top of page

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

Our Services

We offer a set of speech services to support your entire child's journey.

Parent FAQ

We know you have questions, let us help answer some of them.

Suite Speech

Get free resources and learn more about all things speech and language.

6m
1y
18m
2y
3y
4y
5y
bottom of page