Developmental Milestones Related to Speech-Language Pathology

  • Birth-3 Months: 

    • Makes cooing sounds
    • Cries change for different needs
    • Startles at loud sounds
    • Quiets or smiles when someone talks

  • 4 to 6 Months: 

    • Moves eyes in direction of sounds
    • Responds to changes in tone of voice
    • Notices that toys make sounds
    • Pays attention to music
    • Coos or babbles when playing
    • Giggles or laughs
    • Makes sounds when happy or upset

  • 7 months – 1 year: 

    • Looks when someone points
    • Turns when their name is called
    • Understands words for common items and people
    • Starts to respond to simple words (i.e. no, come here)
    • Uses sounds and gestures to get and keep attention
    • Points to objects and shows them to others
    • Uses gestures like waving by or shaking head no
    • Says one or two words
    • Babbles longer strings of sounds (like mimi, upup, or baba)

  • 1 – 2 years: 

    • Points to a few body parts when asked
    • Follows 1-part directions (i.e. “roll ball”)
    • Responds to simple questions (i.e. “who is that?”)
    • Points to pictures in a book when named
    • Uses a lot of novel words
    • Starts to name pictures in books
    • Asks simple questions (“what’s that?” or “where is kitty?”)
    • Puts two words together (“no bed” or “mommy book”)
    • Child is approximately 25% intelligible

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  • 2-3 years: 

    • Understands opposites (i.e. go/stop or up/down)
    • Follows 2-part directions (i.e. “get the spoon and put it on the table”)
    • Understands new words quickly
    • Talks about things that are not in the room
    • Uses words like “in” “on” and “under”
    • Uses 2 or 3 words to talk about or ask for things
    • Asks “why?”
    • Starts to use a variety of speech sounds including p, b, m, d, n, h, t, k, g, w, ng, f, and y in words
    • Familiar people understand the child’s speech (50-75% intelligible)

  • 2-3 years: 

    • Understands opposites (i.e. go/stop or up/down)
    • Follows 2-part directions (i.e. “get the spoon and put it on the table”)
    • Understands new words quickly
    • Talks about things that are not in the room
    • Uses words like “in” “on” and “under”
    • Uses 2 or 3 words to talk about or ask for things
    • Asks “why?”
    • Starts to use a variety of speech sounds including p, b, m, d, n, h, t, k, g, w, ng, f, and y in words
    • Familiar people understand the child’s speech (50-75% intelligible)

  • 4-5 years: 

    • Understands word for order and time, like first/last and today/tomorrow
    • Follows longer directions (ex: “put on your pajamas, brush your teeth and pick out a book”)
    • Follows classroom directions (ex: draw a circle around something you can eat”)
    • Hears and understands most things at home and school
    • Uses sentences that have more than 1 action word
    • Tells a short story
    • Keeps a conversation going
    • Uses all earlier sounds and is begining to use the sounds r, zh, and voiced th (ex: their)

  • 5-6 years: 

    • Listens to, and understands, stories
    • Follows a simple conversation
    • Answers questions like “what did you have for lunch today?”
    • Retells a story or talks about something they did
    • Takes turns talking and keeping a conversation going
    • Should have all speech sounds mastered in words with the exception of voiceless th (ex: thumb)
    • Knows how books work
    • Understands that sounds make up words
    • Tells you the first sounds of a word
    • Can say the sounds some letters make (ex: buh for B)
    • Knows some sight words
    • “Reads” a few books by memory

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  • 6-7 years: 

    • Follows 2 – 3 step directions in a row
    • Tells and retells stories that make sense
    • Uses most parts of speech, or grammar, correctly
    • Stays on topic and takes turns in conversation
    • Gives directions
    • Can clearly be understood by others
    • Names all sounds in short words
    • Matches spoken words with written words
    • Sounds out words when reading
    • Reads 100 common words by sight
    • Reads grade-level books
    • Understands what they read

  • 7-8 years: 

    • Follows 3-4 directions in a row
    • Understands direction words, like here, there, over, and next to
    • Asks and answers who, what, where, when and why questions
    • Gives directions with 3-4 steps
    • Stays on topic, maintains eye contact and starts/ends conversations
    • Uses clues when reading to figure out words (looking at pictures or titles to help read a word)
    • Finds information to answer questions
    • Explains important points of a story (ex: main idea, characters, and plot)

  • 8-9 years: 

    • Pays attention in groups
    • Uses words related to school subjects (math, science, history vocabulary)
    • Participates in a group conversation
    • Summarizes a story
    • Uses word analysis skills (knowing root words, prefixes and suffixes)
    • Uses clues from story to help understand what they read
    • Predict and explain what will happen next in a story
    • Asks and answers questions about what they have read
    • Uses what they know to learn about new topics

  • 9-10 years: 

    • Forms opinions based on what they hear
    • Uses language for many reasons (asking questions, arguing, joking)
    • Understands some figurative language (ex: “this class is a zoo!”)
    • Takes part in group discussions
    • Summarizes ideas in their own words
    • Organizes information so it is clear
    • Gives clear speeches
    • Follows written directions
    • Takes brief notes
    • Links what they learn from one subject to another
    • Paraphrases what they read in their own words

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