Developmental
Milestones for Language 
Developmental
Milestones for Language
| Age | Language and Speech Behaviors |
| 1 yr | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ initiates familiar words, gestures, and sounds ~ uses "mama", "dada", and other common nouns RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ recognizes his or her name ~ understands simple instructions |
| 1 1/2 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ uses 10-20 words, including names ~ combines two words, such as "all gone" ~ uses words to make wants known, such as "more", "up" ~ points and gestures to call attention to an event and to show wants RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ recognizes pictures of familiar persons and objects ~ follows simple commands ~ distinguishes print from non-print |
| 2 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ carries on conversation with self and dolls ~ asks "what" and "where" ~ has sentence length of two to three words ~ refers to self by name ~ names pictures ~ uses two-word negative phrases, such as "no want" ~ forms some plurals by adding 's' ~ has about a 300-word vocabulary ~ asks for food and drink RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ understands simples questions and commands |
| 2 1/2 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ has about a 450-word vocabulary ~ gives first name ~ uses past tense and plurals; combines some nouns and verbs ~ refers to self as "me" rather than name ~ tries to get adult attention with "watch me" ~ uses "no" or "not" in speech ~ answers "where" questions ~ uses short sentences, such as "me do it" ~ talks to other children and adults ~ plays with sounds of language RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ understands simple time concepts, such as "last night", "tomorrow" ~ likes to hear same story repeated ~ holds up fingers to tell age |
| 3 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ names one color ~ practices by talking to self ~ tells a story or relays an idea ~ has sentence length of three to four words ~ has vocabulary of nearly 1,000 words ~ sings songs ~ knows last name, sex, street name, and several nursery rhymes ~ asks "what" questions RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ knows night and day ~ begins to understand prepositional phrases such as "put it under the chair" |
| 4 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ has sentence length of four to five words ~ asks "who" and "why" questions ~ begins to use complex sentences ~ plays with language e.g., word substitutions RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ identifies crosses, triangles, circles, and squares ~ knows "next month", "next year", and "noon" |
| 5 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ defines objects by their use and tells what they are made of ~ knows address ~ has sentence length of five to six words ~ has vocabulary of about 2,000 words ~ counts objects to ten ~ uses future, present, and past tenses ~ questions for information ~ uses all types of sentences RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ identifies penny, nickel, and dime ~ knows common opposites ~ understands "same" and "different" ~ identifies left and right hand on self |
| 6-7 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ identifies most sounds phonetically ~ forms most sound-letter associations ~ segments sounds into smallest grammatical units ~ begins to use semantic and syntactic cues in writing and reading ~ begins to write simple sentences RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ understands time and space concepts, such as "before", "after", "second" ~ comprehends math concepts, such as "few", "many", "all", and "except" |
| 8, 9, 10 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ follows oral directions for actions ~ substitutes words in oral reading, sentence recall, and repetition ~ by 4th grade, easily classifies words and identifies relationships ~ defines words ~ introduces self appropriately ~ asks for assistance ~ exchanges small talk with friends ~ initiates telephone calls and takes messages ~ gives directions for games; summarizes a TV show or conversation ~ begins to write effectively for a variety of purposes RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ comprehends reading materials required for various subjects ~ understands verbal humor |
| 11, 12, 13, 14 years | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ displays social and interpersonal communication appropriate for age ~ forms appropriate peer relationships ~ begins to define words at an adult level and talks about complex processes ~ form an abstract point of view; uses figurative language ~ paraphrases and asks questions appropriate to content RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ demonstrates good study skills; follows lectures and outlines content |
| Adolescence and young adult | EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE ~ takes role of other person effectively ~ displays appropriate reactions to expressions of love, affection, and approval ~ compares, contrasts, interprets, and analyzes new and abstract info ~ communicates effectively and develops competence in oral and written modalities RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ~ interprets emotions, attitudes, and intentions communicated by others' facial expressions and body language ~ is aware of social space zones |
Source: Ohio Statewide Language Task Force. (1990). Developmental milestones: Language behaviors. In Ohio Handbook for the Identification, Evaluation, and Placement of Children with Language Problems (1991). Columbus: Ohio Department of Education.
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11/02/06 mn