When Do Children Start Using Pronouns?
Toddlers should use simple pronouns like me, my, I, and you by 24 months old.
Pronoun practice can be as simple as replacing names with pronouns in normal conversation or using pronouns to describe pictures during story time.
If you suspect your child has a language delay, talk to their healthcare provider and see if a speech-language pathologist can help.
I, me, mine! Has your toddler started using these words yet? These are some of the very first pronouns you’ll hear them say. The toddler years are some of the most exciting for children’s language development, as they’ll begin to use new words and form phrases to communicate better with you! Learn when you can expect your child to use different pronouns and how to help them practice with simple exercises!
What age do toddlers begin using pronouns?
Using simple pronouns is a 18-24 month communication milestone! By 24 months old, your toddler should begin to use pronouns like me, my, I, and you. It’s common to hear my/mine emerge earlier, around 18 months. Keep in mind that your toddler may not learn all the different forms of pronouns or use them correctly until their early elementary school years.
How Pronoun Skills Develop in Children
Before they go to school, toddlers develop early grammar skills like using pronouns from story time, educational programs, and daily communication with you! Many toddlers will start out using personal pronouns that describe themselves and communicate their desires. For example, “I done”, “My toy”, “Give me”. By elementary school, they will begin to master more complex pronouns such as yourself, herself, and ourselves.
This is how pronoun use commonly develops as children grow:
18-24 months: I, it, my, me, mine, you
31-34 months: your, she, he, yours, we
35-40 months: they, us, hers, his, them, her
41-46 months: its, our, him, myself, yourself, ours, their, theirs
47+ months: herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Source: Adapted from Owens, R.E. (1996). Language Development: An Introduction. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
How can I teach my toddler to use pronouns?
You don’t need a complex lesson plan to practice pronouns at home! Here are a few ways to incorporate pronoun practice into your day-to-day activities and conversations with your toddler:
Start with Short Phrases
Use simple sentences to make pronouns the focus when practicing with your toddler. After all, they may only be able to repeat two-word phrases until their older toddler years! It can also help to stick to one pair of pronouns at a time: he/she, you/me, they/them, etc.
You can talk about people around you or use pictures to guide your practice. Or, get crafty and make your own flashcards with pictures of people doing simple actions like smiling, eating, or clapping. This can double as vocabulary practice!
Point to a smiling girl
You say: “She is happy. Who is happy?”
Help your toddler say: “She is.”
Point to a boy who is eating
You say: “He is eating. Who is eating?”
Help your toddler say: “He is.”
Replace Names with Pronouns
Rather than always saying “mommy”, “sister”, “grandpa”, etc. try only using pronouns to talk about yourself or others with your toddler. For example:
Instead of saying: “Let daddy/mommy help you.”
Try saying: “Let me help you.” or “I can help you.”
Instead of saying: “Sister has a hat. Can you point to sister’s hat?”
Try saying: “She has a hat. Can you point to her hat?”
Instead of saying: “Grandma and Grandpa gave you a big hug!”
Try saying: “They gave you a big hug!”
Practice During Story Time
You can choose early reader books that focus on pronouns and help your child repeat them as you read. Or, stray from the story and describe people and animals in the pictures using pronouns. For example, if the picture is of a squirrel in a tree, you can point to it and say, “Look at the squirrel. It is in the tree!” You can also ask questions using pronouns: “What is she doing in her bed? She is sleeping!”; “Where are they going? They are going to the store.”
Use Mirrors!
Mirrors are a great tool for introducing your child to pronouns like I, me, your, and my. Simply stand in front of a large mirror together and use gestures to point to your toddler and yourself as you talk about your features. Here are some examples:
Touch your nose and say, “This is my nose”. Then touch your toddler’s nose and say, “That’s your nose!”.
Point at your toddler’s reflection and say, “Who is that? That’s you!”. Point to yourself and say, “This is me!”.
Point to yourself while saying “me”. Guide your toddler’s hand to point to themselves and say “me” again. Repeat a few times and see if they can do it on their own.
Use simple adjectives with pronouns: “I have short hair”; “My hair is brown”; “Your hair is brown, too!”.
Avoid Correcting Them Outright
Your toddler will make mistakes as they learn, and that’s perfectly normal! Instead of rushing to point out their error or instructing them to say it the right way, try repeating their sentence with the correct pronoun use. If your child says, “Her has cookies”, you would say, “Yes, she has cookies!”. This will help make learning a positive experience for your child and encourage them to self-correct in a natural way.
What to Do If You Suspect a Language Delay
If your child isn’t using simple pronouns by 24 months or is having trouble using simple pronouns correctly in their early elementary school years, talk to their healthcare provider. They may refer your child to a speech-language pathologist, a type of therapist that specializes in treating communication delays.
