Language development in preschoolers

At age 3, kids generally have the vocabulary to form short, though often imperfect, sentences. By age 5, their language skills are closer to those of an adult.

Language development from age 3 to 5

Age 3 to 4

Should you ask your child to repeat after you? (French only)

At this age, your child is starting to understand more detailed instructions and abstract concepts, such as “next door” and “later.” They also know the colours of the rainbow. However, they still have a hard time grasping the concept of time. For example, they might say “yesterday” when referring to an event that took place last month.

Their vocabulary continues to expand, and they can now speak in complete sentences of four or more words (e.g., “Daddy went out the door”). They’re also able to participate in conversations by asking “Why?” or chiming in with a comment.

Gradually, they start to form longer, more complex sentences, using words like because, if, and when, but they still make occasional mistakes (e.g., “I eated breakfast,” “Me go with you”).

When they want to talk about something they experienced, your little one may tell you what they did that day, who they were with, etc. They’re learning to talk about the past and future and less focused on the here and now. They’re also able to tell parts of a story with the help of an adult.

Your child will be easy to understand most of the time, even by people who don’t know them very well. Their pronunciation is getting clearer, but they may still have trouble with certain sounds, such as “th” (e.g., “fank” instead of “thank,” “wiv” instead of “with”) and consonant clusters like “bl” and “sp” (e.g., “bock” instead of “block,” “poon” instead of “spoon”).

Age 4 to 5

Your child is getting better at understanding explanations and instructions that contain complex terms (e.g., “Draw a circle” or “Go behind the chair”). They also have an easier time understanding stories (e.g., the problems and emotions the characters experience).

At this age, your child has a diverse vocabulary and speaks in longer sentences that convey more complex ideas (e.g., “I think Thomas is sad because he wanted to win the race”). Their sentences are becoming more like an adult’s, and they can describe things in greater detail.

People who don’t know them well can understand them about 90 percent of the time. They’re also able to pronounce almost all sounds correctly. However, they may still struggle with “th”, “ch” and “j,” as well as certain double consonants blends, like “sp” and “gr.”

How to foster your child’s language development

The following tips and activities can help your child develop their language skills.

• As much as possible, be available to listen when your child has something they want to tell you. They need to practise speaking and gain confidence in order to improve.
• Help your child expand their vocabulary. Use a variety of words when you talk to them. Make sure to explain any words they don’t know by giving a simple definition, acting out the concept, showing them a picture, or drawing parallels with things they’ve experienced (e.g., “Terrified means to be very afraid, like the way you feel when you see a spider”).
• Use full, properly structured sentences when you talk to your child. Avoid using baby talk.
• Engage with your child when they play make-believe. When they invent stories, they’ll often use phrases they don’t normally use. This can be a great opportunity for you to introduce words and expressions they’re less familiar with.
• Talk to them about what they’re doing and what you’re doing, what interests them about a game, what’s happening in a story, and so on. Always follow your child’s lead to ensure they’re enjoying talking with you.
• If you can’t quite understand what your child wants to say, ask them questions. You can also summarize the parts you understood and encourage them to fill in the rest. By demonstrating patience and interest, you let your child know that you care about what they have to say and make them want to keep trying.
• Play a game with your child that involves sorting cards or items into categories (e.g., animals, methods of transportation). Name the categories and use them in a sentence (e.g., “Cars, buses, and trains are all methods of transportation”). This activity helps your child organize vocabulary words in their head, making it easier to integrate them into sentences later.
• Read your child stories that feature problems that need to be solved. Discuss what the characters are feeling and help your child think of potential solutions. This will help improve their language comprehension and their ability to form sentences.
• When reading a book or doing an everyday activity, ask your child questions that start with Why, When, and How. By asking questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no, you’ll encourage your child to reflect and form their own sentences.
• From age 4, start exploring with your child the sounds that make up words they are interested in. Use books and songs to explore words that rhyme (e.g., cat and hat) or sounds in familiar words (mommy starts with "mmm"). This will encourage them to pay attention to the sounds in words, which will help them learn to read once they start school.
• Tell them jokes and make note of what they find funny. Your child’s sense of humour reflects their level of language comprehension and their ability to grasp subtlety. At this age, they’re starting to understand that people sometimes say things just to be funny.

Things to keep in mind

• From age 3 to 5, children are continually expanding their vocabulary and learning to use increasingly complex sentences.
• At age 3, your child will still make mistakes related to vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation, but these will become less frequent by age 5.
• Be a good listener when your child has something to say and respond using complex sentences and diverse vocabulary.

Scientific review: Agathe Tupula Kabola, speech-language pathologist, and Rodeina Bechara, speech-language pathologist Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team Updated: August 2024

Photo: GettyImages/Jay Yuno