How to encourage your child's language in the early years: tips and games, age by age

How does a child learn to talk?

Long before words comes conversation. Your baby makes a sound, you reply; they look at you, you smile and add something. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), this turn-taking conversation, which starts from your baby's own sounds, is the foundation of language.

There's no need for lessons or special toys: just describe what you're doing during bath time, mealtimes or the food shop (“Now the bodysuit: first one arm, then the other”) and leave a pause for their reply, even when it's just a smile.

What do they say and understand, age by age?

For each age, you'll find the milestones most children reach by that age according to the US CDC and the games the same sources suggest.

From 0 to 6 months

What they usually do

• At 2 months they make sounds other than crying and react to loud noises.
• At 4 months they make “oooo” and “aahh” sounds, respond with sounds of their own when you talk to them and turn their head towards your voice.
• At 6 months they take turns making sounds with you, blow raspberries and squeal.

Things to do together

• When they smile, smile back; when they make a sound, copy it: it's their first conversation.
• Sing and play music to them: according to the CDC, it helps their brain develop.
• Look at the colourful pictures in a book together and talk about them.

From 6 to 12 months

What they usually do

• At 9 months they make lots of different sounds like “mamamama” and “babababa”, turn when you call their name and lift their arms to be picked up.
• At 12 months they wave bye-bye, call “mama”, “dada” or another special name and understand “no”.

Things to do together

• Name the things they're looking at: “That's the moon.”
• When you're out for a walk, point to and name cars, trees and animals.
• Play peekaboo and pat-a-cake.

From 1 to 2 years

What they usually do

• At 15 months they try to say one or two words besides “mama” and “dada”, like “ba” for ball, and point to ask for something.
• At 18 months they try to say three or more words besides “mama” and “dada” and follow a simple instruction without gestures, like “give it to me”.
• At 2 years they put two words together, like “more milk”, and point to things in a book when you ask.

Things to do together

• Add words to theirs: if they say “dog”, reply “Yes, a dog! It goes woof woof.”
• Get down to their level, so they can see your face while you talk.
• Ask simple questions (“What's that?”) and let them choose: “The blue top or the red one?”

From 2 to 3 years

What they usually do

• At 2 and a half they say about 50 words, put two or more together with an action word (“doggie run”) and use “I”, “me” and “we”.
• At 3 years they hold a conversation with you of at least two back-and-forth exchanges, ask “who”, “what”, “where” and “why” questions, say their name and can usually be understood by other people too.

Things to do together

• When reading, ask them what's happening in the picture and repeat their sentence back, adding something.
• Play pretend: a spoon to feed a teddy, taking turns.

Milestones from the CDC's “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” programme, updated in 2026: they describe what most children do by that age. They're not a test and they don't replace your paediatrician.

When should you start reading together?

Sooner than you think. Nati per Leggere (“Born to Read”), the programme promoted by the Cultural Association of Paediatricians (Associazione Culturale Pediatri) and the Italian Library Association (Associazione Italiana Biblioteche), encourages reading aloud from the very earliest age and identifies the first three years as the time when shared reading matters most. A child who is read to every day, they explain, has a richer vocabulary.

With the very youngest, just looking at the pictures and naming things is enough. Later on, try dialogic reading, where your child becomes the storyteller:

• Ask: “What's the cat doing?”
• Listen to the answer in a positive tone, without correcting.
• Expand: “Yes, the cat's sleeping. It's sleeping on the red chair.”
• Repeat their sentence with a new word.

If they ask for the same story for the tenth time, that's absolutely fine: Nati per Leggere counts it among the good reasons to read together.

Do cartoons and apps help them talk sooner?

For the youngest children, the advice is clear: it's better to wait. The Italian Society of Paediatrics recommends no devices under 2, less than an hour a day between 2 and 5 and less than two hours after 5, always with an adult. The World Health Organization also advises against them under 2.

Children learn by talking, playing and spending time with people, the CDC points out, while leaving room for video calls with loved ones. In a Japanese study of 7,097 children published in JAMA Pediatrics in 2023, children who spent 4 or more hours a day in front of a screen at age 1 were more likely to have a communication delay at age 2: 14.8%, compared with 3.5% of those who spent less than an hour. It's an observed link, not proof that screens are the cause.

The same goes for us grown-ups: the CDC suggests putting your phone away when you're together, so you can respond to their words and gestures.

When should you talk to your paediatrician?

Many children reach the milestones early, others a little later. On one point, though, the CDC is clear: if your child isn't reaching one or more milestones, loses skills they already had, or if something makes you wonder, don't wait: talk to your paediatrician. You're the person who knows them best.

Before the appointment, jot down the words and gestures they use: you'll have concrete examples to share.

The information in this guide comes from the sources below and is not a substitute for your paediatrician's advice: if you have any concerns about your child, ask them.