The quick, short answer to this question is: Yes!
By the time your child is two years old, they should have at least 50 words (some children will have as many as 250 words or more!). Two year olds should be starting to, if not already, combining words or using at least 2-word phrases. In addition to using nouns, your two year old child should also use verbs or action words (e.g., “want cup”; “car go”; “mommy up”).
When does all this actual talking begin? Children should have their first word(s) around the age of 12 months. Around the ages of 15 months-18 months, your child should start to sound like a parrot– copying a lot of what you say, repeating what they overhear in conversations, or easily imitating what you ask them to. From 18 months- two years old, your child should have what we call a “language explosion”. During this period you should see your child begin to quickly use new words, add more words to their repertoire, as well as, combining words. Check out our Communication Milestones for more details! Also, here are some ideas to help encourage your child’s language skills.
Worried your child isn’t talking as much as they should be? Contact us at The Speech Space! We offer free screenings, which take approximately 30 minutes, and can help identify potential problems.