questions.
Grasp the basic concepts (e.g., same/different).
Sort items into basic categories when prompted (e.g., by size/height/colour)
Recognize some basic colours.
Expressive Language (Using/Speaking)
Use simple sentences with 4-5 words (e.g., “Red cars go fast”).
Ask basic questions starting with WH-words (e.g., what/where/who/why/how/etc.)
Talk about past events, although they may use the wrong tense (e.g., "He ated chips").
Have a basic vocabulary to name things (e.g., objects/actions/locations/descriptions/etc.)
Engage in conversations. Taking turns and staying on topic may still be hard.
Tries to get your attention.
Says own name
Uses some plural words (e.g., cars)
Uses –ing verbs (e.g., eating/sleeping)
Adds –ed to the end of words to talk about past actions (e.g., played)
Gives reasons for things and events (e.g. need a hat because it is sunny outside)
Answers simple questions.
Begin to correctly produce the ‘middle eight’ sounds (t, k, “ng” as in 'king', g, f, v, “ch” as in 'chew', “j” as in 'jump')
Speech is becoming clearer but may not be understandable to unfamiliar listeners/people who do not know your child well.
Tips and Tricks
Modelling Language: Demonstrate the correct way to say words and form sentences. Repeat your child's sentences back to them correctly and add a bit more detail.
Let your child know that what they say is important.
Ask them to repeat things that you do not understand.
Interactive Play: Use toys and books to create fun, language-rich environments. Ask your child questions about what they are doing and encourage them to describe their actions.
Practice counting. Count toes and fingers. Count steps.
Put objects into a bucket. Let your child remove them one by one. As your child removes an object, say its name. Repeat what they say back and add to it.
Help them group the objects into categories (e.g., clothes/food/animals/etc.)
Sing songs, play finger games, and tell nursery rhymes. Songs/games teach your child about language.
Reading Together: Regularly read books to your child, asking them questions about the story and pictures to promote understanding and vocabulary growth.
Teach your child new words. Reading books or talking about things you see is a great way to do this. Describe how things look/feel.
Use words that describe colour, shape, and size.
Use new words in sentences to help your child learn the meaning. Use similar words, like “man, grown-up, and adult.”
Write simple phrases under the pictures. For example, “I can swim,” or “Happy birthday to Daddy.”
Patience and Encouragement: Give your child time to express themselves and encourage all attempts to communicate, celebrating their successes to build confidence.
Cut out pictures from mail and magazines, and make a scrapbook. Help your child glue the pictures down. Name the pictures and talk about them.
Look at photos and name people. Talk about what they are doing in the picture.
Ask your child to make a choice instead of giving a yes/no answer (e.g., don’t say “Do you want cookies?” ask, “Would you like cookies or lollies?” Be sure to wait for the answer and praise them for answering.
Please note the above information is general in nature and is not intended as professional medical advice. Please seek an appointment with a registered speech-language pathologist if you are at all worried about your child's development.
References:
At 3 years. (2024). Speech Pathology Australia. www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au. https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/Comm-swallow/Speech-development/At-3-years.aspx
Communication Milestones: 2 to 3 Years. (2024). American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/communication-milestones-2-to-3-years/
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