You asked

My child seems to have a narrower vocabulary than other kids of her age. Should I worry?

It’s very hard to tell exactly how many words your preschooler understands. She may know, and understand, more words than she uses, and while it’s true that a three year old can have a vocabulary in the region of 500 words, you may not hear her use nearly that many regularly or at all.

What’s more important at this age is to listen to how she uses the words that she does use. If she’s using them in sentences, and pronouncing them correctly, then there shouldn’t be a problem. If you’re still concerned, then there are a few non verbal clues that your child could have a vocabulary problem.

If your child favours sound effects or noises rather than words, or if your child responds to anger, frustration or sadness by acting out instead of talking, then there may be a problem. This could be hitting, crying or any other form of non verbal reaction. You may also find that your three year old makes up names for objects, or words, instead of using the correct ones.

If you do notice these things, and you haven’t had your child’s hearing tested yet, then it’s important to have your child tested as soon as possible. Once a hearing problem has been ruled out, there are other things you can try to expand your child’s vocabulary.

Try to speak slowly and clearly to your child. Talk about anything and everything you can think of. From what she wants to have for breakfast, to the birds you see at the beach, to things that happen at school. The best way to develop language skills is to use them! Read stories together, and make sure that you engage your child too.
If none of these seem to help, then you may need to speak to your doctor, for a referral to a speech therapist.

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