Speech & Language Milestones
ONE YEAR OLD
Understanding:
responds to their name
responds to changes in tone
enjoys games like peek-a-boo
recognizes greetings and gestures such as ‘hi’
makes eye contact
Talking:
babbles b, m, p sounds
copies different sounds and noises
uses one or two words like ‘hi’ or ‘mama’
uses gestures to get attention
Signs of a Delay:
doesn’t make eye contact or smile
doesn’t wave or use gestures
doesn’t babble sounds
TWO YEARS OLD
Understanding:
points to body parts and pictures when named
listens to short stories and songs with interest
responds to simple WH questions such as “Where are your shoes?”
Talking:
puts two words together such as “bye daddy”
increases vocabulary every month
correctly uses a variety of consonant sounds
speech is understood 50% of the time
Signs of a Delay:
doesn’t follow basic directions
says less than 50 words
only uses one word or gestures to communicate
Sound development for a 2 year old:
THREE YEARS OLD
Understanding:
understands the concepts of ‘same’ and ‘different’
follows two step directions (“Pick up your truck and put it on the table”)
sorts items into groups when asked
Talking:
uses three words together
is understood regularly by family members
asks “why” questions
correctly uses d, t, k, g, f and n sounds when speaking
is understood by people other than family at least 75% of the time
Signs of a Delay:
doesn’t show interest in books or coloring
doesn’t combine at least three words in speech
is difficult to understand
has trouble playing or communicating with peers
Sound development for a 3 year old:
FOUR YEARS OLD
Understanding:
knows most colors and shapes
answers questions about their day
understands words for family, like brother and sister
Talking:
describes recent events using multiple sentences
uses pronouns (me, you, he, she) and plurals
uses words such as ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘because’ to make sentences longer
is understood by all communication partners
Signs of a Delay:
has difficulty with b, p, m, d, t, k, g, or n sounds
leaves off the ends of words
only puts 3-4 words together in a sentence
has difficulty answering questions or following directions
Sound development for a 4 year old:
FIVE YEARS OLD
Understanding:
follows three part directions
follows classroom directions well
understands words for order such as first, then, next, and last
starts thinking about the meaning of words when learning
Talking:
uses most speech sounds correctly but still has difficulty with th, r, and l
uses well formed sentences and is understood by most people
takes turns in conversation and keeps the conversation going
Signs of a Delay:
has difficulty with s, z, sh or ch sounds
doesn’t produce complete sentences
doesn’t answer questions logically
is difficult to understand when speaking
doesn’t identify colors or shapes
Sound development for a 5 year old:
