Florida DCF Early Literacy Exam 2025 for Children Birth to Three – Complete Practice Test

The term that accurately describes the communication milestone experienced by children from 18 to 24 months is "language explosion." During this period, toddlers typically experience a rapid increase in vocabulary and begin to use words in more meaningful ways. This milestone indicates that they are not only learning new words but also are starting to combine them into simple phrases.

The language explosion is a critical phase in early childhood development because it reflects cognitive growth and an emerging understanding of language structure. Parents and caregivers often notice that at this age, children go from saying a few words to using dozens, sometimes even hundreds, in just a short span of time. This significant leap in language skills is foundational for further communication and literacy development.

The other terms, while related to aspects of language development, do not specifically encapsulate the rapid vocabulary growth that defines this particular age range. For example, language acquisition refers broadly to the overall process of learning language, which occurs over a longer timeline, while speech development focuses more on the physical aspects of producing sounds and words. Vocabulary growth, though relevant, does not fully capture the sudden and extensive increase in word usage that characterizes the language explosion.