How many words should your toddler be able to say?
The average vocabulary at 18 months is about 50 words, but toddlers can say far more or fewer and still be on track.
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Use your toddler’s fascination with touching things to teach language skills
Studies find that labeling an object as your child handles it can help them connect what they have in their hands to the words you say.
Combining words: a big step in language learning
Try these easy tips from language experts to encourage your toddler to say two-word phrases.
What to do when you don’t know what your toddler is asking for
Before the frustration gets to both of you, try this approach to make your toddler feel heard and build their vocabulary in the process.
When will your toddler learn their colors?
Learn the timeline of color understanding and 5 fun ways to help your toddler learn colors.
Why not to correct your toddler’s speech—and what to do instead
How you respond to mispronunciations can make a difference in your child's language development.
The science behind your child’s ‘language explosion’
Your toddler may say lots of new words around 18 to 24 months of age—here's why.
Boost your toddler’s language skills by getting face-to-face
Try these 3 simple ways to get more valuable face-to-face time with your toddler.
DIY: mosaic texture art
Help your toddler explore what it feels and looks like to paint on different surfaces as they build fine motor and language skills.
Pointing: a simple gesture with big meaning
Research shows a close link between pointing and toddler language development. Learn how to build on this social-communication skill.
3 subtle signs your toddler’s language skills are developing
Many parents underestimate how many words their young toddler understands. Watch for these non-verbal signals to get a better idea of what your toddler knows.
Toddlers benefit from ‘crib talk’
It's a good thing when toddlers talk to themselves. Here's why.
Shared storytelling can boost your toddler’s memory skills
Research shows that children as young as 13 months are already creating memories. Talking about shared experiences is one way to support your child's early learning.
Try this to raise your child’s emotional intelligence
Using specific and even complex words to describe how your child feels gives them a deeper, more nuanced understanding of their emotions.
What research says about how to respond to your baby’s babbles
Did you know that the way you respond to your baby's babbling can actually shape the way they communicate? Learn more.
Activities for your 4-month-old from child development experts
Through simple play, your 4-month-old gains thinking skills, gross motor development, social connections, language understanding, and more.
Activities your 6-month-old will want to do again and again
Help your baby practice and expand their skills with these simple games and activities recommended by Gabrielle Felman, Lovevery's child development expert.
Why do babies love to dump things out of containers?
Emptying is the first part of an important kind of play called containerizing. Learn ways to support container play.
A top way to help develop your baby’s vocabulary, according to research
When it comes to developing your baby’s vocabulary, it helps to be a broken record. Here are 4 tips to maximize your baby’s language development.
Why singing is soothing
Even if you don’t believe you have a good voice, singing to your baby can offer calming benefits. Read our tips for ways to soothe your baby through song.
4 ways to encourage your baby’s first coos
Your baby’s earliest forms of communication are crying, eye contact, and smiles. Then they may begin to coo. Read these 4 ways to encourage cooing.
Parentese improves children’s vocabulary
Read the characteristics of parentese, an exaggerated speaking style, and understand how it benefits your child's vocabulary and conversational skills.
Did my baby just call me ‘Dada’?
The second stage of babbling is known as reduplicated babbling: simple double-consonant sounds such as 'baba' and 'mama.' Find out more about your baby babbles!
Your 9-month-old’s language development
Between 9 and 12 months, your baby may begin exhibiting certain expressive language skills. Learn the type of babbles you may notice.
5 tips to encourage talking in babies
Read our 5 simple things that can make an important difference in your baby's early attempts to talk.
When do babies know their name?
Learning and responding to their name is a big cognitive leap for your baby. Read our tips to help encourage name recognition.
When will my baby say their first word?
When will my baby start talking? Most children say their first word between 12 and 14 months old. Read about ways to encourage talking.
Video chats can be good for babies
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for babies under 18 months, with one exception: live video chats. Read through our tips for a meaningful video call.
Your 6-month-old’s language development
At 6 months, your baby’s expressive language is transitioning from those sweet early coos and squeals to more experimental babbling. Read about what your baby may be working on.
Welcome to The Problem Solver Play Kit for months 43-45
The Problem Solver Play Kit supports your 3-year-old’s desire to categorize, and the increasingly complex way they understand the world and their place in it.
The complete guide to baby development milestones
We compiled this expert guide to help you know what to expect for your baby's growth and month-by-month development.
The benefits of bringing your baby outside
Spending time outside is not only enjoyable for babies, it also supports their cognitive and motor development—and may even help them sleep better.
What is “serve and return” and why is it so important?
"Serve and return" is a child development term used to describe back and forth interactions with your baby. Learn how to do it, and why it's so important.
Try a sound walk (and these 3 other activities) to boost your child’s language skills
Your two-year-old is likely starting to demonstrate more awareness of environmental sounds. Here's how you can help them tune into sound.
When do children learn to tell time?
Routines, sequences, and using time-related words all lay the groundwork for your child’s developing understanding of time.
How to help your 2-year-old overcome new feelings of fear
Between the ages of 24 and 30 months, many children can suddenly start to develop more pronounced fears. Here's how to respond.
How to pre-wire your child’s brain for reading
As early as 2, your child is starting to understand how books work. Here are some strategies to encourage your budding reader by encouraging "print motivation."
Are we there yet? 10 no-materials games for car rides
Traveling with children can be challenging. Here are some ideas for the car that require no materials or tech and can be played by both driver and passengers.
This powerful activity can change your child’s brain
Back-and-forth conversations with your baby have a significant impact on language development and are important for social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
Picture book project! 🌈 Preserving your toddler’s first words
This DIY project captures your child's first words and builds their vocabulary as their language develops.
The toddler game of who, what, where, why, how?
Introducing who, what, where, why, and how in little lessons empowers your toddler to begin explaining what interests them the most.
The magical teaching powers of words like ‘humongous’
Learn how to build your child's language skills and comprehension with plenty of rich vocabulary, back-and-forth conversations, narration, and repetition.
Why ‘You worked so hard’ beats ‘You’re so smart’
A growth mindset leads to resilience, grit, and stamina, and teaches your child that their intelligence, capabilities, and talents can grow the more they learn.
8 ways toddlers start to talk between 18 and 24 months
Here are 8 ways your toddler is learning language right now, even if they're not saying much yet.
The better way to help your toddler learn colors
Lovevery shares the techniques discovered by Stanford University that pinpoint a new, effective way to teach young children about colors.
Why labeling your toddler’s intense feelings can actually help calm them down
Dr. Dan Siegel "name it to tame it" philosophy helps children calm down by acknowleding and labeling their strong emotions.
The do’s and don’ts of saying ‘no’
Describing for your child the behavior you do want to see avoids reinforcing what you don't want them to do. Here's how to say "no" less frequently.
4 signs toddlers understand language even if they aren’t talking much yet
Your toddler likely understands more than they can say. Here are 4 ways your toddler is communicating without words.
“Throw the ball to Mama”—what’s up with the third person, anyway?
Do you speak to your toddler in the third person? "Illeism" may help your toddler develop their language skills until they understand pronouns.
Your baby wants to tell you something
Babies can understand language before they can speak. Here are ways to communicate with your baby before they say their first recognizable words.
