Speech & Language Checklist:
These milestones build on each other. Be sure that your child is meeting the goals in the previous age groups too. This information is based on researched milestones and averages. A milestone means that 90% of children the same age are able to complete the goal. Average means that 50% of children are able to complete the goal.
0-3 MONTHS
☐ Startles to loud sounds
☐ Quiet or smiles when spoken to
☐ Seems to recognize familiar voices and quiets if crying
☐ Increased or decreased sucking behavior in response to sound
☐ Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing)
☐ Cries differently for different needs
☐ Smiles when seeing a familiar person
4-6 MONTHS
☐ Moves eyes in direction of sounds
☐ Responds to changes in tone of voice
☐ Notices toys that make music
☐ Pays attention to music
☐ Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds (including p, b, and m)
☐ Beginning to use intonation during vocalizations
☐ Chuckles and laughs
☐ Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
☐ Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with adults
7-12 MONTHS
☐ Enjoys games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
☐ Turns and looks in the direction of sounds
☐ Listens when spoken to
☐ Recognizes words for common items like “cup”, “shoe”, “book”
☐ Begins to respond to requests (e.g. “Come here” or “Want more?”)
☐ Recognizes name
☐ Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as “tata upup bibibibi”
☐ Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention
☐ Uses gestures to communicate (waving, holding arms to be picked up)
☐ Imitates different speech sounds
☐ Has one or two words (hi, dog, dada, mama) around first birthday, although sounds may not be clear
13-18 MONTHS
☐ Has a vocabulary of approximately 5-20 words
☐ Vocabulary is mostly nouns
☐ Some repeating of the same word or phrase repeatedly (echolalia)
☐ Uses jargon (their own language) with inflection
☐ Follows simple commands (“Roll the ball”)
☐ Points to a few body parts when asked
☐ Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
☐ Uses different consonant sounds at the beginning of words
19-24 MONTHS
☐ Vocabulary “explosion” to 150-500 words by 24 months. Can name common environmental objects
☐ Uses more word combinations and intonation for questions
☐ Puts two or more words together (“more cookie”, “mommy book”)
☐ Approximately 50% of what the child says should be intelligible at 2 years old
☐ Rhythm, fluency, volume, and pitch are not yet well-controlled
☐ Can use at least two pronouns correctly (I, me, and you can be confused easily)
☐ “My” and “Mine” begin to emerge
☐ Responds to simple commands
☐ Is able to use prepositions (in, on, under typically first to develop.)
☐ Is using "a" and "the" in sentences at 2 years of age
25-36 MONTHS
☐ Understands difference in simple opposites (“go-stop”, “in-on”, “big-little”, “up-down”)
☐ Able to listen to longer stories and music activities, 10-15 minutes by 3 years old
☐ Follows two step directions (“Get the book and put it on the table”)
☐ By 3 years old, no longer drops the last sound in a word (do for dog, app for apple)
☐ Has words for nearly everything – Vocabulary of 900-1000 words
☐ Uses 3 or more word sentences and questions
☐ Uses k, g, f, t, d, and n sounds in additional to other consonants and most vowels
☐ Speech is at least 50-75% intelligible to familiar listeners and strangers
☐ Asks “why” questions
☐ Uses pronouns I, you, me correctly
☐ Uses some plurals, past tenses, and verbs
☐ Knows at least 3 prepositions (in, on, under)
☐ Knows and can name most body parts
☐ Can state name and age
☐ Can play rhyming games
37-48 MONTHS
☐ Understands words for some primary colors
☐ Understands some simple shapes (circle, square)
☐ Understands words for family members
☐ Talks about activities at school or with friends
☐ Talks about daily happenings using about 4 sentences at a time
☐ Answers simple “who?”, “what?”, and “where?” questions
☐ Asks “when?” and “how?” questions
☐ Uses pronouns like I, you, me, we, and they
☐ Uses more plurals
☐ Sentences are typically more than 4 words long
☐ Make-believe and use of verbalizations during play
☐ Follows simple commands if item is out of sight
☐ Understands concepts like longer and larger, when contrast is presented
5 YEARS OLD
☐ Understands words for order (first, next, last, before, after)
☐ Understands words for time (today, yesterday)
☐ Follows multi-step directions (2-3 steps)
☐ Says all speech sounds in words. May have articulation errors on harder sounds
☐ Uses sentences with more than 1 verb
☐ Tells short stories and keep conversation going
☐ Changes communication based on environment/ listener (louder outside and is able to lower voice inside)
☐ Uses adjectives and adverbs
☐ Knows opposites
☐ Counts to ten or above
☐ Can repeat sentences up to nine words
☐ Can define common objects
☐ Most of speech is grammatically correct
☐ Understands how a book works
6 YEARS OLD/KINDERGARTEN
☐ Follows classroom directions in sequence
☐ Listens to and understands age-appropriate stories read aloud
☐ Follows and participates in conversations
☐ Shows interest in and starts conversations
☐ Completely intelligible, not including articulation errors
☐ Answers simple “yes/no” questions
☐ Answers open-ended questions (“What did you have for lunch today?”)
☐ Retells a story or talks about an event
☐ Identifies words that rhyme
☐ “Reads” a few picture books from memory or sight words
☐ Compare and match words based on sounds
☐ Most speech sounds should be present
7 YEARS OLD/1ST GRADE
☐Follows 2-3 directions in a sequence
☐ Remembers information
☐ Responds to instructions
☐ Answers more complex “yes/no” questions
☐ Tells and retells stories and events in logical order
☐ Expresses ideas with a variety of sentences
☐ Uses most parts of speech (grammar) correctly
☐ Asks and responds to “wh” questions
☐ Starts, stays on topic, and takes turns in conversations
☐ Gives directions
☐ Blends separate sounds to form words
☐ Understands what is read
☐ Expresses ideas through writing
☐ Writes a variety of stories, journal, etc.