When the child is fully talking. When the baby begins to say the first words: aha, mom. At what age does a child develop his first phrases?

Babies in the first months of life express their emotions only with the help of crying and individual sounds, and loving parents have to learn to understand this difficult language. But the child gets older, he listens carefully to adults and understands more and more. When will the “feedback” be established? Moms and dads, of course, really want to talk to their beloved baby, find out what he feels and what he thinks about. We will talk to you today about the development of such an important skill as speech.

When a child begins to speak: medical norms

The concept of “norm” in relation to a child’s speech is quite relative. There are only certain average age limits, according to which pediatricians and neurologists assess the level of psycho-emotional development of children. Let us briefly list the main stages of speech development in children.

  • Babies 1-2 months old can only scream with a variety of intonations, thereby expressing joy or dissatisfaction.
  • At 2-3 months, the time of cooing or humming comes - this is an intermediate phase between screaming and babbling.
  • At 5-6 months, children usually begin to make babbling sounds (ba, ma, pa, boo, ga), which can be repeated and alternate.
  • The age of 7-10 months is characterized by active babbling, pronouncing repeated syllables (ma-ma, pa-pa-pa). Babies do not yet put any meaning into babbling - they are only learning to pronounce syllables by repeating after adults.
  • At 10-12 months, the long-awaited first words appear. Usually these are either words of repeated syllables (mom, dad, baba, kaka, uncle, bibi, am-am, aw-aw) or monosyllabic (na, dai).
  • At the age of 18-24 months, i.e. One and a half to two years, one can expect the appearance of phrases and first phrases in the child’s speech. Later development of speech may also be a variant of the norm, but you should not count on it too much.
  • It is believed that by the age of 3, a child should already be able to speak well, using simple phrases, and by the age of 4, he should have developed speech with complex, common sentences.

At what time do children begin to speak their first words?

On mothers’ forums you can often read joyful statements from mothers of 6-7 month old babies: “And today my daughter CONSCIOUSLY called me mom!”, “Hurray, my son said his first word!” I don’t want to upset them, but neurologists say that until 9-10 months it is impossible to talk about the awareness of babbling words.

The line between babbling and babbling words is thin, but the difference can be discerned: when a child babbles, he is only “practicing” by repeatedly repeating his favorite syllables. But when he starts saying “mom” specifically in relation to the mother entering the room at that moment, calling a man he sees on the street “uncle” or demanding “give” when he sees an interesting object - these are words, not just babble!

The first words are easy to pronounce and flow smoothly from babble. Basically, children begin to talk about what is meaningful to them, about familiar and familiar things (sometimes actions). Simple speech structures that do not contain a stressed syllable - yum-yum, mom, aw-aw, mu, dai, na, tu-tu - correspond to children's ability to pronounce words.

Children accumulate passive and active vocabulary extremely differently. Understanding of individual words of speech, and not just intonation, is revealed in them at 8-9 months. The further it goes, the greater the gap between what the child understands and what he can say. One-year-old babies recognize the meaning of about 50 words, and can say up to 10-15. Some children speak only 2-4 words by the age of one year, others seem to only babble “in their own language” - all this is a variation of the norm. The main thing is that the baby shows understanding of the speech addressed to him.

How to check if your child understands what you are telling him? Attentive parents can do this easily. When you ask your baby to give you a ball, does he try to fulfill the request or at least find the desired object with his eyes? This is a sign of successful development of the passive vocabulary. Normally, it increases after 8-9 months quickly and gradually.

As for the formation of active speech, it occurs spasmodically and at first slowly. A one-year-old baby learns from 1 to 6 words per month. For some, this phase drags on for a long time - up to a year. Then comes the period of “lexical leap”, when the child can learn up to 8-12 new words per week. After 2-3 months, a “lexical explosion” may occur, during which up to 12 words per day appear in the active dictionary! After this, the active and passive dictionaries are equalized in terms of the number of words and updated almost synchronously.

When do children start speaking in phrases?

Usually, by the age of one year, children speak at least a few words. The next stage, which all parents are really looking forward to, is the appearance of phrases and simple phrases. Indeed, the appearance of phrasal speech means that your child’s development is proceeding at the right pace.

So, let's try to answer as clearly as possible the question that worries mothers - when does a child start speaking in sentences? From the point of view of specialists in children's speech, a sentence can even consist of one word. The starting point for the emergence of the first word combinations and simple phrases is considered to be the age of 1.5 years. The pronunciation of words in a one and a half year old baby, of course, is far from perfect. It can denote an object with the first syllable of its name, and a simple phrase can sound like this: “Give me a doll.” Starting from the age of one and a half years, children's babbling words and speaking “in their own language” are gradually replaced by imitation of the speech of adults. Children learn to combine words into simple phrases at the age of 1.5-2 years. If a child at 2 years old does not speak in sentences, you should discuss this issue with a neurologist to rule out any developmental problems. If your baby is otherwise developing normally, your doctor may advise you to just wait. The absence of phrasal speech at 2.5 years is an alarming symptom that usually requires medical intervention. Despite the fact that it is too early to contact a speech therapist at 2-2.5 years old, it is necessary to find out the cause of speech problems in a timely manner, so that later, at 3 years old, it is not too late.

Thus, it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of when a child begins to speak well. Everyone has a different idea of ​​what “good” is. If you are waiting for phrasal speech, this is 1.5-2 years; if a child speaks like an adult, then this is already a period after 3 years.

A child starts talking late if...

There are several reasons for late speech development. Nowadays, many children have speech problems of one kind or another. This is due not only to heredity and the individual characteristics of a particular baby, but also to how the family communicates with the child.

So, the main reasons why a child does not start speaking:

  1. Medical problems(short frenulum, underdevelopment of the speech apparatus, hearing impairment). They must be excluded first by visiting the appropriate specialists.
  2. Little communication with the child. Speech is a social function, and its development requires constant training.
  3. The child is a fidget. Most often, girls’ speech develops earlier simply because they are calmer and more diligent. Boys are restless and are more often busy exploring the world around them. And the nature of their speech development is somewhat different: unlike girls, who primarily master the names of objects, they primarily use action words.
  4. Negative atmosphere in the family makes all its members gloomy and silent. As a result, the child also becomes withdrawn and taciturn.
  5. Parents understand their child perfectly. Indeed, why talk if it is not necessary?

How to help a child start talking?

In order for the baby to start speaking in a timely manner, the mother needs to follow the simple recommendations below:

  • Always talk to your child, even if it seems to you that it is useless, because he still does not understand anything. He may not understand yet, but the more you speak, the sooner the baby will speak.
  • Use simple, short phrases in your speech. The child will simply ignore complex sentences.
  • Minimize the amount of TV in your baby's life.
  • Imitate the sounds made by the baby - cooing, humming, babbling. Focus his attention on your lips: this way you establish in the child an associative connection between articulation and the corresponding sounds.
  • Speak in a sing-song voice - such speech is easier for children to understand.
  • Don’t babysit, teach your child correct and intelligible speech.
  • You can call objects by double names: for example, a dog is aw-aw. Thus, the baby enriches his speech with a passive word, which is still difficult for him to pronounce, and an active one, which he will soon begin to use. The transition to the “correct” word will occur when the child is ready for it.
  • Start reading books to your baby as early as possible. Usually, by the age of one year, children can already look at pictures for some time and listen to short texts.

The time when a child begins to speak is unusually joyful for parents. This means that the baby develops in accordance with his age, and the adults around him do everything as needed. We wish your children health and correct, beautifully constructed speech!

For young parents in the first years of a baby’s life, the question of what time children start talking becomes relevant. Often parents do not understand the intricacies of the physiological and mental development of children, so they begin to ring all the bells when the baby is in no hurry to talk. It is important to note that all children develop individually: some begin to walk early, some start teething earlier than usual, and others begin to talk late. There is no need to put all children under the same brush, and certainly no need to worry if the neighbor’s girl does something better than your child.

A talking baby is a joy for parents. Doctors and psychologists identify certain periods when a child should speak. If this does not happen, it is enough to simply consult a doctor and keep this issue under control. Let's take a detailed look at the opinions of experts about what age children should pronounce their first words and what may be associated with speech delay.

It is very important at what age a child begins to speak, but not in order to immediately brag about this skill to neighbors and girlfriends. By how the baby’s speech develops, one can judge the child’s overall development.

As a rule, by the first 2-4 months the baby begins to pronounce the first sounds. Parents often say that the child has begun to “beep” or “boo.” It is easier for him to pronounce these sounds in response to the parent’s speech; he can continue the syllable when the mother draws out the usual “a...”, and the baby continues “gu...”.

At about 7 months, the child begins to babble, mutter something under his breath, or simply make arbitrary sounds that develop into speech that only he can understand. The baby can also pronounce individual syllables.

At about a year old, the child should begin to speak the first understandable words: mom, dad, baba or dai. He can easily make imitative sounds or sounds that copy the behavior of animals. For example, a mother may ask the baby what a cow is doing, in response to which the baby says “moo-moo,” etc. In general, there should be about 5-10 words and onomatopoeia in the vocabulary of a one-year-old baby.

At one and a half years, when the child begins to be interested in the world around him, the baby’s vocabulary, as a rule, is about 40 simple words. His vocabulary is constantly expanding, because he is constantly interested in the question - what is this?

If parents constantly talk to their baby, then the likelihood that the baby will start talking earlier increases significantly. Doctors and psychologists advise constantly talking with your children, regardless of their age. The mother can tell the baby what she is doing, what is happening around, what she sees. Despite the fact that my mother’s speech will resemble the expression - what I see is what I sing. From the first months, the child should hear speech; at first he will only listen, but soon he will begin to imitate adults.

Some parents try to replace their conversation with their child with a TV monologue. In this case, there is no need to wait for a positive effect, since this is incomparable with live communication.

Parents are also advised to pay due attention to the development of fine motor skills. Scientists have proven that improving hand and finger movements is directly related to the development of the part of the brain that is responsible for speech activity. The mother can offer the baby to string beads, finger paint (telling what color the paint is), sort out the cereal, or give him a hand massage. It's both entertaining and useful.

It is advisable to often read rhyming poems to the child or poems, the ending of which must be said by the child himself. The mother should constantly encourage the child to name the objects that surround him and clearly pronounce sounds. Many parents love to “babble” with their baby and do not notice how they incorrectly name certain things. You need to control your speech and teach your child correct pronunciation.

Mom and dad should leave all negative emotions and experiences at the door. The time that parents spend with their baby should be relaxed and calm. You need to communicate with each other without shouting or swearing. The child feels the anxiety and negativity of his parents, so he can withdraw into himself.

Signs of speech delay

Despite the individual development of the baby, the mother must monitor how he develops. If mom suspects any abnormalities at an early stage, they can be corrected more easily.

Parents should be wary if by the age of one year the baby still cannot repeat the sounds of adults. If a child cannot remember the names of objects by the age of 2, does not respond to his name, or cannot bring an object that you ask him to, this also indicates minor developmental disorders.

You need to contact a specialist if by the age of 2 a child finds it difficult to formulate the simplest sentence, he has difficulty pronouncing individual words, he does not react to the speech of adults and cannot repeat words after them. It is not good when a child begins to distinguish colors late. If a child by the age of 2.5 cannot distinguish colors and does not know the names of body parts. The same applies to 3 years of age, when the baby does not understand the meaning of simple stories and does not speak in sentences.

If parents notice one of these abnormalities in their child, do not immediately panic. Perhaps this is just a developmental feature, but you still need to show the baby to a specialist. He must do tests and the necessary examinations, the results of which will show whether it is necessary to start treatment or whether it is enough to limit himself to regular exercises.

Causes of speech impairment in preschool age

At what months or years a child begins to speak depends on how often the mother talked to the baby in early childhood. When the child begins to pronounce the first sounds, parents should do everything possible to ensure that the baby trains the muscles of the speech apparatus well. The more often a child coos and hums, the faster his muscles will prepare for more complex pronunciations. It has been scientifically proven that children who were breastfed very rarely have problems with the speech apparatus than bottle-fed children.

Speech disorders can be caused by congenital or acquired injuries. Congenital diseases include pathologies of the central nervous system, brain, and defects in the oral cavity. Acquired injuries include mental disorders: particularly sensitive children may become frightened of something and begin to stutter or not speak for a long time. When children start talking, it is stupid and dangerous to deliberately scare them, etc.

Often, speech delay can occur if a mother retrains a left-handed child to do everything with his right hand. This cannot be done, the child must be given complete freedom of action, over time he will learn to do everything with both hands.

Today, babies are no longer swaddled in maternity hospitals. This is the right approach, since excessive restriction of the movements of the arms and legs can inhibit both motor skills and speech.

If parents pay due attention to their child and the baby has no pathologies, then the child will begin to please mom and dad with his funny words very early. If a calm, balanced and warm atmosphere reigns in the family, and the baby is treated with love, then such conditions only accelerate the development of the speech apparatus. The mother should ask all questions of interest to the doctor during a routine examination. You can consult with several specialists; much experience is not harmful.

The question of when a child begins to speak worries almost every parent. After all, deviations from the norm may indicate the presence of developmental defects. And this is a serious reason to start worrying about the baby’s health.

When should you expect your baby's first words?

Each child is individual, and his speech apparatus develops depending on the body’s ability to perceive this or that information, the ability to think, and the characteristics of the psyche. Therefore, it is very difficult to answer the question of what time children begin to speak, since a special “speech calendar” simply does not exist. But there is some data that allows us to determine whether a child has developmental deviations or not.

Usually, the desire for communication or verbal expression of emotions in children appears already at 4 months: not yet able to speak, the baby actively reproduces various sounds

As a rule, children at this age are not expected to give eloquent monologues, since they are still too young. But even at such a young age, it is possible to determine how correctly the speech apparatus is being formed.

From about 4 months, babies gradually begin to pronounce some sounds. From the age of 6 months, these sounds develop into sentences, only they are pronounced in “baby language.” But already from 8–10 months they begin to communicate with adults using sounds, they already clearly indicate their position, demand that they be given something, and also pronounce some words that consist of several letters, for example, “mom” , “dad”, “baba” and “give”.

Small deviations from the burrow do not indicate the presence of serious developmental defects. Some children begin to pronounce their first words at 8–9 months, and some, at the age of one year, begin to pronounce their first words that are incomprehensible to adults.

In medicine, it is considered the norm if a child of 1 year knows and intelligently pronounces about 10 words. However, in practice, this phenomenon is extremely rare, and if in the house opposite there lives a girl who is 1 year old and she is already trying to talk at all costs, and your baby is silent, this is not a reason to panic and run to the doctors.

A deviation is considered if a child at the age of one year pronounces only a few “babbling” words, while there is no intonation of the voice completely, if he cannot correlate words with actions, objects or persons.

By the age of two, a child usually already knows how to clearly pronounce simple words, and also tries to reproduce more complex ones, which are not yet possible for him.

The concern of parents when their child has a speech delay is very understandable. After all, everyone wants their child to keep up with their peers in development. Therefore, the question of when a child begins to speak and whether it is worth waiting for a “breakthrough” of speech at this age is very appropriate.

At this age, children begin to actively babble, and they begin to insert meaningful words into their sentences at approximately one year and three months. The baby begins to understand more words and correlate them with certain actions, for example, during an enthusiastic game. The most important thing at this time is to start actively talking with the child and starting a dialogue with him, in which he will certainly take part.

At the age of one year and six months, the child's babbling is replaced by simplified words, he begins to imitate adults and try to repeat some words after them. Naturally, at this age he will not be able to completely repeat this or that word. As a rule, he pronounces only the first or last syllable.

By the age of two, a child’s vocabulary has expanded significantly. He can already pronounce clearly simplified words and indistinctly complex words consisting of more than 3 syllables.

Therefore, if you ask a doctor a question when a child should start talking, he will probably answer you that by the age of two the baby will definitely speak!

If a child is left to his own devices most of the time, it should not be surprising that his speech skills develop extremely slowly.

This age is famous for its “breakthrough” of speech, and if previously it was individual words and attempts to construct sentences of 2-4 words, now the baby is ready to continuously chatter in complex sentences. By the way, after two years and six months, the child’s speech should include questions such as “where,” “how,” and “why.” This age is popularly called “why”. Children begin to be interested in everything that surrounds them, and not only what the name of this or that object is, but also where it came from in this world. For example, where do trees come from, why does the sun shine, etc. That is, by the age of three, a child should already be able to pronounce intelligible and meaningful speech.

If the baby does not correlate words with the objects and phenomena that they mean, this is an alarm bell for parents

The main symptoms of delayed speech development are:

  • lack of activity and babbling at one year of age;
  • lack of understanding of the meaning of words and their inconsistency with actions at the age of one year and six months;
  • instead of sentences at two years old, the child uses individual words in communication;
  • inability to construct elementary sentences consisting of 3–4 words at the age of three years.

The formation of the speech apparatus directly depends on the development of the brain. It is very important here that the child communicates with adults every day, otherwise the process of developing speech skills will be very long, which can lead to serious developmental disabilities.

However, if you are looking for an answer to the question of when a child begins to speak, and decided to find it in this article, we want to warn you that all of the above symptoms of normal speech development are statistically average and are not an immutable rule.

If you are worried about your child and notice any inhibitions in the development of the speaking apparatus, it is best to consult a doctor. He will conduct an examination and tell you about the presence or absence of speech defects.

The process of speech development is individual for each individual child, but there are main periods of speech formation.

The child begins to make his first sounds at the age of two months. By these sounds, parents can easily determine the state and mood of the baby. Over time, mothers acquire the skills to determine when a baby's crying means that he wants to eat; when something bothers him; and when he simply demands attention to his person. Also, young children can make sounds that mean joy, pleasure and positive emotions.

At the age of one and a half to three months, the child already begins to make sounds such as humming and cooing. Also at this age, children begin to respond to the speech of adults.

At four to five months, babies already begin to babble. A child usually pronounces his first word between the ages of eight months and one year. This word does not always become “mother”. The child pronounces the word that is most convenient for him. Most often, this is a word that has the same syllables: “mother”, “woman”, “lala” and others.

It can be noted that very often children, having uttered the first word, begin to use it when addressing any object or adult person. This can continue until the child becomes aware that each object has a separate name. At one year of age, a child should already know about five to eight syllables.

Further development of speech

Around the age of one and a half years, young children begin to put simple words into simple phrases. Often such phrases become “I want to eat”, “let me drink” and the like.

It should be noted that speech development in girls occurs much faster and more actively than in boys. However, all children aged three to four years should be able to speak in phrases and have a vocabulary of some words. If this does not happen, then you need to contact specialists such as a speech therapist and a neurologist.

Parents should encourage their child's speech development. They should teach the child the skills of commenting on their own and others’ actions. To do this, the baby’s mother must sit down herself when she hears the word “sit down.” Children perceive learning words in a playful way very well. If an eight-month-old child likes to play palms, then when asked by one of the adults to demonstrate this, the baby begins to actively clap his hands.

There are many nursery rhymes in the Russian language that also have a good effect in teaching a child to speak. It is necessary to invite the child to demonstrate the actions described in these nursery rhymes. Adults need to pay more attention to teaching their children to comment on their actions. Memorizing the names of household items and toys also has a good effect.

A child's brain receives new information every day. Sometimes it may seem to parents that the process of speech development has reached a dead end, but this is not so. Over time, all children demonstrate their knowledge in verbal form.

Every month the baby grows and matures. In six months, the active formation of auditory, speech and other psycho-emotional skills occurs. However, for a complete understanding of meaningful speech, at the stage when the child begins to speak, more than one month will pass.

As a rule, after the first “agu”, “babble” will begin to lay the foundations for the development of speech and the pronunciation of the first syllables. Even the pediatrician will not say how many months this process will begin. But we can say with confidence that the first sentence a baby will speak is “mother.” And there is nothing surprising here, because the relationship between the baby is established during the period of intrauterine development.

Speech development in a child

A couple of weeks after birth, the newborn only screams and cries. Closer to 6 months, the baby develops brain activity, he can express his feelings and emotions through communication. So, let's look at the main stages of a child's speech development as he grows up.

  • At 1 month the baby only makes a loud cry. Thus, he is trying to attract attention to himself. This expression of emotion can be seen when he is hungry, “pissed in his diaper,” or is worried about something. As soon as he becomes comfortable or feels the closeness of his mother, who speaks tenderly to him, he immediately stops crying.
  • At 2 months, instead of the usual screaming, intonations and humming appear. Based on them, it is easy for parents to determine what happened to the “toddler” - if he cries loudly, it means his diaper is full or his tummy hurts, and when the room is quiet, he may be looking at toys and concentrating on unfamiliar objects. Crying, screaming, laughing will linger in the child’s vocabulary for a long time and will even be present when conscious speech appears.
  • By 3 months, children begin to speak consonants. He recognizes his mother and willingly goes to communicate with her. From the mouth of the baby you can hear the hissing and humming of the letters: “g”, “p”, “m”, “b”, “a”, “u”.
  • At 5 months, the baby makes more meaningful sounds in the form of singing, the intonation of his voice changes, and tries to communicate with his parents. During a conversation with adults, he hears their speech and addresses to him well, switches to strangers, and also turns his head in the right direction. At this age, the child’s speech activity becomes more pronounced and louder.

At 6 months, children become active, they move a lot around the crib and the floor, and easily get their favorite toys and books. They know how to roll over onto their backs and sides, some even try to get up on their knees. In addition to all the positive aspects, parents have a question about when a child should start talking in order to express his emotional dissatisfaction or joy.

Pronunciation of the first syllables

After 6 months, children begin the active phase of perfection of the articulatory apparatus. The first syllables are replacing the cooing and babbling. The easiest way for a child to reproduce the first word is “mom”. Even experts do not know at what age a child is able to speak. In each case, everything happens individually. However, statistics indicate that children reproduce the first babbling syllable after 7-8 months. At first, this word doesn’t mean anything to the baby, it’s just that the combination of vowels and consonants is the easiest to pronounce. Closer to the year, the vocabulary will increase to 10-12 syllables, which indicates the normal development of the speech apparatus.


By the end of the first year, the child begins to try to combine a combination of 2-3 sentences. Responds to parents' requests with communication. He understands that these are his toys, he knows where they need to be put in place. When he is in high spirits, he talks a lot in private, and when he meets a stranger, he calls his mom or dad.

The baby receives a huge flow of information during active games, crawling around the room, thus learning about the world around him. The baby's speech is constantly updated with new phrases and two-word sentences. Closer to 1.5 years, the baby understands speech addressed to him, which he accumulates into his vocabulary. How will he check? It’s very simple, ask your little one for something:

  • “Give the rattle to mommy,” he holds out his hand, smiling in return.
  • “Where is the parrot?” - he begins to look for the bird in the cage.
  • “Get the doll and the ball” - crawls to the crib and takes out recognizable objects.

The ability to understand the first words spoken and the response to an action is one of the conditions for successfully mastering speech skills.

Such psychological trainings are very important for the development of speech in children. The main thing that adults should understand is to teach the child to speak correctly and with intonation.

Development of conscious speech in children

The formation of speech in children and correctly formed sentences occurs in stages. Sound phonetics can be divided into screaming, crying, "ahu" and "hum" periods. By medical standards, there are no rules regarding how many months a baby should speak. Each child, through communication with his mother, receives the necessary list of words, which in the future will become phrases consisting of 2-3 word sentences.

Baby says first words

The first meaningful words do not immediately come to the minds of children. Although a child is able to say “mom” and “dad” at 6 months, he does not understand the meaning of these one-word phrases. Therefore, do not be upset if a 5-6 month old baby, instead of waiting for the long-awaited word, can say: “give”, “na-a-a”, “bu-u-u”. The child begins to consciously pronounce the desired “four letters” upon reaching the age of 11-12 months. From one to two years, the “lexical leap” occurs. During this period, the baby learns as many phrases per day as he could not learn in 7 days a month earlier.

The child begins to speak in sentences

From about 1.5-2 years old, the baby’s usual babble changes into phrasal speech - phrases and simple phrases appear. From the age of two, the baby’s vocabulary contains about 50-100 words, from which he learns to construct sentences. At this time, it is very important to listen to the child, teach him to correctly combine consonant and vowel sounds. This way you will be stimulated to pronounce, and very soon you will hear his first words.


By the age of 3, the vocabulary reaches about 250-300 words. In children's speech, the baby uses not only nouns (“what is this”, “who is this”) but also verbs denoting a specific action (“this is mine”, Anya’s ball). Now the child is interested in the whole world around him, so he often asks interrogative questions: "Why?" "For what?" "When?". He already knows how to connect monosyllabic sentences well and speak in a language understandable to adults. At 3-4 years old, children begin to learn grammatical forms and complex speech structures. They become full-fledged interlocutors, using meaningful sentences and correctly coordinated phrases.

Causes of delayed speech development

If the baby is physically and psycho-emotionally developed correctly, then by the age of 2-3 years he can speak several new words a day. On average, the active vocabulary of a 1.5-year-old child contains about 8-10 words per month. These are mainly stressed syllables, for example: "give-ko" "give-boo", which do not lend themselves to the grammatical norms of the Russian language. However, there are situations when children are delayed in speech development. Caring parents begin to turn to specialists and traditional healers. The famous doctor Komarovsky associates this phenomenon with various reasons. This could be stress, underdevelopment of the vocal cords, or disturbances in brain function.


There are also a number of other reasons that can help explain why a child starts speaking late. Komarovsky lists these as:

Internal factors

  • Hereditary predisposition to various diseases and pathologies that are transmitted to children genetically.
  • Pathologies of the oral cavity – infectious, viral, fungal, short frenulum of the tongue.
  • Concomitant diseases that indirectly affect speech development - autism, epilepsy, deafness, muteness, endocrine diseases.
  • Complications that occurred during pregnancy or after childbirth.
  • From the gender of the baby - boy or girl. As a rule, girls do not have delayed speech development (DSD), which cannot be said about boys.
  • From the state of the nervous system and the predisposition of the sensory organs.

External factors

  • Speech development may be delayed or stop altogether as a result of stressful situations. Frequent moves from one place to another (if the father is a military man), divorce proceedings (one of the parents left the family), loss of a cat, dog, and other psychological trauma.
  • When there are two children in a family and one of them begins to copy the speech of the other, the one who is younger.
  • If at home they communicate in several languages ​​(Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian).
  • Lack of motivation. When speech is not the child’s goal in self-expression, this leads to a delay in the conversational pace and communication in general. Why learn to speak if you can point your finger and everything will be done for you.

How to help your child start talking

To avoid problems with delayed speech development, parents should help the child start speaking. Pediatricians and speech therapists recommend working with your baby from the first days of birth. Even when he is silent and does not want to talk to you, stimulate speech through games, singing a lullaby, massage, and by developing fine motor skills. Constant conversations stimulate the development of new sounds and improve memory. Remember that speech cannot be inherited genetically; its formation goes through all stages of development of a small person.