Language Development -Milestones
Speech & Language Milestone Chart
By 1 year old
Milestones
- Recognises their own name
- Says 2-3 words, "mama" and "dada"
- Tries to repeat sounds you make
- Understands some words
How you can help them
- Respond and reply to their coos, gurgles, and babbling
- Talk to them as you care for them throughout the day. Tell them what you're doing as you do it.
- Read them colourful books
- Sing them songs and nursery rhymes
- Tell them the names of everyday items and familiar people
- Take them with you to new places and situations
- Play simple games such as "peekaboo" and "pat-a-cake"
From 1 - 2 years old
Milestones
- Understands "no"
- Uses 10 - 20 words (including names)
- Combines two words, e.g. "more juice", "mommy kiss"
- Waves goodbye and plays pat-a-cake
- Makes the noises of familiar animals
- Understands simple commands and questions; "roll the ball", "where's teddy?"
- Uses words such as "more", "up" to make wants known
- Points to toes, eyes, and nose
- Brings object from another room when asked
How you can help them
- Reward and encourage early efforts at saying new words
- Talk to them about everything you're doing while you're with them
- Talk simply, clearly, and slowly to your child
- Talk about new situations before you go, while you're there, and again when you are home
- Look at them when they talk to you
- Describe what they are doing, feeling, seeing and hearing at the time
- Let them listen to children's records and tapes
- Praise their efforts to communicate
From 2 - 3 years old
Milestones
- Asks questions: "what's that ... ?", "where's my ... ?".
- Uses 2-word negative phrases such as "no want".
- Forms some plurals by adding "s"; book - books
- Has a vocabulary of about 450 words
- Combines nouns and verbs: "mummy go"
- Understands simple time concepts: "last night", "tomorrow"
- Refers to self as "me" rather than by name
- Tries to get adult attention: "watch me"
- Answers "where" questions
- Names common pictures and things
- Uses short sentences like "me want more" or "me want cookie"
- Matches 3-4 colours, understands "big" and "little"
How you can help them
- Repeat new words over and over
- Teach them to listen and follow instructions with simple games: "pick up the ball", "touch Daddy's nose"
- Take them on trips and talk about what you both see before, during and after the trip
- Let them tell you answers to simple questions
- Read books every day, perhaps as part of a bedtime routine
- Listen attentively as they talk to you
- Describe what you are doing, planning, thinking
- Let them deliver simple messages for you (Mummy wants you, Daddy )
- Have conversations with them, preferably when the two of you have some quiet time together
- Ask questions that get them to think and talk
- Show them you understand what they're saying by answering, smiling, and nodding your head
- Expand on what they say. If they say "more juice", you say "Adam wants more juice".
From 3 - 4 years old
Milestones
- Can tell a story
- Sentences are 4-5 words long
- Vocabulary of nearly 1000 words
- Names at least one colour
- Understands "yesterday", "summer", "lunchtime", "tonight"
- Begins to obey requests like "put the block under the chair"
- Knows their last name, name of street they live on and several nursery rhymes
How you can help them
- Talk about how objects are the same or different
- Help them tell stories using books and pictures
- Let them play with other children
- Read longer stories to them
- Pay attention to them when they're talking
- Talk about places you have been or will be going to
From 4 - 5 years old
Milestones
- Uses past tense correctly
- Vocabulary of nearly 1500 words
- Points to colours: red, blue, yellow and green
- Points to shapes: triangles, circles and squares
- Understands "in the morning", "next", "noontime"
- Can speak of imaginary conditions such as "I hope"
- Asks many questions, "who", "why".
How you can help them
- Help them sort objects into different classes (e.g. things we eat, animals, red things...)
- Teach them how to use the telephone
- Let them help you plan activities such as what you will make for special occasions
- Continue talking with them about their interests
- Read longer stories to them
- Let them tell and make up stories for you
- Show your pleasure when they come to talk with you