
Speech, language and communication developmental checklist
When it comes to speech, language and communication what should we expect at different stages of our children’s development?
6 Months – Children will:
- Respond to different tones of voice and emotion
- Babble a variety of sounds – ‘a-goo’ ‘oooh’
- Mouths toys, shakes objects, plays with hands and feet.
- Localises sounds with eyes at ear level.
12 Months – Children will:
- Respond to own name, ‘no’ and ‘bye bye’
- Understand simple instructions
- Babbles loudly – first words emerge
- Understanding of object permanence.
18 months – Children will:
- Select familiar objects and point to basis body parts on request.
- Obeys simple instructions.
- Obeys simple instructions
- Use between 6 – 20 recognisable words
- Demands objects through pointing and vocalisation.
- Imitates everyday activities.
- Plays contently on their own but likes to be in close proximity to a familiar adult.
2 years – Children will:
- Follows instructions with 2 key tasks
- Uses 2 word phases
- Uses 50 recognisable words and understands many more
- Constantly asking names of objects and people
- Parallel play
- Make believe play
3 Years – Children will:
- Understand much of a complex sentence but not all
- Uses 500+ words
- Begins to understand plurals and the use of personal pronouns (you do it).
- Using 4-6 words sentences
- Overgeneralisation of grammatical rules (mouses, sheeps)
- Asks many questions wih ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘why’?
- Joins in active make – believe play with other children
4-5 years – Children will:
- Have expressive language of over 2,000 words
- Have receptive language of approximately 5,000 words
- Begin to understand prepositions – i.e. in front of, behind.
- Understands more difficult concepts i.e. same/different.
- Can understand two adjective modifers (e.g. “I saw a big white cat”)
- Begin to use words to symbolise thoughts and feelings.
©Lifestart Foundation 2018