All children are unique and develop at their rate. Below is a chart representing the age most children typically master skills. All items in a category may not be mastered until the oldest age in a category. If your child has not mastered the majority of the skills in an age range, contact us.
| Age |
Receptive Language |
Expressive Language |
| Birth to 3months |
- Startles to loud sounds.
- Recognizes familiar voices and quiets if crying
- Attends and smiles at familiar voices.
|
- Differentiated crying for different needs.
- Smiles and makes cooing sounds when happy.
|
| 4 to 6months |
- Responds to changes in tone of voice.
- Attends to music.
- Localizes to sounds.
|
- Babbles using different sounds (p, b,m).
- Makes different sounds for excitement or when unhappy.
|
| 7months to 1yr |
- Understands words for everyday common items. (ex. juice, cup, shoe, etc.)
- Begins to understand simple directions ("Sit down", "Come here")
- Enjoys playing games like peek–a–boo or patty-cake.
|
- Imitates different speech sounds.
- Uses 1 or 2 words (mama, dada, bye-bye).
- Uses speech or speech-like sounds to get attention.
|
| 1 to 2 years |
- Enjoys simple stories, songs, or rhymes.
- Points to pictures in books.
- Points to some body parts when named.
|
- Uses 1-2 word sentences and questions. ex “ More cookie”, “where dada?”, “No, eat” “What’s that”.
|
| 2 to 3 years |
- Follows 2 step directions- "Get your shoe and put it on."
- Understands simple opposites - up/down, go/stop, big/little.
|
- Has many words for things in the environment.
- Speech is understood 75% of the time.
- Uses 2-3 words sentences.
|
| 3 to 4 years |
- Understands simple “wh” questions “who, what, where, etc.
- Hears when you call from a different room.
|
- Uses at least 4-word sentences.
- Can be understood by others outside the family.
|
| 4 to 5 years |
- Can listen to a short story and answer questions about the story.
- Understands and hears most of what is said in the environment by peers and adults.
|
- Communicates easily with peers and adults.
- Stays on topic when sharing stories.
|
