Developmental Speech And Language



Colleen Riordan

By Colleen Riordan, SLP

If you are a new parent or grandparent, you may be wondering when your “little one” will start babbling and using words. Here is a quick guide on what to expect.

By 12 months of age, your child should:

· Babble using a variety of consonant and vowel sounds

· Imitate movements, environmental sounds and speech sounds

· Use gestures with sounds or word approximations to communicate

· Have at least 1 or 2 words that are used consistently

By 2 years of age, your child should:

· Follow simple commands

· Point to named pictures in books

· Say more new words every month

· Begin putting 2-words together

By 3 years of age, your child should:

· Follow 2-step directions

· Use phrases of at least 3 words

· Have speech that is understood by most familiar listeners

By 4-5 years of age, your child should:

· Pay attention to a story and answer simple questions about it

· Use sentences that provide details

· Name some letters and numbers

· Produce most sounds correctly with the exception of l, r and th

· Communicate easily and be understood by children and adults