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Behaviour/development

2 year old large vocabulary

38 replies

naty1 · 25/05/2014 13:53

My DD is 23m and has a vocab of over 500 words/phrases. Saying sentences up to 5 words or so. Though thus is often an altered version of what we have previously said to her, with some occassionally her own invention.
She is using over 50 verbs and also some pronouns. Can count a few objects and recite up to 10.
She enjoys singing along to nursery rhymes.

So im just wondering how common this size vocab is. (According to internet it should be 50 or so words)
As 50 would be maybe an average or minimum but the range could be huge.

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Kewcumber · 25/05/2014 13:54

At 2 DS had a vocabulary of about 4!

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nilbyname · 25/05/2014 13:58

My DD is the same, very verbal off the charts for her Early Learning Goals, CMinder is always trying to think of new ways to stimulate her.

She is my 2nd, and DS was the same. I do nothing special with her (normal toddler stuff, park, crafts, ballet, see friends, singing morning), just talk loads, we are all very verbal in this house!

Sounds like she is doing very well, you should fee proud.

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Fairylea · 25/05/2014 14:01

That's very good.


My ds is 2 and says lots of words. Too many to count.. and has just started 2 word sentences. I was beginning to think he would never talk and he suddenly just got it and now everyday he is saying more and more.

His favourite saying is "clean and fresh!" - usually after a nappy change or if I'm putting washing on.

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noblegiraffe · 25/05/2014 14:01

I think the 50 words is what your child should have, so if they know fewer than that you might want to try to do something about it, like more focused activities or talk to your health visitor. More than that is fine, and not particularly unusual in my experience of nieces/nephews/friend's children.

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JazzAnnNonMouse · 25/05/2014 14:02

My 2 yr old is also like this - everyone comments on how well she talks and understands Grin

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AnnieIncognito · 25/05/2014 14:04

My DS is like this too. He said very little up until Christmas (22 months) but he's on a roll now. His comprehension is really good and he answers our questions very clearly. He's 27 months now and, although I have no idea how many words he knows, he speaks in sentences of 10-12 words. My older DD (6) is a complete chatterbox though. I think his language is due largely due to his older sister constantly chatting to him.

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Kewcumber · 25/05/2014 14:06

Most HV's won't do anything about speech delays until the child is 30 months (roughly) because (according to my HV) there is such a huge variety and little agreement about what is "normal" below that age.

DS now 8 and talks up a storm (significantly above the national average in "communication") so not much point talking to health visitor now!

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Kewcumber · 25/05/2014 14:06

Where does 50 come from?

This website says 200 www.everydayfamily.com/toddler-language-milestones-2-to-3-years/

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Solo · 25/05/2014 14:07

Both my Dc's had a massive vocabulary at 18 months. Simple words weren't enough for them and I often saw raised eyebrows when someone heard their conversations. I was often asked what their age was and the eyebrows shot up higher still as both children were/are exceptionally tall for their ages, so Ds in particular looked 6 at age 3.
I loved the grown up conversations with the youngsters. Dd is 7 and still surprises me!

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givemecaffeine21 · 25/05/2014 14:13

My DD is 22 months and also has a large vocabulary. She is using three word sentences, maybe four, and has loads of words....I started counting but it was never ending as you teach her a new word and she repeats it and keeps it, she's like a sponge. Her understanding of instructions has always been fantastic and she was able to follow pretty complex instructions from 14 months. My niece on the other hand only said 2-3 words at 2 but took off like a rocket speech wise around 2.5 - 3 years.

I've always signed with her and I think it's helped as now doing it with DS and he at 11 months is making big efforts to talk. Only 4-5 consistent words so far but again, he makes efforts to repeat things and clearly said 'oh dear' the other day when one of us said it, we were Shock

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HookingBrilliant · 25/05/2014 14:14

DS was like this. He had over 50 words at 13mo and learned colours at 18mo. He also spoke in lengthy sentences at 18mo. Now he's 3 his peers have caught up somewhat and the gap seems narrower. The extent of his vocabulary still surprises people though.

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BlingBubbles · 25/05/2014 14:16

My DD was the same, you could hold a conversation with her at age 2. At her 2 year review I was told she talks as well as the average 4 year old.

She is now nearly 3 and most days I wish she couldn't talk Grin as the only time she is silent is when she sleeps!

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DeWee · 25/05/2014 14:25

My girls were similar, dd2 was especially good. She had well over 500 words, the HV commented she was at the top end of the "normal" range at her 2yo check.

My dm talks about dd1's comment "I would like to choose my own towel actually because I want a pink one" when she was about 21 months.

50 words is the minimum the HV looks for. before flagging it up, as something to watch, not necessarily intervene at that point.

But by 4.6yo you couldn't tell the difference in speech in tham and friends who had had speech therepy starting at 2.6-3yo due to saying very very few (in one case no) words.

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TinklyLittleLaugh · 25/05/2014 14:36

It is so cool when they are young talkers. At 2 DD2 used to ask me loads of questions about how the world worked.
I remember, "Why is there salad all over our car?" when the first leaves of autumn fell. Loads of stuff like "why does the sky change colour, why don't dogs talk?"

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TarkaTheOtter · 25/05/2014 14:43

Dd was an early talker but the gap has already narrowed a lot by 2.5. I think because their development comes on in spurts rather than at a constant rate there will often be times when some children will seem really far ahead or behind but it mostly evens out over time.

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herethereandeverywhere · 25/05/2014 14:47

DD1 spoke completely fluently by 2. Things like, "It's very far away mummy, we'll need a telescope to see it".

DD2 had about 10 words at 2 but has progressed really quickly since. Her language acquisition is much more entertaining as her pronunciation isn't always right but is always very cute! blip = clip, pinished = finished, boreberry = strawberry etc. I missed all of that as DD1 just started at 12 months and kept on getting it right.

Is she good at remembering song words too? DD1 could do the whole of Sing a Song of Sixpence as a particular party piece.

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beatingwings · 25/05/2014 14:53

It's lovely to hear LOs fluent early, but no indication of later skill. my son did not speak at all until 3 but is now chair of the school debating society.

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naty1 · 25/05/2014 17:46

Yes quite a few songs. Anything we play enough.but with prompting so generally not whole song
But never at groups too busy running around.
Im trying to introduce spanish as DSis is over there and DN is going to be bilingual, but its funny she knows the difference and will mostly not say the words lol.
It is a bit stop start times when lots of words a day then thevinterest is in something else and fewer for a couple of weeks
She comes out with something funny almost daily.

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feekerry · 25/05/2014 21:12

Dd is 2.1 and has been fluent since about 22m. Can have a conversation with her about anything. Literally full blown conversation. Its crazy. She never stops talking. She talks from 7am till 7pm. I crave quiet lol!
She wasn't an early crawler or walker or anything like that.

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HumphreyCobbler · 25/05/2014 21:19

I wish mine had been early talkers, I am sure it makes life a bit easier when you can communicate before they are two! I would be careful attributing it to always doing a lot of talking with them, people generally DO talk to their children a lot, even those who are late to talking and don't have advanced vocabularies at early ages.

I love it when tiny ones have proper conversations with you.

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FamiliesShareGerms · 25/05/2014 21:29

Both mine were very articulate v young with large vocabularies - what was cute then now means neither of them will ever shut up...!

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FamiliesShareGerms · 25/05/2014 21:32

BTW, watch out for people (including you!) forgetting how old your LO actually is - it's easy to have expectations and assumptions that they are older than they actually are just because you can have a "grown up" conversation with them

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FamiliesShareGerms · 25/05/2014 21:32

BTW, watch out for people (including you!) forgetting how old your LO actually is - it's easy to have expectations and assumptions that they are older than they actually are just because you can have a "grown up" conversation with them

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Nonie241419 · 25/05/2014 21:46

It sounds very good. My DD has a good vocabulary, although not that extensive at your DDs age. I love having chats with her. Like a PP said, I don't do anything special, we just chat all day long. Her elder siblings talk to her lots too.

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Trillions · 25/05/2014 21:55

Gosh OP, this would really worry me. Are you OK?

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