Please come talk to me about your 2 and half (ish) speech and language.

[Mrs2boys]

Hi just wanting a bit of reassurance about DS's language. He is 2.4 and although he does talk I seem to remember DS1 had more advanced conversational skills, but I may be looking back with rose tinted glasses and I know I shouldn't compare but it's so hard not to!

DS2 has lots of words and can put together sentences of maybe 4 or 5 words but it's still disjointed so he will say things like 'back in minute, Mummy back down stairs.' But he seems to miss words out of sentences such as 'in' or 'on' 'the' etc so he would say 'Mummy go garden' instead of mummy go into the garden and 'Go for nap' instead of go for a nap. Now I'm writing it down I think I am expecting a bit too much but I seem to remember DS1 having a better understanding of language. I know that shouldn't matter but I keep thinking DS2 is delayed and I am not doing anything about it. Am I over reacting?

Also he can't seem to answer questions with much coherence. I will ask him what he's been doing today and he will just randomly spout out sentences which really don't bare any resemblance to what we have actually done! I can't really explain it but he seems to not be able to answer questions other than with yes or no answers. Maybe it's too abstract a concept at this age.

He does know all his colours, recognises certain letters, knows animals and what sounds they make, can point to things when I ask him where they are, point to pictures in books etc.

So what should I be expecting? What can your 2 year olds understand and say?

[Thurlow]

Sounds like my 2.3yo. She's only started sentences in the past week or so, it just switched on. But she'll say "Mummy in garden", still says "my" most of the time instead of "I" etc. It's understandable and in the past week or so it has really started to sound like an actual conversation, but it is still disjointed. And she answers questions wrong all the time! Ask her what she's had for dinner and half the time she'll just say the first food stuff that pops into her mind, or she'll say someone wasn't at the childminder's that day when I know that they were.

She's my first but it sounds pretty normal to me.

[LyndaCartersBigPants]

At about that age my DS1 still rarely said anything other than "Mamma" as I had taught him baby sign language, so he communicated but didn't really talk as such. DD was talking in fully formed adult-like sentences at the same age.

By about 3 they never shut up were both at a similar level, both have wide vocabularies and I kind of miss the funny little ways of younger DCs.

I heard a little foundation girl on the way out of school yesterday say to her dad when he told her that she was going somewhere after school "really? am I actually am?!" and it was adorable. Try to enjoy the innocence of the early years before they get it all perfect.

[CuriosityCola]

Sounds similar to my 2 1/2 year old. Health visitor was happy with his speech. My family think he is 'behind with his talking' .

I partly think it's a personality thing. He doesn't really talk for the sake of it, whereas my friends child loves to chat away. He was also active extremely early and would either sign or help himself to things rather than ask!

We are just getting to stringing longer sentences together. Mostly it's things like 'go shop now please'

[Lottapianos]

Hi OP, I'm an Early Years SLT. Your DS sounds fine. At his age, he should be joining 2 words together regularly and starting to join 3 words together sometimes. You should be able to understand most of what he says but he won't be clear to all people. And you're spot on with the questions - asking about something that has already happened is too hard at this age!

Model sentences back to him and add a word - so if he says 'go for nap' you might say 'yes, we're going for a nap'. But don't ask him to copy or repeat words after you.

[Mrs2boys]

Thanks for the replies. I have a feeling I am actually just expecting way too much because DS1 was very fluent by this age, his sentences were well structured and he could start a conversation and ask questions. I have a video of him on Christmas morning when he would have been exactly the same age DS2 is now and he's questioning where we got the video camera from and says 'Daddy, did you borrow that camera from Uncle XXXXX?' There is no way on earth that DS would be able to ask a question like this or even question where something had come from. It's good to know that DS2 is developing 'normally' though and I am worrying over nothing!