Speech & Language Milestones

  • Smile when they see a familiar face?
  • Respond to their name?
  • Have 1-2 words although they may not be clear?
  • Call out for attention, often in a very persistent way?
  • Use simple gestures e.g. wave “bye-bye”, clap his hands, points?
  • Respond to “no” and turn to his own name?
  • Understand a few simple routine commands, such as, “don’t touch” or “give mommy a kiss”?
  • Enjoys interacting with others in little games, such as “Peek-a-boo”?
  • Produce 20-50 simple words.
  • Start putting together 2 words e.g. more juice.
  • Use some common expressions, such as, “what’s that?” and “all gone”.
  • Point to 3-5 body parts?
  • Point to the appropriate picture in a book when you say, “show me the…?”.
  • Understand simple questions e.g. where’s daddy?
  • Listen to stories with pictures and pages of a book a few at time?
  • Have a vocabulary of at least 100 words?
  • Use different groups of words such as action, describing words and location words (in/on/under)?
  • Refer to himself by his own name?
  • Use pronouns such as “me”, “mine”, “my”, “you”, “I”?
  • Combine two or more words together?
  • Use two word negative phrases such as “not go” or “no want”?
  • Follow directions containing two pieces of information?
  • Listen to familiar stories and talk about them?
  • Pretend in his play and carry on little “conversations” with himself, dolls and other stuffed toys?
  • Use word endings such as “ing” (eg. Driving), plural “s” (eg. Cats) and possessive “s” (eg. Mommy’s car)?
  • Asks a variety of questions including “where is mommy?” and “why”?
  • Take at least three turns in a conversation exchange?
  • Play with other children for short periods of time?
  • Use an ever expanding vocabulary?
  • Put a complete sentence together using an ever expanding vocabulary using pronouns such as “he/she/they”, consistently followed by “is/are”?
  • Sequence simple stories and talk about the past, present and future?
  • Ask a variety of questions beginning with “who”, “what”, “where” and “why”?
  • Use language to interact and cooperate in play with his peers?
  • Recognize letters and start to learn pre-reading skills such as rhyming?
  • Use long complex sentences and hold longer and longer conversations?
  • Focus on an activity and manage to listen and follow directions simultaneously?
  • Understand the concept of rules in play and negotiate with peers?
  • Comprehend more advance prepositional concepts such as “between”, “above, “below”, etc?
  • Understand and ask simple “how”, “when” and “what if” questions?
  • Retell and create their own stories and many will be starting to read?