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As a parent it is very important to become involved in your child’s development.  Listed below are some speech and language milestones with suggested activities that facilitate speech/language communication and growth.

Developmental milestones (PRO-ED; 1999)

These milestones are behaviors that emerge over time, forming the building blocks for growth and continued learning. Some of the categories within which these behaviors are seen include:

• Cognition (thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, understanding)
• Language (expressive and receptive abilities)
• Motor coordination (gross/fine motor, jumping, hopping, throwing/catching, drawing, stacking)
• Social interaction (initiating peer contact, group play)
• Adaptive (dressing, eating, washing)

By age one

Milestones

• Recognizes name
• Says 2-3 words besides “mama” and “dada”
• Imitates familiar words
• Understands simple instructions
• Recognizes words as symbols for objects: Car – points to garage, cat – meows

Activities to encourage your child’s language

• Respond to your child’s coos, gurgles, and babbling
• Talk to your child as you care for him or her throughout the day
• Read colorful books to your child every day
• Tell nursery rhymes and sing songs
• Teach your child the names of everyday items and familiar people
• Take your child with you to new places and situations
• Play simple games with your child such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”

Between one and two

Milestones

• Understands “no”
• Uses 10 to 20 words, including names
• Combines two words such as “daddy bye-bye”
• Waves good-bye and plays pat-a-cake
• Makes the “sounds” of familiar animals
• Gives a toy when asked
• Uses words such as “more” to make wants known
• Points to his or her toes, eyes, and nose
• Brings object from another room when asked

Activities to encourage your child’s language

• Reward and encourage early efforts at saying new words
• Talk to your baby about everything you’re doing while you’re with him
• Talk simply, clearly, and slowly to your child
• Talk about new situations before you go, while you’re there, and again when you are home
• Look at your child when he or she talks to you
• Describe what your child is doing, feeling, hearing
• Let your child listen to children’s records and tapes
• Praise your child’s efforts to communicate

Between two and three

Milestones

• Identifies body parts
• Carries on ‘conversation’ with self and dolls
• Asks “what’s that?” And “where’s my?”
• Uses 2-word negative phrases such as “no want”.
• Forms some plurals by adding “s”; book, books
• Has a 450 word vocabulary
• Gives first name, holds up fingers to tell age
• Combines nouns and verbs “mommy go”
• Understands simple time concepts: “last night”, “tomorrow”
• Refers to self as “me” rather than by name
• Tries to get adult attention: “watch me”
• Likes to hear same story repeated
• May say “no” when means “yes”
• Talks to other children as well as adults
• Solves problems by talking instead of hitting or crying
• Answers “where” questions
• Names common pictures and things
• Uses short sentences like “me want more” or “me want cookie”
• Matches 3-4 colors, knows big and little

Activities to encourage your child’s language

• Repeat new words over and over
• Help your child listen and follow instructions by playing games: “pick up the ball,” “Touch Daddy’s s nose”
• Take your child on trips and talk about what you see before, during and after the trip
• Let your child tell you answers to simple questions
• Read books every day, perhaps as part of the bedtime routine
• Listen attentively as your child talks to you
• Describe what you are doing, planning, thinking
• Have the child deliver simple messages for you (Mommy needs you, Daddy )
• Carry on conversations with the child, preferably when the two of you have some quiet time together
• Ask questions to get your child to think and talk
• Show the child you understand what he or she says by answering, smiling, and nodding your head
• Expand what the; child says. If he or she says, “more juice,” you say, “Adam wants more juice.”

Between three and four

Milestones

• Can tell a story
• Has a sentence length of 4-5 words
• Has a vocabulary of nearly 1000 words
• Names at least one color
• Understands “yesterday,” “summer”, “lunchtime”, “tonight”, “little-big”
• Begins to obey requests like “put the block under the chair”
• Knows his or her last name, name of street on which he/she lives and several nursery rhymes

Activities to encourage your child’s language

• Talk about how objects are the same or different
• Help your child to tell stories using books and pictures
• Let your child play with other children
• Read longer stories to your child
• Pay attention to your child when he’s talking
• Talk about places you’ve been or will be going

Between four and five

Milestones

• Has sentence length of 4-5 words
• Uses past tense correctly
• Has a vocabulary of nearly 1500 words
• Points to colors red, blue, yellow and green
• Identifies triangles, circles and squares
• Understands “In the morning” , “next”, “noontime”
• Can speak of imaginary conditions such as “I hope”
• Asks many questions, asks “who?” And “why?”

Activities to encourage your child’s language

• Help your child sort objects and things (ex. things you eat, animals. . )
• Teach your child how to use the telephone
• Let your child help you plan activities such as what you will make for Thanksgiving dinner
• Continue talking with him about his interests
• Read longer stories to him
• Let her tell and make up stories for you
• Show your pleasure when she comes to talk with you

Between five and six

Milestones

• Has a sentence length of 5-6 words
• Has a vocabulary of around 2000 words
• Defines objects by their use (you eat with a fork) and can tell what objects are made of
• Knows spatial relations like “on top”, “behind”, “far” and “near”
• Knows her address
• Identifies a penny, nickel and dime
• Knows common opposites like “big/little”
• Understands “same” and “different”
• Counts ten objects
• Asks questions for information
• Distinguished left and right hand in herself
• Uses all types of sentences, for example “let’s go to the store after we eat”

Activities to encourage your child’s language

• Praise your child when she talks about her feelings, thoughts, hopes and fears
• Comment on what you did or how you think your child feels
• Sing songs, rhymes with your child
• Continue to read longer stories
• Talk with him as you would an adult
• Look at family photos and talk to him about your family history
• Listen to her when she talks to you