What is language?

Language is communicating, listening, reading, and writing. We use language to express how we are feeling, to share thoughts and ideas, and to understand.

Language includes:

• What words mean (e.g., trunk can mean the trunk of a car, the trunk on an elephant, or a tree trunk)

• How to make new words (e.g., adding -ed to express something that happened in the past)

• How to put words together to form grammatically correct sentences

• Understanding how to change/adjust our message depending on the listener and situation

How do children learn language?

Learning language takes time. Children learn language by listening and practicing what they hear. Most children learn the different aspects of language in the same order.

What should my child be able to do?

Below you will find general guidelines regarding typical language development of young children from birth to age 5. For more detailed information, information regarding later language development (6+ years), or to schedule a consultation or a speech and language evaluation contact us. Don’t wait to get help for your child if you are concerned. Getting help early can prevent later problems with behavior, learning, reading, writing, and social relationships.

Birth-3 months                                                     

• Startles to loud sounds

• Quiets or smiles when you talk

• Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying

• Smiles at people

• Makes cooing sounds

• Has different cries for different needs

4-6 Months                                                             

• Moves eyes in direction of sounds

• Notices toys that make sounds

• Pays attention to music

• Responds to changes in tone of your voice 

• Coos and babbles when playing alone or with you

• Makes speech-like babbling sounds like pa, ba, and mi

• Giggles and laughs

• Makes sounds when happy or upset

7 Months-1 year                                            

• Turns and looks in the direction of sounds

• Looks when you point

• Recognizes words for familiar objects and people

• Begins to respond to simple words and phrases

• Plays games with you like peek-a-boo

• Listens to songs and stories for a short time

• Babbles longer strings of sounds like babababa

• Uses sounds and gestures to get and keep attention

• Points to objects and shows them to others

• Uses gestures like waving or reaching to be picked up

• Imitates different speech sounds

• Uses 1 or 2 words around first birthday

1-2 Years                                                           

• Points to a few body parts when you ask                              

• Follows 1-part directions, like “Roll the ball”                      

• Understands simple questions like “Who is that?”             

• Listens to stories and songs for a longer time                   

• Points to pictures in books when you name them

• Uses a lot of new words (in this year vocabulary grows to 200-300 words)

• Starts to name pictures in books

• Asks what, who, and where questions

• Puts 2 words together like “More Apple” 

2-3 Years                                                             

• Understands opposite words like big-little

• Follows 2-part directions

• Understands new words quickly

• Has a word for familiar people, places, things, and actions

• Talks about things that are not in the room

• Talks during pretend play

• Uses words like in, on, and under

• Asks why?

• Puts 3 words together

3-4 years                                                                       

• Responds when you call from another room                          

• Understands words for some colors

• Understands words for some shapes

• Understands words for family like brother, grandma, and aunt         

• Answers simple who, what, and where questions

• Says rhyming words like hat-cat

• Uses pronouns like I, you, me, we, and they

• Uses some plural words like toys

• Asks when and how questions

• Uses 4-word sentences/phrases (grammatical errors are okay)

• Talks about what happened during the day      

4-5 years                                                     

• Understands words for order like first, next, last              

• Understands words for time like yesterday, today, tomorrow                  

• Follows 3-part directions

• Follows classroom directions

• Understands most of what is said at home and school

• Responds to “What did you say?”

• Names letters and numbers

• Uses sentences that have more than 1 action word

• Uses sentences with 5+ words (some grammatical errors are okay)

• Tells a short story

• Keeps a conversation going

• Talks in different ways depending on listener and place

*Content adapted from The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association*