Speech and Language Milestones

0-3 Months
Receptive (Understanding)
  • Startles to loud sounds
  • Quiets or smiles when spoken to
Expressive (Talking)
  • Makes pleasure sounds (cooing)
  • Smiles differently for different needs
  • Smiles when sees you
4-6  months
Receptive (Understanding)
  • Moves eyes in direction of sound
  • Notices toys that make sound
  • Pays attention to music
Expressive (Talking)
  • Makes babbling sounds with p, b,m
  • Laughs
  • Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
7-12 months
Receptive (Understanding)
  • Enjoys games like peek-a-boo & pat-a-cake
  • Turns and looks toward a sound
  • Recognizes words like shoe/juice
Expressive (Talking)
  • Uses gestures to communicate  i.e.waving
  • Uses 1 or 2 words (mama, dada, bye)
  • Babbling is sounding longer with more sounds
1-2 years
Receptive (Understanding)
  • Points to pictures in a book
  • Points to body parts
  • Follows simple commands i.e. throw the ball
Expressive (Talking)
  • Adds new words every month to his vocabulary
  • Begins to ask 1-2 word questions i.e Where's Mama?
  • Also beginning to use more 2 word phrases
2-3 years
Receptive (Understanding)
  • Follows 2-step directions
  • Listens to stories for a longer period of time
Expressive (Talking)
  • Has a word for almost everything
  • Articulates a variety of sounds including k,g,f,t,d,n
  • Speech is understood most of the time
3-4 years
Receptive (Understanding)
  • Hears when you call from another room
  • Answers who, what, where and why questions
Expressive (Talking)
  • Talks about things he/she did that day
  • Most sentences have 4 or more words in them
  • Usually talks without repeating syllables
4-5 years
Receptive (Understanding)
  • ​Can answer questions about a short story
Expressive (Talking)
  • Tells stories that stick to the topic
  • Communicates easily with other adults and children
  • Names some letters and numbers
© 2012 Christina J. Scalise-Morrissey, MS, CCC-SLP