How many words will my 2-year-old learn in a year?
Your 2-year-old is learning more than a word a day. Most 2-year-olds learn about 50 new words per month.

Remember, too, that at any age, children can understand more words than they can say. During the third year of life, a toddler's "receptive vocabulary"-the number of words he can understood-will grow by a few thousand words.

How does my toddler manage to learn so many words so fast?
Body language is helping your 2-year-old to absorb words quickly. Toddlers very carefully observe facial expressions and hand gestures. This helps them to understand the meaning of the words that they hear.

What are the most common words that 2-year-olds learn?
Young 2-year-olds use nouns ("ball," "cat," "car") most frequently. Action verbs ("go," "carry," "eat") are their next most popular part of speech, followed by prepositions ("up," "down," "out").

How long will it take for my 2-year-old to start using complete sentences?
Right now, your 2-year-old may be using "telegraphic speech"-short phrases with only basic informational words, such as "Mommy play ball." This is a child's way to get "up and running" to practice his speech.

By age 3, your toddler will likely be stringing 5 or 6 words together in a sentence.

My 2-year-old says a lot, but mixes up consonants. Should I worry?
It is not unusual for toddlers this age to mix up their sounds. So if he says "runny babbit" instead of "bunny rabbit," don't worry.

My child says a lot of words, but not many sentences. Should I be concerned?
Remember, "normal" language development varies. Some toddlers may combine words earlier, others may combine words later. What's most significant is that your toddler is combining words and learning new words continuously. If you're worried, talk to your health care professional.

How can I help my 2-year-old learn to talk?
Talking to your toddler frequently and using a rich variety of words can greatly influence speech development. In fact, some experts say that language is the area of development most affected by intervention.

Here's how you can help:

• Keep talking. Research shows that children who converse often with adults have more advanced language skills than children who are not verbally stimulated as frequently by their caregivers. Strike up conversations about daily activities as often as you can.
  
  
• Read books with rhyming words and repeated phrases. These types of books help toddler become aware of the individual sounds that make up words.
  
  
• Re-read books. Repetition is important for language development because repeated experiences reinforce the pathways in the brain.
  
  
• Expand on the topic at hand. Use "parallel talk" to fill in words and help expand your child's language skills. If your child says, "Daddy home," you can say, "Yes, Daddy will be home from work soon."
  
  
• Don't interrupt if your child is talking to himself/herself. Even if what your child is saying doesn't make sense to you, don't interfere. Your child is simply thinking while trying to figure things out.
  
  
• Don't consider television a substitute for interaction. Only a live person can provide the social interaction and feedback that toddlers need to learn language.

Is there anything else that I can do to help language and brain development?

Most of what happens occurs automatically. But you can help to nurture your toddler in two ways.

First of all, spend time talking, listening, and helping your toddler discover the world. You are your child's best teacher.

Secondly, provide an appropriate diet for your baby. Experts have found that brain development is sensitive to a child's nutrition. Your child's brain is still growing during this year. It will reach about 80% of its adult size by the child's third birthday.

What nutrients help brain development?
To help support brain development, your toddler's diet should include

• Adequate calories and protein. Your toddler's brain depends on calories and, in particular, protein, to grow. Remember, your child's brain is still growing-from 25% of its adult size at birth to 80% of its adult size at age 3 years. Inadequate brain growth can lead to slower language development.
  
  
• Iron. Iron is essential for maintaining enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells. These red blood cells are necessary to fuel brain growth.
  
  
• Zinc. Certain brain cells contain a high concentration of zinc. Zinc also plays a role when the brain's axons-the long "wires" that connect brain cells-are coated with myelin, a dense fatty substance. Myelin helps protect the brain's nerve fibers and helps the axons send messages more quickly.
  
  
• DHA. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a major component of the lipids-or fats-found in the brain's cerebral cortex. Some researchers believe that babies who are fed breast milk, which is naturally rich in DHA, have superior brain development partly because of the DHA that accumulates in their cerebral cortex.

What foods contain the nutrients that help brain development?
The ideal protein is a complete protein, which contains all of the essential amino acids in the right proportions. Animal foods, such as milk, meat, and fish are complete proteins.

Iron-rich foods include lean red meats, turkey, eggs, lamb, fish, and shellfish. Iron is also found in beans, broccoli, spinach, and dried fruit.

Zinc is found in meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products, as well as whole grains, dried beans, and nuts. Children should not eat whole nuts before the age of 4.

Seafood and liver are good sources of DHA. Some growing-up milks, such as PROGRESS* GOLD, are fortified with DHA.

Although many parents use cow's milk to round out their toddler's diet, cow's milk is not ideal for nourishing young children. (See Is Cow's Milk Enough? for more information.)

PROGRESS GOLD growing-up milk can be a healthier, more complete alternative to cow's milk. PROGRESS GOLD is fortified with iron, DHA, and zinc to help meet intake recommendations for these key nutrients. (See PROGRESS GOLD for more details.)

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