Exploring the Journey of Language Development in Children: Milestones & Progression

Tuesday, October 31st, 2023

Speech and language development in children is an incredible journey that starts from the moment they are born. From their first cries to their first words and beyond, every stage of speech and language development is a fascinating progression. Let's take a closer look at this journey:

Birth to 3 Months

• Uses different cries for various needs
• Starts to smile when they see familiar people
• Responds to calming tones from both familiar and unfamiliar people
• Startles when a loud sound is made
• Makes cooing sounds 

4 to 6 Months

• Looks toward sound with their eyes
• Enjoys music
• Uses “vocal play” and babbling
• Babbles using "p," "b," "w," and "m" sounds.
• Aware of toys that make sound
• Smiles and responds to change in tone of your voice
• Starts to use their voice when happy and upset
• Giggles and laughs

7 to 12 Months

• Babbles using more consonants and long/short vowels
• Plays games like peek-a-boo
• Looks when you point to something
• Recognizes common objects
• Responds to their name
• Uses gestures such as shaking their head, reaching, raising arms, waving
• Produces 1-2 words by 12 months

1 to 2 Years

• Vocabulary expands and uses new words
• Puts 2 words together by age 2
• Points to pictures in a book when named
• Identifies a few body parts when asked
• Uses gestures like high fives, head nods, claps 
• Follows simple commands
• Understands simple questions such as “Where’s the dog?” What is it?”
• Enjoys listening to simple stories, songs, and rhymes

2 to 3 Years

• Has a word for almost everything
• Produces about 200-300+ words
• Combines two to three-word combinations (“Go Mommy.” “I eat cookie.”)
• Understands two-step directions (“Get your shoes and put them on your feet.”)
• Understands concepts such as hot/cold and stop/go
• Masters the following sounds “h, p, n, d, b, w, m, t, f, y, ng, k, g”
• Asks "why" questions
• Uses location words such as in, on, and under
• Talks about things not in the room

3 to 4 Years

• Sentences become longer and more complex
• Combines four or more words 
• Answers who, what, where questions
• Uses approximately 1000+ words
• Uses question words (“what, where, who, why”)
• Uses pronouns (i.e. he, she, they)
• Understands color and size words
• Uses some plural words (i.e. cookies)
• Asks “when” and “how” questions
• Masters the following sounds “l, j, ch, s, sh, z, v” 

4 to 5 Years

• Produces long and detailed sentences
• Produces all speech sounds in words and conversation
• Follows multistep directions
• Engages in conversation
• Understands sequential words (i.e. first, next, last)
• Follows classroom directions
• Understands most of what they hear at school or home
• Names letters and numbers
• Tells a short story

This developmental journey is an exciting and crucial part of a child's growth. Parents play a vital role in nurturing their child's language development. It's essential to monitor your child's progress and seek professional guidance from a speech and language therapist when necessary. Each child is unique, and this journey is a testament to their individual growth and development. Celebrate their speech and language milestones and support them in becoming confident communicators! 

Are you concerned about your child’s speech and language milestones? Don’t worry! Contact us for a free phone consultation today! 

References

Bowen, C. (1998). Ages and Stages Summary: Language Development 0-5 years. Retrieved from http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/ on October 19th, 2023.

ASHA. (2023) (How Does Your Child Hear and Talk: Birth to 5 years Retrieved from www.asha.org on October 19th, 2023.