Speech and Language Milestones Typical Children, Birth to Age 5

 Receptive (Understanding)

Expressive (Talking)

• Startles to loud sounds
• Quiets or smiles when spoken to
• Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying
• Increases or decreases sucking behavior in response to sound

• Makes pleasure sounds, such as cooing or gooing
• Cries differently for different needs
• Smiles when seeing you

 Receptive (Understanding)

Expressive (Talking)

• Moves eyes in direction of sounds
• Responds to changes in tone of your voice
• Notices toys that make sounds
• Pays attention to music

• Sounds more speech-like when babbling, with many different sounds, including p, b and m (English speakers)
• Chuckles and giggles
• Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
• Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you

Receptive (Understanding)

Expressive (Talking)

• Enjoys games like peek-o-boo and pat-a-cake
• Turns and looks in direction of sounds
• Listens when spoken to
• Recognizes words for common items such as cup, shoe, book or juice
• Begins to respond to requests, such as “Come here” or “Want more?”

• During babbling, uses long and short groups of sounds, such as “tata,” “upup” or “bibibibi”
• Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention
• Uses gestures to communicate, such as waving or holding out arms to be picked up
• Imitates different speech sounds
• Speaks one or two words around the first birthday, such as “hi,” “dog,” “dada” or “mama,” but sounds might not be clear

  Receptive (Understanding)

Expressive (Talking)

• Points to a few body parts when asked
• Follows simple commands and understands simple questions, such as “Roll the ball,” “Kiss the baby” or “Where’s your shoe?”
• Listens to simple stories, songs and rhymes
• Points to pictures in a book when pictured items are named

• Says more words every month
• Uses some one- or two-word questions, such as “Where kitty?” “Go bye-bye?” or “What’s that?”
• Puts two words together, such as “more cookie,” “no juice” or “mommy book”
• Uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words

 Receptive (Understanding)

Expressive (Talking)

• Understands differences in meaning, such as go/stop, in/on, big/little or up/down
• Follows two requests at the same time, such as “Get the book and put it on the table.”
• Listens to and enjoys hearing stories for longer periods of time

• Has a word for almost everything
• Uses two or three words to talk about and ask for things
• Uses k, g, f, t, d and n sounds (English speakers)
• When speaking, is usually understood by familiar listeners
• Often asks for or directs attention to objects by naming them

  Receptive (Understanding)

Expressive (Talking)

• Hears when you call from another room
• Hears television or radio at the same loudness level as other family members
• Answers simple who, what, where and why questions

• Talks about activities at school or friends’ homes
• Uses many sentences that have four or more words
• Usually talks easily without repeating syllables or words
• When speaking, is usually understood by people outside the family

Receptive (Understanding)

Expressive (Talking)

• Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about them
• Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school

• Uses sentences that give lots of details, such as
• “The biggest peach is mine.”
• Tells stories that stick to topic
• Communicates easily with other children and adults
• Says most sounds correctly except a few, such as l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh and th (English speakers)
• Says rhyming words
• Names some letters and numbers
• Uses the same grammar as the rest of the family