During a well-child visit, which speech development characteristic is expected in a 3-year-old preschooler?

By age three, children typically demonstrate a significant advancement in their speech development. At this age, it is expected that a preschooler will primarily use two-word phrases. This is indicative of their growing vocabulary and the ability to combine words to express simple ideas or desires, such as "want juice" or "big truck." This stage marks a critical transition from single words, which they would commonly use at around 18 months to two years, to more complex speech patterns.

The use of two-word phrases reflects the preschooler's cognitive and linguistic development, as they begin to form more complex thoughts and communicate them effectively. It is also an important milestone as they start to engage in more conversations and express their feelings, needs, and thoughts.

In contrast, full sentences with complex structure are more typical of children aged four and older. Similarly, relying primarily on single words or gestures without using phrases would indicate a delay in speech development for a three-year-old. Thus, the expectation for a 3-year-old is to be able to use their developing language skills to communicate effectively through two-word combinations, signaling their progression toward more advanced speech development.