KinLark
Points instead of asking?
Pause and wait, expectantly — hold the snack, look, count to five in your head. A beat of silence gives them room to try a sound or word instead of you jumping in.
2-3 years · Common challenge
Barely talking yet
Other kids their age are stringing together little sentences, and yours has a handful of words — maybe fewer. They point, they grunt, they pull you by the hand. And you're caught between 'they'll talk when they're ready' and a quiet, growing worry.
Get a 10-minute talking activityFree · about a minute · uses what you already have at home.
You're not alone
You are not alone
- ASHA estimates late language emergence in 10% to 20% of two-year-olds; a commonly used criterion is fewer than 50 words and no two-word combinations at 24 months.
- ASHA reports that about 50% to 70% reach a typical language range by late preschool or school age. Others continue to need support, so the range is not a promise for one child.
What's going on
What may be happening
Understanding and speaking can develop at different rates. Stronger comprehension is associated with better outcomes, while difficulty understanding simple language is a reason to ask for an evaluation.
Back-and-forth conversation gives a child opportunities to hear, attempt, and use words. It is supportive practice, not proof that more conversation alone will resolve a delay.
What to try
Start with what's setting your child off
Not sure what to even say to them?
Narrate the day in short, clear words: 'Cup. Your cup. Milk in the cup.' Hearing simple words tied to real things, over and over, is the raw material for talking.
Says a word once, then drops it?
Add one word to whatever they offer: they say 'dog,' you say 'big dog!' Expanding their word by one keeps them in the conversation and models the next step.
More screens than talk lately?
Trade some passive screen time for face-to-face play and books. Live interaction creates back-and-forth turns that prerecorded media does not.
In the moment
- Keep it playful and pressure-free — drilling words or saying 'say it!' tends to shut talking down.
- Reward any attempt — a sound, a sign, an approximation — by giving them what they reached for.
- Read together daily; let them turn the pages and 'fill in' familiar words.
- Get down to their eye level so they can watch your mouth make the sounds.
Every child's mix is different — tell us about yours and we'll tailor a 10-minute activity.
What changes with time
What progress can look like
Some late talkers reach a typical language range by late preschool or school age; others continue to have language or literacy needs.
An evaluation can clarify hearing, comprehension, speech, and language needs. Early-intervention services can offer support when it is indicated.
Go deeper
Prefer a structured path?
When to ask a professional
When to ask for help
- Ask for a speech-language evaluation if, by age 2, your child uses very few words or isn't combining two words — you don't have to 'wait and see.'
- If they don't seem to understand simple requests, rarely make eye contact, or have lost words they used to use.
- If there's a family history of language or learning difficulties.
- A speech-language or early-intervention evaluation can clarify what support, if any, is appropriate. Availability and cost vary by location.
KinLark gives parent-led, screen-free activity ideas. It is not medical, therapy, or diagnostic advice. Trust your instincts and your child's doctor.