Believe me, I get it...
Being a parent is not only the most rewarding job we will ever have but also the most nerve wracking. We constantly wonder:
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"What should my child be doing by now?"
"Is my child on the right track?"
"Should I be concerned?"
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While the following lists aren't all inclusive, they can help identify your child's strengths and areas of needs.
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Click here to learn more about the screenings offered by Olive Speech Therapy, PLLC to help determine if your child is meeting their milestones in a timely manner or if a full evaluation may be warranted.
Speech and Language Milestones
Birth to 5
Adapted from: Bowen, C. (1998). Ages and Stages Summary: Language Development 0-5 years. Retrieved from http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/ on 2/27/21.
2 to 3 years
Receptive Language is what a child understands
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Aware of environmental sounds
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Listen to the speech of those around them
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Startle or cry if there is an unexpected noise
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Wake and when a loud noise is present
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"Still" in response to new sounds
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Turn when they hear speaking
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Smile when they hear a familiar voice
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Respond to comforting tones
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Respond to the word "no"
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Respond to changes in tone of voice and non-speech sounds
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Listen when spoken to
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Turn when name is called
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Play games such as "Peek-a-Boo", "Pat-a-Cake", and other finger play songs
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Recognize names of familiar objects (e.g. "Daddy", "car", "eyes", "phone", "key")
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Begin to respond to requests (e.g. "Give it to Granny") and questions (e.g. "More juice?")
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Point to pictures that are named and body parts that are named (e.g. nose, eyes, belly)
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Follow simple directions (e.g. "Push the bus!", "Don't touch; it's hot!")
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Understand simple questions (e.g. "Where's the bunny?")
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Listen to simple stories, songs, and rhymes (typically again and again and again)
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Understand 2-step commands (e.g. "Get your socks and put them in the basket")
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Understand contrasting concepts or meanings (e.g. hot/cold, stop/go, and in/on)
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Notice sounds like the telephone or doorbell ringing and may point or become excited, get you to answer, or attempt to answer themselves
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Understand simple "wh" questions (e.g. "who, what, and where")
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Hear when called from another room (please note: this is an age where hearing difficulties may become evident. If you are in doubt about your child's hearing, see a clinical audiologist.)
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Enjoy stories and answer simple questions about them
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Hear and understand nearly everything that is said (within reason) at home, preschool, or daycare
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Expressive Language is what a child says
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Make sounds that let others know that they are experiencing pleasure or pain
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Smile at you when a familiar person comes into view
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Repeat the same sound a lot and "coos and goos" when content
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Use different cries for different situations (e.g. "I'm hungry", "I need to be changed", "I'm tired", etc.)
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Make gurgling sounds or "vocal play" when being played with or playing alone
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Babble using sounds such as /p, b, w, m/ and sometimes sound as though he or she is "talking"
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Use sounds or gestures to let you know that they want something or want you to do something
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Make very "urgent" noises to spur you into action
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Babble using more consonants and short vowels
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Use speech or other sounds (i.e. other than crying) in order to get your attention and hold on to it
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Say first words (e.g. "MaMa", "Doggie", "Night Night", "Bye Bye", "No")
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Use 50+ words
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Ask 2-word questions (e.g. "Where ball?" "What's that?" "More milk?" "What that?")
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Make 2-word statements and requests (e.g. "Birdie go", "No doggie", "More push")
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Use more initial consonants
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Create utterances of one, two, or three words long
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Can be understood fairly well by family members
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May ask for, or draw your attention to something by naming it ("Elephant") or one of its attributes ("Big!") or by commenting ("Wow!")
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Use longer sentences consisting of 4+ words
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Talk about things that have happened away from home
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Talk about preschool, friends, outings, and interesting experiences
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Speech is usually fluent and clear and non-familiar listeners can understand what your child is saying most of the time
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Use clear and fluent speech
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Create long and detailed sentences (e.g. "We went to the zoo but we had to come home early because Sally wasn't feeling well"; "I want to have a horse of my own like Evan, and Daddy says when he wins the lottery he'll buy me one.")
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Tell a long, involved imaginative story sticking to the topic, and using "adult-like" grammar
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Use most speech sounds pronounced correctly
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Communicate easily with familiar adults and other children
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May tell fantastic, dramatic, inventive, "tall stories" and engage strangers in conversation when you are out together
Birth
0 to 3 months
4 to 6 months
7 to 12 months
1 to 2 years
3 to 4 years
4 to 5 years
Speech sound development
Speech Sound Norms taken from the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation-2 from 2000.
By age 2 years...
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Beginning of words /b, d, h, m, n, p/
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Middle of words /b, m, n/
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End of words /m, p/
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By age 3 years...
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Beginning of words /f, g, k, t, w/
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Middle of words /f, g, k, (ing), p, t/
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End of words /b, d, g, k, n, t/
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By age 4 years...
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Beginning of words /kw/
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Middle of words /d/
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End of words /f/
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By age 5 years...
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Beginning of words /(ch), (j), l, s, (sh), (y), bl/
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Middle of words /(ch), (j), l, s, (sh), z/
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End of words /l, (ing), (ch), (j), s, (sh), r, v, z/
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By age 6 years...
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Beginning of words /f, v, br, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, kl, kr, pl, st, tr/
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Middle of words /r, v/
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By age 7 years...
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Beginning of words /z, sl, sp, sw, (th)/
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Middle of words /(th)/
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End of words /(th)/
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School-aged children
Adapted from: ASHA Your Child's Communication Development: Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/communicationdevelopment/ on 2/27/21.
Kindergarten
​Listening
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Follow 1-2 step directions in a row
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Listen to and understand stories
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Follow a simple conversation
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Speaking
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Speak clearly so that most people understand
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Answer simple "yes/no" questions
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Ask "wh" questions (e.g. "what toy is that?")
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Retell a story or talk about something he or she did
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Use conversational turn-taking
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Show interest in and start conversations
1st Grade
​Listening
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Remember what they hear
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Follow 2-3 step directions in a row
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Speaking
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Speak clearly so that most people understand
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Answer harder "yes/no" questions
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Tell and retell stories that make sense
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Share ideas using complete sentences
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Use most parts of speech or grammar correctly
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Ask and answer "wh" questions
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Stay on topic and take turns in conversation
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Give directions
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Start conversations
2nd Grade
​Listening
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Follow 3-4 step directions in a row
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Understand direction words (e.g. here, there, over, next to, before, later)
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Answer questions about a grade-level story
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Speaking
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Speak clearly
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Answer harder "yes/no" questions
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Ask and answer "wh" questions
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Use more complex sentences
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Explain words and ideas
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Give directions with 3-4 steps
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Use words to inform, persuade, and entertain
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Stay on topic, take turns, and keep eye contact during conversations
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Start and end conversations
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Reading
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Find information to answer questions
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Explain important parts of a story (e.g. main idea, characters, plot)
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Use personal experiences to make predictions and inferences
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Sequence events of a story
3rd Grade
​Listening
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Pay attention in groups
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Understand grade-level information
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Speaking
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Speak clearly and know when to use a soft or loud voice
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Ask and answer questions
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Be a part of conversations
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Use school-related vocabulary
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Stay on topic, use eye contact, and take turns in conversations
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Summarize a story
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Explain what he or she learned in school
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Reading
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Understand root words, prefixes, and suffixes
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Use context clues from stories to help comprehension
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Predict and explain what will happen next in a story
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Compare and contrast stories
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Ask and answer questions about what he or she reads
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Use what he or she knows to learn about new topics
4th Grade
​Listening
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Listen to and understand information
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Form opinions
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Listen for specific reasons (e.g. to learn, to enjoy, for convenience)
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Speaking
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Use words correctly in conversation​
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Use language for a variety of reasons (e.g. argue, joke, ask questions)
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Understand figurative language
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Participate in group discussions
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Give correct directions to others
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Summarize ideas in his or her own words
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Organize information in a logical way
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Reading​
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Use what he or she knows to learn about new topics
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Follow written directions
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Learn meanings of new words by understanding synonyms/antonyms, word origins, etc.
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Read and understand different types of writing (e.g. fiction, nonfiction, poetry)
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Make inferences
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Paraphrase
5th Grade
​Listening
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Listen and draw conclusions
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Speaking
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Make planned speeches
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Take part in class discussions
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Summarize main points
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Report about information
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Reading​​
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Learn meanings of new words by understanding synonyms/antonyms, word origins, etc.
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Decide what information is important when reading
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Read and understand different types of writing (e.g. fiction, nonfiction, poetry)
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Use reference materials to support opinions