Speech Milestones

1-2 Years
Hearing and Understanding

  • Points to a few body parts when you ask
  • Follow 1-part directions, like “Roll the Ball” or “Kiss the baby”
  • Responds to simple questions, like “Who’s that?” or “where’s your shoe?”
  • Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
  • Points to pictures in a book wh you name them

Talking

  • Uses a lot of new words
  • Uses p,b,m,h and w in words
  • Starts to name pictures in books
  • Asks questions, like “What’s that?”, “Who’s that”, and “Where’s Kitty?”
  • Puts 2 words together, like “more, apple” “no, bed” and “mommy, book”

2-3 Years
Hearing and Understanding

  • Understands opposites
  • Follows 2-part directions
  • Understands new words quickly

Talking

  • Has a word for almost everything
  • Uses k, g, f, t, d and n in words
  • Uses words like in, on, and under
  • Uses two – or three words
  • People who know your child can understand him
  • Asks “Why?”
  • Puts 3 words together

3-4 Years
Hearing and Understanding

  • Responds when you call from another room
  • Understands words for some colours
  • Understands words for some shapes
  • Understands words for family

Talking

  • Answers simple who, what, and where questions
  • Says rhyming words
  • Uses pronouns
  • Uses some plural words
  • Most people understand what your child says
  • Asks when and how questions
  • Puts 4 words together
  • Talks about what happened during the day

4-5 Years
Hearing and Understanding

  • Understands words for order, like first, next, and last
  • Understands word for time, like yesterday, today and tomorrow
  • Follows longer directions
  • Hears and understands most of that she hears at home and in school

Talking

  • Says all speech sounds in words
  • Responds to “What did you say?”
  • Talks without repeating sounds or words most of the time
  • Names letters and numbers
  • Uses sentences that have more than 1 action word
  • Tells a short story
  • Keeps a conversation going
  • Talks in different ways, depending on the listener and place

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