Developmental Milestones
While we know that every child develops at a different rate, it is important to be aware of developmental norms and expectations. By age 2, your child should be able to identify common objects, use at least 50 recognizable words, and be combining words into 2-word phrases. By age 3, your child should be able to follow 2-step directions, answer simple wh- questions (who, what, where), and produce speech that is 75-100% clear to their parents. By age 4, your child should be able to follow 3-step directions, use sentences with 5 or more words, and be understood most of the time by unfamiliar adults. See below for more details and resources.
If you are concerned that your child is not meeting all of their speech/language milestones, talk to their pediatrician or contact our office for a consultation!
2 years
Follows simple commands
Points to pictures in books
Uses 50+ words
Combines 2-words
Speech is understood 50-75% of the time
Produces the following sounds: p, m, h, n, w, b
3 years
Follows 2-step commands
Answer "who," "what," and "where" questions
Combines 3-4 Words
Engages in play with peers
Speech is understood 75-100% of the time
Produces the following and all previous sounds:
k, g, t, d, f
4 years
Follows 3-step directions
Answers simple questions about stories/experiences
Uses 5+ word sentences
Uses past tense
Speech is generally understood by unfamiliar listeners
Produces the following and all previous sounds:
y, v, s, th
Red Flags
Poor eye contact
Loss in skills/words previously used
Poor play skills
Difficulty expressing basic wants/needs
Difficulty answering questions or finding named objects
Repeating words, but not producing spontaneous speech
Citations & Additional Resources
What Is Speech? What Is Language?
Typical Speech and Language Development
Typical Speech and Language Acquisition in Infants and Young Children
What Should I Do If I Think My Child May Have a Speech, Language, or Hearing Problem?
Speech and Language Milestone Chart
Age of Customary Consonant Production