At 13 months your baby is now officially a toddler, but of course they’re still your baby! After turning one, you’ll notice their language development advancing very quickly. They might have begun to babble strings of babbles before turning one, but now their attempts at communicating are getting clearer by the minute!
A range in acquisition
Yes, language development gets its major boost after turning one, as opposed to the first year where you probably noticed most of the physical changes and milestone achievements. Now, you will begin to understand your baby’s needs and wants better than ever.
But, keep in mind that just like physical development could look quite different from one 10-month-old to another, the same goes for language at this age. Toddlers learn language at different times, rates and in different ways. Some (few) very verbal toddlers are speaking in two-word phrases by the time they’re 14 months, while others may only do so by 24 months. Some toddlers jump-start their language in the first few months after turning one, while others acquire language slowly and steadily. So, how to know if your baby is on track? They should understand language and enjoy making talk-like sounds and efforts, and at least resorting to grunting and pointing to make their needs heard.
What can I expect?
Between 13 and 15 months, you can expect your little one to answer simple questions with gestures, behavioral changes or even words. For example, “do you want a banana?” might be responded with evident excitement or a distinct head nod. You might also notice that when you give them a simple, one-step instruction they will follow it. One example is if you usually tell your baby to “stand up” when they’re in the tub to scrub soap on their bottom half of the body, they will begin to stand up as soon as you say so. Other examples of common simple commands are “pick it up” or “hand it to me”.
Your toddler will begin to show off their language comprehension skills by pointing to familiar objects when you mention their name, like a dog, a cat, a baby, a car, a spoon, a house or a tree. You can practice this at home through reading and looking at books or photo albums, and on your walks outside. It’s important to take your time, make pauses and enjoy the views. This will help you be very present and mindful of the moment, and you might even begin to feel awe and excitement with the smallest things like a butterfly near the flowers or a squirrel on a tree! And by now, they will also be able to point to mom and/or dad! This is where pictures and mirrors become really fun! You can look at photo albums and ask “where is mom?”, “where is dad?”, and maybe even try out a different family member like a sibling, grandparent or even a pet! Another great idea to work on language while strengthening your bond is to say some affirmations in the mirror!
Towards 15 months, you may notice your toddler already knows the name of at least 3 objects and they might even identify animals by their sound! This means, you can try out lots of fun ways to play that will put in practice these new skills, or at least put them to work since you know they can soon accomplish it! Bring out toy animal figures and show them the sounds while you play with them or make their sounds when you spot them in a book! Check out this FAQ video to help your little one develop their language skills.
List of milestones for 13-15 months
- Answers simple questions with gestures, behavioral changes, or words
- Follows simple, one-step instructions (like “Pick up the toy”)
- Points to familiar objects when you mention their name
- Points to “Mom” and/or “Dad”
- Knows the name of at least three objects
- Identifies animals by their sound
Reframe the game: Mirror Affirmations
FAQ: Basic Vocabulary & First Words
Storytelling: The power of asking for help
