---
title: "Typical Speech Development: Vocabulary Milestones by Months"
date: 2022-01-26
author: Natalie Barnes
excerpt: "One of these words is “semantics,” which is merely technical jargon for “vocabulary.” But, what exactly is vocabulary?"
categories: [All posts, Language Development]
url: https://speechblubs.com/blog/vocabulary-size-by-months
---

# Typical Speech Development: Vocabulary Milestones by Months

One of these words is “semantics,” which is merely technical jargon for “vocabulary.” **But, what exactly is vocabulary? **

Vocabulary refers to the set of words found in language that your child knows. Vocabulary can be split into two types:

Vocabulary develops as your child grows, and serves as both a useful and basic tool for communication and building knowledge.

## Why is Vocabulary Important?

Simply put, vocabulary is the basis for learning a [language](https://speechblubs.com/blog/10-tips-for-building-language-through-books/). In fact, research has shown that a child’s vocabulary in the early grades is related to [reading comprehension](https://speechblubs.com/blog/improve-reading-fluency-comprehension-and-speech/) in the upper grades:

As they develop, children typically understand or recognize [more words](https://speechblubs.com/blog/reading-to-kids-the-million-word-gap/) than they use when speaking.

## Vocabulary Developmental Milestones

![happy-little-girl.webp](https://data-speechblubs-neo.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/happy-little-girl.webp)

#### 0 – 6-Month-Old Baby

#### 7 – 12-Month-Old Baby

#### 13 – 18-Month-Old Toddler

#### 19 – 24-Month-Old Toddler

#### 3-Year-Old Toddler

#### 4-Year-Old Toddler

#### 5-Year-Old Child

#### 6-Year-Old Child

## How to Encourage Vocabulary Development

![girl-and-mother-reading-together](https://data-speechblubs-neo.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/girl-and-mother-reading-together.webp)

**Learning new words can be tricky, as there are lots of things that children have to be able to do to understand and say a new word and get it right. In fact, your child needs to:**

Luckily, there are many things you can do with your child to help them build and develop their vocabulary.

**The United States Reading Panel has the following suggestions when targeting your child’s vocabulary:**

Bearing this in mind, here are some activities that you can do with your child to help their vocabulary development:

![apple-1024x1024](https://data-speechblubs-neo.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/apple-1024x1024-1.webp)

**Play rhyming games.** Children love [nursery rhymes](https://speechblubs.com/blog/rhymes-and-their-benefits/) and sing-along songs

### . . . and Some More Vocabulary Activities:

That’s It! Just about any activity can be used for speech therapy, and in combination with the [Speech Blubs App](https://speech-blubs.app.link/Qnrm1DCxa2), you and your child will be able to have fun while doing so.