Grasping Grammar
Along with sentence construction, grammar is another pillar of language development. At some point between the ages of 2 and 5, kids will add prepositions and conjunctions such as "on" and "that" to their sentences. They'll master the tricky rules of pronouns and differentiate future and past tenses. Making mistakes is how children fine-tune these skills. For example, when a child learns that -ed indicates the past tense, you might hear sentences such as "We wented to the store."

Don't be surprised to see your child's vocabulary grow exponentially through her first few years. This is because her growing brain is biologically programmed to absorb new information. "Between ages 2 and 3, it takes very few exposures to a word before children start to use it in their own speech," Paul says. It's a process called fast mapping. In contrast, "Imagine how many exposures it would take us, as adults, to learn new words in a foreign language."

Fast mapping does have its drawbacks, especially if the process helps your child pick up a word he heard you howl out when you slammed your finger in a drawer. "Try not to react or respond to inappropriate language," Paul says. "If they get a huge response, whether it's negative or positive, they're more likely to repeat the undesirable words."

Spotting a Delay
When it comes to language development, "there is a very broad range of normal," says Dr. Macias. So while one 3-year-old is telling detailed stories about his day, another might still be using only simple three-word sentences. Another way to judge how your child is progressing: the extent to which other people can follow what's he's saying. Parents often understand much of what their children are trying to say, but it may sound like gibberish to outsiders. As a rule, Dr. Macias says, strangers should be able to understand half of what the child is trying to say by age 2, three quarters by age 3, and by age 4, there should be no confusion -- speech should be pretty clear.

As long as your child's language development is progressing and he's hitting the age-related targets, there's usually no cause for alarm, says Dr. Macias. But if he's not hitting the typical milestones for his age, or you suspect a delay for some other reason, talk to your pediatrician. "The earlier we catch it, the better the outcome," Dr. Macias says.

Starting with her first cries, your baby yearns to communicate. Sure, she wants you to know that she'd like a dry bottom and a full belly. But what she wants most of all is a stronger bond with you -- something you'll feel every time you hear a sweetly cooed "Mama" or the heart-melting "I love you." Value these kinds of exchanges, and pat yourself on the back for having helped your baby learn to express herself.

Speech Development Milestones
Birth to 3 months
Makes pleasure sounds, such as cooing
Smiles when he sees you
Quiets down when spoken to and recognizes parents' voices

4 to 6 months
Makes speech-like babbling sounds, with lots of "p" "b" and "m" sounds
Has lots of different sounds for excitement and displeasure
Makes gurgling noises while playing

7 months to 1 year
By his first birthday, has one or two words ("Mama," "Dada," "bye-bye")
Recognizes words for familiar items such as book, cup, and juice
Responds to requests such as "Come here" or "Want more?"

1 to 2 years
Says more words each month
Uses two-word sentences such as "What's that?" and "No more"
Follows simple commands ("Roll the ball") and answers simple questions ("Where is your doll?")

2-3 years
Has a word for almost everything
Uses two or three words to ask and talk about things
Understands differences between "big" and "small," "up" and "down," etc.

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