Speech & Language Developmental Milestones

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7-12 Months

• Respond to their name

• Imitate different speech sounds

• Understand a few names of people and objects

• Use gestures such as pointing, shaking head for "no", and waving "bye-bye"

• Use one or two words even though they may not be clear 1-2 years

1-2 Years

• Directly turn to a nearby sound

• Use different consonant sounds at the beginning of words

• Follow simple directions (“go get your coat”), and point to pictures in a book

• Understand simple questions and words without your help (pointing to the object)

• Say more words each month, use “no” or “not”, and ask questions

2-3 Years

• Put two words together (“look doggie”, “juice mummy”) 2-3 years

• Understand simple concepts (stop-go, up-down, big-little)

• Follow simple stories in books

• Understand two-step requests (“pick up the book and give it to daddy”)

• Have a word for almost everything and use sentences sometimes with as many as five words

• Take a number of turns in conversation

3-4 Years

• Hear you when you call from another room

• Seem to hear sounds at the same loudness levels as other family members (television, music, etc.)

• Usually use sentences that have four or more words and understand questions like “what if...” and “how”

• Talk about their daily activities

• Follow longer stories

• Say most sounds correctly

4-5 Years

• Hear and understand most of what is said in their preschool, school and home environments.

• Understand the rules of conversation (listening and taking turns).

• Tell a story and stick to the topic.

• Communicate easily with other children and adults.

• Follow longer stories

• Say most sounds correctly