SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
SOUND DEVELOPMENT Based on Chirlian, 1982
- 2 years: m, n, h
- 2½ years: p, b, ng (as in sing), w, d, g
- 3 years: sh, k, f, y
- 3½ years: t, ch, j
- 4 years: l, zh (as in treasure), s
- 5 years: z, r
- 7 years: th, TH
- 8 years: v, blends (e.g. spoon, truck)
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
0-3 months
- crying
- gurgling sounds
- eye contact
- early turn-taking
- begins cooing (e.g. ooo, eee)
- learning that words are related to actions
- babbling (e.g. baba, gaga)
- responds to own name and noises in their environment
- imitates simple sounds
- begins to use first words (e.g. mum-mum, dad)
- appears to listen people's voices and expressions
- begins using more single words
- attempts new words
- shakes head for 'no'
- recognizes names of family members and familiar objects
- follows simple directions, and may use gestures when following directions
- asks for 'more', can express 'all gone'
- will use own name when asked
- begins combining two words (e.g. car go, more drink)
- uses babble-like 'sentences'
- will listen to rhymes or songs for 2-3 minutes
- combining 2-3 words
- points to body parts when asked
- will call self by name when talking
- vocabulary of several hundred words
- uses 'a' and 'the', and '-ing' and 's' at the ends of words
- answers 'where?' and 'what's ___ doing?' questions
- will listen to simple stories
- carries out four or more simple instructions
- carries out a series of two related commands
- uses sentences of 4-5 words
- beginning to use complex/joined sentences
- uses 'is', '-ed' at the ends of words, and some irregular plurals (e.g. feet, mice)
- tells how objects are used
- tells experiences and can sequence events
- talks about future events (e.g. going to, will)
- carries out two unrelated instructions
- can pay attention for five minutes while a story is read
- uses sentences of six or more words
- using more complex sentences (more adult-like)
- vocabulary averages 1500 words
- counts three numbers by pointing
- begins learning colours
- carries out a series of three instructions
- learning concepts (e.g. top, bottom)
- can tell if words rhyme or not
- can tell familiar stories without pictures for cues
- can point out 'what's wrong/silly?' with pictures (e.g. a tree with legs, using a banana as a telephone)
- can choose the 'odd one out' when shown a group of objects or pictures
![]() |
![]() |