Hello, Hola! 👋🏼

Welcome to the "tell me more" blog post about the developmental categories you saw in the “# of words quiz - bilingual edition”.

First let me quickly introduce myself. My name is Claudia Serrano Johnson. I am a Colombian-born, Latina with a Masters in Speech- Language Pathology specializing in Bilingualism.

I’m also a mom of three bilingual kiddos!

If you want to read up more, head over to the "About me" section of my website.

Before we dive into the early milestone categories,

I want to chat about…

The Purpose Of Milestones:

My hope is not to harbor an environment of comparison that causes panic, fear, or guilt.

My hope with this resource is for *you* to tune into the child's development, so you can figure out if you need to step into your advocacy roll as a caregiver, that way the child can have the resources they need to be able to communicate their wants, needs, dreams, joys, thoughts.

Super Important!

Particularly for bilingual or multilingual children — You need to make sure that you are counting their words correctly. I cannot stress this enough. Parents and professionals often miscount the # of words a bilingual child may have. This can lead make a child appear to have a delay when they truly don’t! Especially in bilingual children.

You might be saying: “I honestly don’t know how to count a bilingual child’s words.” That's okay! Most people don't! That’s why I’ve created this webinar to explain exactly how to count early words in bilingual kids.

Another Important point!

Please know that we don't just look at # of words in early development, we also look at pre-language skills. it's mentioned in the quiz for the early months (12-14). So if you saw that, you may be thinking, “The questionnaire mentioned ‘pre-linguistic skills’. What are those?”

Again, I want to help you feel as equipped as possible. If your child is not yet saying words, I strongly recommend this module.

Okay here it is! Finally...

The 5 group categories that I came up as I was reading and analyzing the original sources on early milestones.

“Rocking & Talking”

This group of kiddos is "rocking" meaning easily accomplishing each milestone and "talk, talk, talking." They are what you generally think of as the "chatty, verbose" kiddos. So they land on the 50th or more percentile. They sit in the middle or ahead of half the peers their same age. And if your child isn't in this category, these kids are the ones you will be tempted to compared them to. Clearly language is a strength of theirs.

“Striving & Thriving”

This group of kiddos is "striving" (aiming) toward each milestone and "thriving" (growing) while at it. What the general public thinks of as the "stereotypical" communicator for that age. They are in the 25th-35th percentile. My professional recommendation for this group is to continue providing natural/organic language input.

“Cruising & Musing”

This group of kiddos is "cruising" (slowly/methodically moving toward the goal) across each milestone and "musing" (contemplating/taking it all in) while at it. What you generally think of as the child who isn't super chatty but isn't significantly behind. 15th percentile. 85% of kids have the same or more words than the child and 15% of their same age peers have the same or less.

My professional recommendation for this group is: implement language development strategies & monitor. Now some parents may benefit from working 1:1 with an SLP, others can implement the strategies at home on their own.

“Placing & Pacing”

This group of kiddos is "placing" themselves right at the milestone and "pacing" (slowly but surely) working themselves through them. What you generally think of as "the milestone." 10th percentile. If a kiddo is in the 10th percentile, 90% of their same-age peers have the same of more words. and 10% of kids their age have the same or less words. This is generally what pediatricians and associations like the CDC use and label as the "milestone."

This should be the very minimum or "cut off point" and anything below it should be a referral to see a specialist. Not to cause panic but to a) see what may be going on, could be something as simple as fluid in the ears and b) give you tools!

So if your child is here, my professional recommendation to ensure they catch up to their peers, is to absolutely implement language development strategies & *closely* monitor their progress.

Now, some parents have the knowledge and resources to do that at home. Some don't. If the parent doesn't have the knowledge and resources, it may be beneficial to provide language development strategies and/or link up with an SLP.

“Drifting & Gifting”

This group of kiddos is "drifting" (moving away) from the milestones and would benefit from the "gifting" of specialized insight and support. What you generally think of as "Late talkers/delayed." Less than 10th percentile.

My professional recommendation is to consult with a speech and language specialist for further insight and support. Again, this is not to cause panic but to root for you, to empower you, to equip you, to give you tools!

Disclaimers!

1) First, let's talk about different types of language processors.

There are kiddos who develop language via the analytic language route and the milestones we just talked about apply to them.

However, there are kiddos that develop language via the gestalt language route, and the “single word count early milestones” that we just talked about, do not describe their language development patterns and rhythms. If you suspect your kiddo is a Gestalt Language Processor (GLP), I recommend you seek out resources and support regarding the different language development phases GLPs go through.

2) The second disclaimer about the norms we just talked about is that they are developed with neurotypical children in mind.

What is neurotypical? It’s what science and societies have defined as “typical development."

But the beautiful reality is that diverse minds and brains exist...and not every child will follow those "neurotypical milestones" at the same rate or in the same pattern.

This is why if your kiddo isn't meeting the early language milestones, it's not necessarily a reason to panic but to get curious about their development. In that process it would be helpful to consult with a speech and language pathologist and others developmental professionals who may be able to support you and your child in the best way possible.

Lingering questions!?

I did 3 months of reading and analyzing early language milestones. I am more than happy to explain to you the whole process via this webinar!

If you want to learn the core concepts of bilingualism, I recommend this webinar!

Bilingual children with true delays CAN continue to be bilingual. However, there are several factors we need to consider to ensure their success in both languages. Check out this webinar if the topic is relevant to you.

A couple more lingering questions: “My child on track! What does development look like after they turn 2-years-old?" Check this bilingual toddler webinar!

This is my # 1 recommendation for bilingual language development for busy parents - verbal routines! Check this amazing webinar out on exactly how to get into the habit of using the heritage language!

Finally, you may be thinking:“I just really want to speak with you about a specific situation, is there a way to have a consultation with you?” I sure do! Be sure to book me on my website!

I hope you find this resource helpful as you support a multilingual language learner!

Con mucho apoyo | I have your back,

Claudia Serrano Johnson, M.S., CCC-SLP

Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist & Founder of Laleo Bilingual Therapy

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Sources:

1) Elias, Paulina & Blackwell, Amanda [@natural.communication]. (2022, October 22). [Two ways of developing language]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/CwkaJTbu6Uk/?hl=en

(2) Dwyer, P. (2022). The neurodiversity approach (es): What are they and what do they mean for researchers?. Human Development, 66(2), 73-92. Chicago

(3) MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories: User's Guide and Technical Manual, Third Edition. Virginia A. Marchman

(4) Heilmann, J., Weismer, S. E., Evans, J., & Hollar, C. (2005). Utility of the MacArthur—Bates Communicative Development Inventory in identifying language abilities of late-talking and typically developing toddlers.

What’s up with the silent period???

This topic comes up frequently in the world of bilingualism and every time it does, there are varying thoughts and opinions.

In 2022 I decided to do the deepest dive I could on the topic. I wanted to go to the original literature and understand the truth about the silent period.

Luckly I found someone who had already done that work! Theresa A. Roberts in 2014 took the “best quality”, top 12, research studies about the silent period. Then she wrote a narrative review (aka. a massive document/paper) where she explains each of the study, its finding, and limitations.

I read the narrative review so you don’t have to!

These are the 6 common misconceptions/misunderstandings and truths about the silent period:

Phew! Basically what I think has happened over time is similar to the game of “telephone” but with this topic. Parents and professionals have “heard” this or that about the silent period and have passed it along without verifying the credibility. I hope that helps clear up some common misunderstandings about the topic and helps you feel equipped moving forward with any concerns.

When I dove into the topic, I didn’t want to just give you the facts. I wanted to take it one step further and help parents and professionals sort through the application of this topic. I recruited the expertise of a multidisciplinary team consisting of linguists specializing in childhood bilingualism (@bilinguitos, @bilikids_de), a bilingual speech-language pathologist (@laleo.bilingual.therapy), and a bilingual school psychologist (@rachellcares).

In this PDF booklet, the 4 of use our individual expertise to discuss what could potentially be impacting a child’s communication if the “silent period” isn’t really a thing.

The comprehensive 10 page booklet consists of:

pg. 1 - Cover & Credentials

pg. 2 - Definition of Silent Period

pg. 3 - What is Normal Second Language Acquisition?

pg. 4 - How can Language Attitudes impact a child’s refusal to speak a language?

pg. 5 - Could the child be a Later Talker?

pg. 6 - When to consider Selective Mutism

pg. 7 - Which one is it? Guiding Questions and Tips to help determine the root of the communication difficulties - Chart

pg. 8 - Printable “Common Misconceptions” - Chart

pg. 9 - Sources/Literature

pg. 10 - Terms of Use

“Languages of Our Home” by Marianna Khoury Boyer, illustrated by Andreas Stavropoulos.

This is a 14 page board book written in English about a child’s home/family and life being a bilingual person.

For context, I am very particular with resources I purchase for myself or my practice, and thus resources I recommend. With that said, I really loved this book!

What I like as a bilingual language specialist and mom:

1. The illustrations are gorgeous.

2. The readability fits the toddler through early elementary school age-range well. It takes on the voice of a child well, which makes it feel much more personal relatable to that age group (I.e. “This is my family, I love them a ton. Our home is filled with warmth and fun”).

3. It rhymes which is beneficial for early literacy skills (phonological awareness).

4. It has a blank space to fill in an example in your target language, which can vary from child to child.

5. It introduces the child to age-appropriate metabilingual awareness*: the ability to actively think about and talk about the simulators and differences between two or more languages (I.e., “Mama sayin ____, and Dad saying “Hello.” The words sound different, but they mean the same. Whoa!”).

6. It helps the child name which languages they/their family speaks and become more aware of how they’re used (more metabilingual awareness).

7. Introduces the child to the benefits of bilingualism: child has many ways to communicate their feelings, languages open up doors/opportunities, languages help us understand people better and better.

8. Introduces the child to the idea that they have autonomy over when, where, and with whom they get to use each language (I.e., “I can choose which language to speak and share, with my family, at the park, or at daycare.”

9. Introduces the child that there are many different languages spoken and some families speak some and others speak different ones (I.e., “Arabic, Mandarin, Swahili, and Greek, which languages does your family speak?”

Feedback:

1. The family is made up of “Mama”, “Dad” and “child.” “Mama” speaks Language A and “Dad” speaks Language B. So the family appears to follow the “One-parent, One-Language” method.

HOWEVER, the book includes a lot of secondary characters in the pictures such as grandparents and other adults who could be aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. This allows some flexibility when reading the book to talk modify it to fit other “family language dynamics” in your “home”/family at large.

For example, if you’re are a “Minority Language At Home (MLAH)” family, you could read it this way “Mama and Dad say _____. Grandma and Grandpa say ________.”

If you’re a “Mixed Languages At Home” family, you could read it this way “Sometimes we say _______. And other times we say _______.”

2. The main characters are white/white-presenting. Though the book does represent some Black and Brown characters in the periphery, I wish it had some more racial and ethnic diversity. If your family is racially diverse, you may not feel identified with the primary illustrations.

*Edit: I spoke with the author and this book was written based on their bilingual and bicultural family. It is impossible to fully capture the racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity within our communities. We are not monolith. I love that the book was written to represent their family. If it doesn’t fully represent yours or a child’s, it still continues to be a great resource as mentioned in my 9 points above.

After reading it to my 5-year-old bilingual daughter, I asked her “What did you like about the book?” and she said “That she’s ‘spy’linguial like me (‘spylingual’ was her way of saying ‘bilingual’ in a silly way). She also really like the main character’s pingüino” (penguin stuffed animal) and laughed hysterically at the fact that it was also given a cup of hot cocoa.

In summary, this is an incredible age-appropriate resource for parents and professionals to foster valuable metacognitive and socio-emotional skills and facilitate discussions around bilingualism! I highly recommend it.

Disclosure: This book is published by a small business owner and author. It was generously gifted to me by the author with no expectation to review it. I am choosing to review it as I believe it would benefit my community. I do not earn commission from this review or your purchase.

Purchase Here

*Metabilingual awereness is a term under the umbrella of metalinguisitc awareness. It was coined by Dr. Sonia W. Soltero, Professor of Bilingual-Bicultural Education.

I frequently have parents write to me saying something along these lines: “My bilingual child has X amount of words. Should I be concerned?”

I always answer with these 3 steps:

1. Make sure you’re counting the words correctly. I often see parents and professionals under-count a toddler’s vocabulary, often leading to an unnecessary concern.

   • Does this count as a word? and this What word types count?

   • Bilingual First Words Tracker - Age by age can help you monitor and keep track of a bi/multilingual child’s words stage by stage starting at 12 month and ending at 24.

   • Bilingual First Words Tracker - General can help you tally up a bil/multilingual child’s words at a specific point in time, regardless of age or stage.

2. Count every word in each language. If a child has the same word in each language, it counts as separate words. This is called “total vocabulary.”

   • This research study compared the vocabulary size of monolingual children with bilingual children. They compared two groups. Group 1: Monolingual Total Vocabulary (all words) compared to Bilingual Conceptual Vocabulary (all words but overlapping ones only counted as one). Group 2: Monolingual Total Vocabulary (all words) compared to Bilingual Total Vocabulary (all words). They found that when you didn’t count every word, typically developing bilingual children looked behind than their monolingual peers (aka. had LESS words). But when they gave credit for ALL the words, typically developing bilingual children met milestones at about the same rate as their monolingual peers.

3. Understand expected language milestones.

   • Bilingual children develop early language milestones at about the same rate as monolingual children (1). So a typically developing bilingual child should not be behind their monolingual peers when counting ALL their words.

   • When looking at developmental milestones, make sure you understand whether the recommendations/guidelines are talking about the average (number of words 50% of children that age should be saying) or the milestone (number of words 75% or 90% of children that specific age should be saying). These are the guidelines I like to see considering my professional experience and interpretation of the data.

   • Remember that language development happens in a range. Some kids develop it earlier than most of their peers, some along with most of their peers, and some slightly after most of their peers. If the bilingual child is *significantly* behind most of their peers, please consult with a speech-language pathologist knowledgeable in bilingual language development.

This is tricky! If this blog post and resources didn’t throughly answer your question, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at speak@laleotherapy.

(1) Kohnert, K., Ebert, K. D., & Pham, G. T. (2020). Language disorders in bilingual children and adults. Plural Publishing.

There are lots of layers to your question, so let’s get started.

1)      Bilingualism doesn’t cause language delays. So on one hand, bilingualism is not a reason to have developmental concerns. On the other hand, if a bilingual child is showing true language delays, seeking support should not be deferred.

2)      When counting words, make sure you’re counting them correctly. See here and here to figure that out!

3)      When looking at how many words a child should have, make sure you understand the difference between “milestone” and “average.” See here to learn more.

4)      Remember that “amount of words” isn’t the only factor we look at to determine age-appropriate language development. We also look at how much the child understands, as well as other foundational skills for language development called “pre-linguistic skills.”

After taking those points into consideration, if you continue to have concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a speech-language specialist in your area. Ideally, they are well-versed in “bilingual speech-language development.”

Hola!

There are many different ways to raise a multilingual child. The first step, in my opinion, is to look at the different Family Language Plan options:

If you would like to dive deeper into this topic, check out this helpful set of podcast episodes, by Kaila Diaz a fellow linguist and friend. She dedicates an episode to each Family Language Plan option.

Podcast Episodes