Speech and Language Milestones [downloadable]

BIRTH-6 MONTHS

• Responds to voice and sound.
• Watches speaker’s face and stops crying when spoken to.
• Discriminates between strangers and familiar people.
• Varies responses to different family members.
• Smiles when spoken to, has a social smile.
• Uses babbling for gaining attention and expressing demand.
• Establishes eye contact.

6-12 MONTHS

1-2 YEARS

• Repeats actions that made someone laugh.
• Engages in parallel play and talks to self during play.
• Pairs gestures with words to make wants known (e.g., “more” and “up”).
• Imitates adult behaviors in play.
• Refers to self by name.
• Engages in verbal turn-taking.
• Protests by vocalizing “no.”
• Engages in simple pretend play, such as talking on a telephone.
• Uses social words such as “hi” and “bye,” “thank you” and “please,” waves “bye bye.”
• Practices intonation, sometimes imitating an adult.

2-3 YEARS

• Requests permission for items or activities.
• Engages in increasingly longer dialogues and makes repairs if not understood.
• Participates in simple group activities.
• Defends own possessions.
• Carries on “conversation” with self and dolls.
• Engages in simple, make-believe activities.
• Begins to control behavior verbally rather than just physically. Helps put things away.

3-4 YEARS

• Takes turns and plays cooperatively.
• Relates personal experiences through verbalization.
• Separates from primary caregiver easily.
• Begins dramatic play, acting out whole scenes.
• Shows frustration if not understood.
• Expresses ideas and feelings, talks to self to practice conversation skills.

4-5 YEARS

• Uses words to invite others to play.
• Uses language to resolve disputes with peers.
• Has good control of the elements of conversation.
• Speaks of imaginary conditions, such as “I hope” or “I wish.”

AGE

RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE

EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE

BY 12-15 MONTHS

• Understands instructions in context and with cues (e.g., pointing).
• May point to pictures in a book when named.

• Has between 2-10 recognizable words.

BY 18 MONTHS

• Understands instructions without context clues.
• Understands simple questions, e.g., “Where’s Daddy?”
• Answers “What’s this?” in relation to familiar objects.
• Answers yes/no questions.
• Makes a choice with intentionality.

• Has around 20-60 recognizable words.
• Not always understood by unfamiliar adults.
• Beginning to use simple “What’s that?” question forms.

BY 24 MONTHS (2 YEARS)

• Begins to understand instructions with two important words (e.g., “Pass me the big spoon.”)
• Understands many words (200-600 words).
• Answers more wh- questions such as “Where….?,” “What is…doing?,” “Who is…?”
• Understands “Can you…?” questions.

• Uses at least 60 words. May have 200-300 words.
• Uses phrases with two or more words (e.g., “Where teddy bear?” or “More juice.”
• Copies lots of words.
• Between 2 and 3 years, is asking more wh- questions such as “Where…?,” “What…?,” “What…doing?” questions.

BY 36 MONTHS (3 YEARS)

• Understands instructions with three important words (e.g., “Put the spoon under the plate.”)
• Understands a range of verbs.
• Understands simple wh- questions (who, what, where).
• By 4 years, is beginning to understand “why” and “how” questions.
• By 4 years is able to answer questions related to function, quantity, and “If…what” style questions (e.g., “If it starts raining, what do you need?”

• Has around 1000 words.
• Uses phrases with three or more words.
• Uses “what,” “when,” “where,” “how,” and “whose” when asking questions.
• By four years, asks questions such as “Can y0u…?,” “Do you want to…?,” and “Are we going to…?”
• By four years, asks one- word “why?” questions.

18-24 MONTHS

25-60%

2-3 YEARS

60-75%

4-5 YEARS

75-90%

5+ YEARS

90-100%