top of page
AdobeStock_1105661565.jpeg

Speech & Language Milestones Birth-5

What is Speech & Language?

"Speech" can be thought of as verbal communication.

It is the set of sounds that we make (using our voice & our articulators) that comprise syllables, words, & sentences. Speech alone carries no meaning; it is merely different sounds.

​

There are three main components of speech:

  1. Articulation (how we make each sound)

  2. Voicing (using our "vocal cords")

  3. Fluency (intonation and rhythm)

"Language" encompasses how we use speech to formulate sentences in order to communicate. Language also consists of three parts. expressive (the words & sentences we produce), receptive (what we understand) & pragmatics (social communication or the rules of communication).

Birth-1 Year

SPEECH MILESTONES:

  • Produces cooing going sounds by 3 months

  • Begins to babble around 6 months (example)

  • Vocalizes p, b, m sounds

  • Begins to imitate sounds (e.g., "ba ba")

 

LANGUAGE MILESTONES:

  • Turns toward sounds

  • Responds to "no"

  • Cries differently for wants & needs

  • Recognizes own name & family members names

  • Uses gestures to communicate (e.g., reaching arms in response to "up" or waving to others)

  • Begins to say "mama" or "dada"
    (first words usually around 12 months)

  • Starts to respond to requests (e.g., "want more?" or "want up?")

3-5 Years

SPEECH MILESTONES:

By age 3-3 ½

  • 75% intelligible to unfamiliar listeners

  • Should produce: m,n, h, w, p, t, k, b, d, g, f, y (as in yes), tw- (as in twin), kw- (as in quick) & most vowel sounds

By age 4-4 ½

  • 100% intelligible to unfamiliar listeners, may have pronunciation errors

  • Should produce: v, j (as in jump or giant), gl- (as in glow)

By age 5-5 ½

  • 100% intelligible to unfamiliar listeners, may have pronunciation errors

  • Should produce: s, "sh," "th" (as in they) sp-, st-, sk-, sm-, sn-, sw-, bl-, pl-, kI- (as in clap), fl-, tre, kr- (as in cracker)

  • Common Sound errors that may continue to present at age 6, such as:
    0 r, l,z, "th" (as in think), "ch" (as in check)

LANGUAGE MILESTONES:

  • Follows 3-step directions (e.g., "put your toy on the table, get your coat, and come here!")

  • Begins to use 4 or more words in a sentence (e.g., describing day at school)

  • Answers more complicated "wh"-questions (e.g., "why is he at the doctor?")

  • Uses more correct grammar when speaking (e.g., plurals, past tense, pronouns)

  • Starts to recognize letters & numbers

1-2 Years

SPEECH MILESTONES:

  • Around two years, child begins to use different combinations of vowels & consonants

  • Speech is mostly understood by familiar people & caregivers

  • Many words contain only a consonant & vowel (e.g., "do" for "dog")

 

LANGUAGE MILESTONES:

  • Combines 2-word phrases (e.g. "more juice"),

  • Uses more than 50 words, understands more than 300 words

  • Follows 1-step directions (e.g. "get the ball")

  • Answers yes/no questions (e.g. "are you a boy?")

  • Often uses gestures (e.g., pointing, reaching)

2-3 Years

SPEECH MILESTONES:

  • Sounds: p, b, m, n, w, h, t, d, k, g, ng (-ing sound), y are typically mastered

  • Speech should be 50-75% understood by an unfamiliar listener

 

LANGUAGE MILESTONES:

  • Combines 2-word phrases (e.g. "more juice"),

  • Uses more than 50 words, understands more than 300 words

  • Follows 1-step directions (e.g. "get the ball")

  • Answers yes/no questions (e.g. "are you a boy?")

  • Often uses gestures (e.g., pointing, reaching)

Red Flags

BY AGE 1, CHILD CANNOT:

  • Respond to his/her name

  • Begin verbalizing first words

  • No eye contact

​​

BY AGE 2, CHILD CANNOT:

  • Begin combining two-word phrases

(24 months)

  • Child does not consistently add new words to expressive vocabulary.

  • Child does not follow simple instructions

  • Child presents with limited play skills

​

BY AGES 3-5, CHILD CANNOT:

  •  Verbalize utterances without repeating parts of words or prolonging sounds (e.g.."m-m-m-my mother", ssssssssister")

  • Seem to find the right words, describe an item or event without difficulty

  • Begin.combining four to five-word sentences

  • Be understood by both familiar & unfamiliar listeners

  • Repeat themselves to clarify without frustration

  • Correctly produce vowels & majority of speech sounds (closer to 5 years old)

  • Child does not ask or answer simple quesitons

  • Child uses rote phrases & sentences

  • Child prefers to play alone than with peers

How to Encourage Speech & Language

COMMUNICATIVE TEMPTATIONS: Create situations where a child needs to gesture, vocalize, or verbalize to have his or her needs met before giving desired object (e.g., puzzle pieces)

 

IMITATION: Having a child imitate you helps him or her to produce words & sounds at appropriate times (e.g., saying "hi" to animal toys as you take them out of the box)

 

EXPANDING: Using a child's language and expanding it to make it more complex (e g., child says "ball," adult can say, "that is your ball!")

 

BUILD VOCABULARY: Target and explain relevant new words (e.g., seasonal words ) to help build vocabulary

 

READ ALOUD: Emphasize & reinforce new words, ask questions about the story while reading, ask child to retell the story (if age appropriate)

 

ASK QUESTIONS: Posing questions about daily activities are a great way to encourage language skills, including naming & understanding functions.

 

NARRATE EVERYTHING: Modeling your own speech and language can increase exposure to correct production & enhance a child's abilities

bottom of page