Children's learning of language follows key stages that all carers should understand, say speech and language therapists Shivani Chotai and Louise Habgood
By the time a child reaches school age, the learning of a first language should be virtually complete. It is the most complex skill anyone ever learns.
However, it is estimated that between 14 and 20 per cent of pre-school children have some degree of speech, language or communication impairment, which makes it the most common neuro-developmental condition of early childhood.
Though language delay may cause parents more anxiety than any other aspect of their child's development, the stages of language development are poorly understood by parents and professional carers alike. A child can be put under pressure to repeat words and say them correctly, when in fact, it is the ability to listen and to understand that needs to be encouraged.
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