Is my 20 month old progressing at the right pace?

[mamaLou13]

Hi.
I am just wondering whether my dd should be saying / doing more by now? She has started trying to put her clothes on and take them off. she feeds herself and drinks by herself. she tries to wash her face aswell but she doesn't say much at all and we talk to her all the time she says the quite a few single words but doesn't join anything together yet. I read to her alot aswell. I have been reading that she should be learning the alphabet and numbers by now?? I wanted to get her some educational toys for her second birthday such as an alphabet board or leapfrog alohebet computer thing but i don't think she would be bothered by it for a long time yet. She already has a phonics bus which she only pushes around doesn't take in the sounds.
Any suggestions will be gratefully recieved.

Is she your first?

yes she is

She sounds perfect! Just enjoy her.

sounds fine -my 26 month old -DS2 very similar -

• alphabet and numbers - my DS1 was not interested until 3 or even 4.

do you take her to toddler groups or I love music groups - very good for social skill and language

Sounds fine - don't worry about letters and numbers - doesn't even matter until they go to school. More important are social skills and language so lots of talking, stories and creative activity/

I don't think 20 months in RL are doing much in the way of alphabet and numbers. Just some on mumsnet. I think mine had a wooden alphabet and a number inset puzzle at that age but only liked the puzzle aspect of it.

She sounds as if she is doing great. Quite an independent little girl. Single words is good at this age. She will probably start joining them together to form phrases and sentences in a few months' time. Who says she she should be learning the alphabet? Why? What on earth would she do with that knowledge? Look up a word in a dictionary? Do the filing? People do teach little ones the alphabet but it really is just a party trick; the same with chanting numbers - real counting comes later.

I know how you feel. My ds1 is just turning 19 months and has no words at all! He is still just making sounds like mm, nn, bb, ff, and.....love it....blowing raspberries. Try not to worry, I know it's hard. We're seeing the speech therapist this week just to get some tips and tricks. My eyes boggle when I hear my friends' daughter who is only a few months older chatting with 3 syllable words!

Honestly, juju, an awful lot can change in a few months. DS's speech changed beyond all recognition between 21 months and 2 years.