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Developmental Milestones

While children develop at their own rate, developmental milestones provide a framework for parents and educators to follow how a child is growing. Use this chart as a guide. If you have any questions, please schedule a call with us to see if an evaluation is right for your child.

Child at 6 months

Speech

  • Makes sounds in response to singing and other sounds

  • Makes speech-like babbling sounds, like pa, ah, mi, and oh

  • Strings vowels together when babbling, like bababa, or upupup

Language

  • Responds to own name

  • Responds to noises and sounds

  • Likes taking turns with caregiver while making sounds

  • Maintains eye contact

  • Attempts to interact with familiar adults

  • Mimics the emotions and expressions they see in others

Social

  • Smiles at themselves in the mirror

  • Reaches for objects

  • Bangs object together in play

Play

Child at 1st birthday

Speech

  • Tries to say words, like “mama” and “dada”

  • Imitates many consonant and vowel sounds

  • Tries to say words caregiver says

Language

  • Understands common words for items and people (ball, milk, book, shoe, mama)

  • Follows simple commands  (give me, come here)

  • Vocalizes when excited or upset

  • May say one or two words (dada, mama, hi, baba, dog, ball, no)

  • Looks at person calling their name

  • Waves “hi” and “bye”

  • Points to objects to show them to others

Social

  • Enjoys games like “peek a boo”

  • Tries to get items out of reach

  • Uses some toys appropriately (pushes a toy car)

Play

Child at 18 Months

Speech

  • Uses consonants /p/, /b/, /m/, /w/ and /h/ in words

  • Produces several animal sounds

  • Varies pitch when talking

  • Says around 50 words

Language

  • Follows 1 step commands

  • Identifies body parts and clothing items

  • Understands at least 50 words

  • Says several single words

  • Points, shows and gives objects

  • Uses words to protest

  • Initiates turn taking routines (passing a toy car back and forth)

Social

  • Explores toys purposefully through trial and error

  • Plays ball with adult

  • Hands toy to an adult for assistance

Play

Child at 2nd birthday

Speech

  • ​Speech is at least 50% understandable to strangers

Language

  • Understands simple questions: “yes/no” and “what’s that?”

  • Understands concepts “in/on/off/under” and “big/little”

  • Follows many 1 step directions and some 2 step directions

  • Says around 200 words

  • Combines 2 words (more juice, want up, doggy walk)

  • Takes turns during simple conversations

  • Copies adults and other children

  • Plays mainly beside other children and is beginning to include other children

Social

  • Uses common objects and toys appropriately (toy phone to ear, stacks blocks)

  • Plays simple make believe games

  • Pretends to eat with a fork or stir a spoon

  • Plays with dolls - brushes hair, feeds doll a bottle, covers doll with blanket

Play

Child at 3rd birthday

Speech

  • Speech is at least 75% understandable to strangers

  • Uses /t/, /d/, /k/ and /g/ sounds correctly when talking

Language

  • Follows 2 and 3 step directions

  • Answers variety of concrete questions

  • Shows interest in how and why things work

  • Says full name, age, and gender

  • Uses different types of words: nouns, adjectives, verbs, pronouns

  • Talks about past events

  • Formulates sentences with at least 3 to 4 words

  • Plays cooperatively, takes turns, shares toys with other children

  • Converses with adults and peers using sentences

  • Shows a wide range of emotions

Social

  • Uses imagination in play with dolls, animals and people

  • Acts out familiar routines (bedtime, mommy and baby)

  • Play will include less frequent experiences (doctor and sick child, teacher and student)

Play

Child at 4th birthday

Speech

  • Speech is at least 95% understandable to strangers

  • May make mistakes on sounds that are harder to say (/zh/, /r/, /th/)

Language

  • Answers questions about 1 page of a simple book he/she has listened to

  • Comprehends complex sentences and directions

  • Asks and responds to abstract questions “how/why/when/what if”

  • Uses simple and complex sentences with at least 5 to 6 words

  • Tell stories about recent experiences

  • Would rather play with other children than by himself

  • Talks about what they like and don’t like

Social

  • Creates imaginary roles and uses props to carry out long play scenarios

  • Uses dolls and puppets to carry out scenes

Play

Child at 5th birthday

Speech

  • Speech is 100% understandable to strangers

  • Few articulation errors may persist, including the “r” and “th” sounds

Language

  • Answers questions about a book he/she has listened to

  • Comprehends all types of questions

  • Follows lengthy, complex directions

  • Uses compound sentences with conjunctions

  • Tells stories with full sentences in a logical sequence

  • Develops friendships

  • Wants to please friends and be like friends

  • Can differentiate between reality and fantasy

  • Shows more independence

Social

  • Plans highly imaginative sequence of pretend events

  • Organizes what he/she needs to carry out multiple scenes - objects and other children

Play

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