Do second and third-born children really talk late? The effect of birth order on language development

http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles/Do-second-and-third-born-children-really-talk-late.aspx

• First-born children reach the 50-word milestone earlier than later-born children. But later-born children catch up quickly and there are no lasting differences in vocabulary between the two siblings.

• The overall language development of second-born children was the same as their first-born siblings, but second born children were more advanced in their use of pronouns (eg. my, mine, you, your)

• While first-born children were more advanced in vocabulary and grammar, later-born children were more advanced in their conversational skills

 For example, first-born children may benefit from more one-to-one attention from their parents. However, later-born children may benefit from a greater variety of conversations, such as overheard conversations between caregivers and other siblings.