Parents eagerly anticipate the moment when our child begins to speak to us. Those early coos and babbles will soon become proper chats. Speech development is an exciting journey for both toddlers and their families. But what is it, really, and what is its significance in the life of a young child? But what exactly is speech development, and why is it so important for young children?

Speech development is how children learn to express language through how their jaw, lips, and tongue move, vocalising words.

The process also involves understanding and using words, phrases, and sentences to communicate. It’s gradual, beginning in infancy and continuing through early childhood.

So why is it so important for toddlers?

So, why is speech development so important for toddlers? First, the ability to communicate effectively is essential for social and emotional development. Think about how you’ll feel when your toddler tells you how much they love you or how happy they are at Christmas. Wouldn’t it break your heart to see them struggle to interact with peers, express their feelings, or form strong relationships with older family members? They may even become frustrated, anxious, and isolated, which can have long-term effects on mental health and well-being.

Speech development is obviously critical for academic success as well. As children grow and enter school, they'll need to be able to communicate clearly with teachers and classmates.

Group discussion, following rules, and expressing thoughts and ideas effectively are all part of the course. We take so much about speech for granted as adults, but children who struggle with speech development may fall behind academically, which can crush self-esteem and have serious consequences for their future. If they never learn the motor speech skills to form longer sentences, for example, they will then take shortcuts to reduce the length, and this will impact their experience of using and developing their expressive language skills.

There are many strategies you can follow to encourage speech and language development in your toddler.

Here are a few to get you started:

Never stop talking to your toddler. You are your toddler's favourite person, and they’ll always be curious about you. Talk about the world around you both and point out objects and people to help them understand it.
Read to your child: Sow a love of books, and your child’s imagination and vocabulary will flourish. Choose age-appropriate books with simple language. The repetition of words and phrases makes them easier to recite. Ask your child to participate in describing pictures.
Make gestures and facial expressions. Nonverbal communication is very telling, especially while your child is still learning words. Emote with your face and use clear gestures your child can understand and emulate.
Play games. Didn’t you love word games as a child? They are an easy way for young children to learn and develop new skills. Even simple games of ‘I spy’ on the bus are heaps of fun for children.
Ask a professional: If you have concerns about your child's speech development, it may help to speak with a speech-language pathologist.

What is speech development, and why is it important?

For Unii’s Toddler Speech Journey, we explore the basics of speech development in one- to three-year-olds.