Development Stages
Does your child meet these developmental milestones?
BIRTH THROUGH THREE MONTHS
Startles to loud noises
Makes a lot of different sounds
Smiles, coos, and blows bubbles
Increases and decreases sucking behavior in response to sound
FOUR TO SIX MONTHS
Moves eyes in direction of sound
Notices toys that make sounds
Pays attention to music
Begins to use a combination of sounds (Ex: ba-ma, pa-wa)
Likes to say one syllable over and over again (Ex: da, da, da, da)
Babbles
SEVEN MONTHS TO ONE YEAR
Turns to look when he/she hears a sound
Enjoys games like pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo
Waves bye-bye at appropriate times
Begins to respond to familiar directions like "Come here" and "No, no"
Understands familiar words like up, bye-bye and shoe
Says one or two words that may or may not be clear (Mama, bye-bye)
Recognizes own name
Laughs a lot
TWELVE MONTHS TO EIGHTEEN MONTHS
Points to pictures in books
Points to body parts
Recognizes the names of most common objects
Understands some questions like "Where's your shoe?"
Names familiar objects (book, cup, ball, water, etc)
Imitates words
Enjoys imitating the sounds of animals and vehicles
(choo choo, moo, baa, meow, etc.)
Shows affection by patting, hugging and kissing
EIGHTEEN MONTHS TO TWO YEARS
Combines words (Ex: Daddy go bye-bye, More cookie, Mommy book)
Gestures when talking
Continues to say more words every month and every week
Tries to use words to describe his/her physical needs
Begins to use pronouns like mine, me, and you
Enjoys listening to simple stories, especially ones he/she has heard before
Follows single directions like "Put the ball on the chair" or "Turn around"
TWO YEARS TO THREE YEARS
Uses three words in an average sentence
Can be understood by most familiar people
Begins to understand number concepts (one, many, etc.)
Understands the difference in opposite words (big/little, up/down, on/off, etc.)
Follows two step directions (Put on your coat and get your mittens) Uses negatives in phrases such as "no want" and "not go"
Begins to form plurals by adding "s" to the end of words
Many children have approximately 300 words in their expressive vocabulary at this age
By the age of three, children should have learned how to articulate the following sounds: p, b, m, h, n, w
Some children will develop articulation skills at a faster rate than this
THREE YEARS TO FOUR YEARS
Answers questions
Asks lots of questions
Talks about things that he/she imagines
Talks a lot; uses sentences that are four words or more in length
Can tell a story to someone
People outside of the family can understand the child's speech
Talks about things that have happened during the day
Understands some time words like yesterday, lunchtime and tonight
Begins to understand prepositions, and demonstrates the understanding by following directions like "Put yourshoes under the bed"
Can tell you when he or she is tired, hungry or not feeling well
Has learned how to articulate k, g, t, d, ng, f and y by the age of four
FOUR YEARS TO FIVE YEARS
Speaks easily to other children and adults
Speaks with the same grammar that the rest of the family uses
Tells stories with lots of detail
Asks meaningful questions to gain knowledge, to get permission, and to clarify
Understands same and different
Uses future, present, and past tenses
Uses some complex sentences "I can go outside after I get dressed"
Uses contractions such as I'm and it's
During a child's 5th year he/she should learn how to articulate "L", "sh" and "ch" if not already developed
Some children do not learn how to articulate /r/, /s/, and /th/ until the age of seven.
If your five year old child says, "Will you 'wead' me a book?", it is normal
and you should not be concerned;
however, if your four or five year old child's speech
cannot be understood by people outside of the family,
consult with a Speech and Language Pathologist.