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Children between the ages of 2 and 3 experience a tremendous growth spurt in their language skills. By the age of 2 most children can follow simple commands and their vocabulary expands. Many children also begin to echo what they hear and begin to combine words in simple phrases.

By the age of 3, the child’s vocabulary is typically between 900-1000 words and they begin to string words together in short sentences.Children at this stage of language development start to speak more clearly and they are usually able to use language to engage in a simple question and answer format.

Reading books, singing, playing word games and talking to your child will increase their vocabulary while providing increased opportunities for listening activities.

Remember to talk to your child about daily events. Before bed, ask your child what they did during the day. If the child is having difficulty, start the sentence out for them or give them clues describing the event. Read your child’s favorite book several times and encourage them to identify objects and actions in the book.

Below is a list of typical communication skills for children who are between the ages of 2 and 3.

Children who are 2 years old should be able to:

Use at least 2 prepositions ( on, under and in)

Produce intelligible speech 2/3 of the time

Produce short sentences and combine words

Have a vocabulary of about 150-300 words

Name common objects

Use two pronouns correctly (I, me, and you)

Responds to simple familiar commands such as “show me your mouth”

Children who are 3 years old should be able to:

Use some plurals and past tenses

Understand at least 3 prepositions (in, on and under)

Use pronouns correctly (I, you and me)

Point to body parts (head, nose, mouth, hair, eyes)

Use 900-1000 words

Produce intelligible speech 90% of the time

Produce 3 word sentences

Understand simple questions and commands that are familiar

Answer simple questions beginning with “what”

Say their name, age and sex