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.
