Dear Mr. Dad: My 13-month old says only two words: dada and mama. My best friend’s son is two months younger and she’s constantly bragging about how many words he knows. She’s got me worried that there’s something wrong with my baby. Do all kids start talking about the same age? Either way, what can I do to increase my baby’s vocabulary.
A: As with walking and most other developmental milestones, there’s no fixed time for a child to start talking, and what’s “normal” is a big, big range. Some start putting together words as early as nine months; others don’t have much to say until they’re two. The size of the vocabulary and the child’s age when those words start tumbling out of his mouth is no indication of intelligence (Albert Einstein supposedly was nearly silent until age four). There’s definitely a luck-of-the-draw component here, but here are a few things you can do at home that may speed things along.
