Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Very Verbal at Two | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
Is my two-year-old daughter too young to be able to recite 1 to 10 in Spanish and 1 to 20 in English? She also has the majority of the alphabet memorized and can recite it. I am glad she is learning so fast but is she really advanced or is this just a phase? She does not have many other children around her so I do not have any others her age to compare her development to. What types of things should a two-year old be learning? Is my daughter ahead of the game or normal?
— Stephanie in Tacoma,Wa | | | ANSWER |
May 23, 2001 | | | Dear Stephanie,
There's a wide range of normal for two-year-old language development. Most of this variation is the result of the amount of language the child is exposed to and how much she is encouraged to talk and ask questions. I'm guessing that you spend a lot of time talking with your daughter and teaching her, which is a good thing. To a lesser degree, language abilities are due to genetics. Parents with particularly strong language skills often have children with strong language skills, but this is not always the case. Another piece of evidence that points to a role for genetics is that girls are more likely than boys to be highly verbal at age two.
Your daughter's strong verbal skills also mean that she is probably bright in other ways as well. What can you do to promote your child's learning? Teach her as much as she is happy to learn, but don't make it a chore or a bore. Also, try to avoid having her perform for the sake of impressing adults. Although it may seem harmless enough, it can sometimes lead a child to think that their main role in life is to entertain and be the center of attention. A relaxed, nonchalant attitude on your part may be best in the long run.
— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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