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Speech & Language Milestones

Curious about what’s typical in speech and language development? The milestones below, adapted from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and Maryland’s Early Learning Standards, highlight what many children do at different ages. Each age range includes milestones, signs that extra help may be beneficial, and simple ideas you can try at home to encourage communication.

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As you explore these milestones, keep in mind that every child develops at their own pace, and small differences are normal. But if your child seems to be missing several milestones for their age, or if communication feels unusually difficult or frustrating, it may be a good idea to seek support.

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Birth–12 Months

Milestones

  • Smiles, coos, and reacts to voices.

  • Begins babbling with sounds like ba or da.

  • Recognizes familiar voices and may turn toward sounds.

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May Need Support If

  • Not smiling, cooing, or reacting to voices.

  • No babbling or interest in sound play by the end of the first year.

At-Home Ideas

  • Talk during routines: “Time to eat,” “All done,” “Bath time.”

  • Repeat your baby’s favorite sounds back to them.

  • Use simple gestures like waving “bye-bye” with the word.

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1–2 Years

Milestones

  • Uses 50+ words by age 2.

  • Combines two words (“more juice”).

  • Follows simple directions (“get the ball”).

  • Uses core words (up, more, all done) alongside labels.

 

May Need Support If

  • Not using single words by 18 months.

  • Fewer than 50 words or no word combinations by 24 months.

At-Home Ideas

  • Teach core words during play and routines: more, all done, up, go.

  • Label and describe everyday actions, not only objects.

  • Offer choices: “Do you want milk or water?”

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2–3 Years

Milestones

  • Uses 2–3 word sentences.

  • Vocabulary grows to 200+ words.

  • Understood by familiar listeners most of the time.

  • Begins using pronouns (me, mine, you).

 

May Need Support If

  • Mostly points or gestures instead of talking.

  • Speech is very hard for even family to understand.

  • Persistent sound patterns (final consonant deletion: ca for cat; fronting: tar for car).

At-Home Ideas

  • Expand on what your child says: if they say “car”, you say “big car.”

  • Read simple books and ask them to name pictures.

  • Encourage pretend play and model short sentences.

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3–4 Years

Milestones

  • Speaks in sentences of 4+ words.

  • Answers simple “who/what/where” questions.

  • Speech is understood by most people.

  • Begins using grammar markers (plurals, -ing verbs).

  • Enjoys listening to stories and may begin recognizing rhymes.

 

May Need Support If

  • Speech is unclear to people outside the family.

  • Limited vocabulary or difficulty asking/answering questions.

At-Home Ideas

  • Read picture books and ask open-ended questions.

  • Play “I Spy” to practice describing.

  • Point out rhymes in songs and stories.

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4–5 Years

Milestones

  • Tells simple stories with a beginning and end.

  • Uses sentences of 5–6 words.

  • Speech is understood almost all the time.

  • Uses future tense and more complex grammar.

  • Recognizes rhymes and begins identifying sounds at the start of words.

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May Need Support If

  • Storytelling is very limited or disorganized.

  • Speech is still hard to understand at age 5.

  • Ongoing difficulty with grammar or sentence length.

At-Home Ideas

  • Play rhyming games (cat, hat, bat).

  • Ask them to explain steps in a simple task (“How do we make a sandwich?”).

  • Encourage dramatic play with roles and dialogue.

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5–6 Years

Milestones

  • Uses full sentences with mostly correct grammar.

  • Tells longer stories with detail.

  • Understands and uses describing words and opposites.

  • Begins connecting sounds to letters and blending sounds for reading.

 

May Need Support If

  • Difficulty retelling simple stories.

  • Frequent grammar errors that affect understanding.

  • Trouble connecting sounds to letters.

At-Home Ideas

  • Play beginning sound games (What starts with /b/?).

  • Sort objects by category (fruit vs. toys).

  • Encourage detailed descriptions: “The red, round ball bounces.”

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6–8 Years

Milestones

  • Uses clear speech with few errors.

  • Retells stories with sequence and details.

  • Follows multi-step directions.

  • Uses language for reasoning (because, so, if).

  • Identifies rhyming words, beginning sounds, and blends.

 

May Need Support If

  • Speech sound errors persist beyond expected ages.

  • Difficulty organizing stories or explanations.

  • Trouble following multi-step instructions.

At-Home Ideas

  • Ask your child to explain a process step-by-step.

  • Play guessing games to practice reasoning.

  • Practice rhyming words and sound games.

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9–10 Years

Milestones

  • Understands and uses figurative language (idioms, jokes).

  • Organizes written and spoken ideas clearly.

  • Uses academic language (summarize, compare, contrast).

 

May Need Support If

  • Difficulty with higher-level language tasks (summarizing, explaining).

  • Struggles with figurative language or humor.

  • Trouble writing organized paragraphs.

At-Home Ideas

  • Discuss characters’ feelings and motives in stories.

  • Encourage journal writing with prompts.

  • Use graphic organizers for school assignments.

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Tweens & Teens (11+)

Milestones

  • Engage in conversations with multiple perspectives.

  • Use advanced vocabulary across subjects.

  • Understand sarcasm, subtle humor, and abstract ideas.

  • Apply language to academic writing and presentations.

 

May Need Support If

  • Difficulty with classroom presentations or group projects.

  • Trouble writing essays with clear organization.

  • Struggles with nonliteral language in reading.

At-Home Ideas

  • Encourage debates on everyday topics (Which is better: summer or winter?).

  • Talk through problem-solving steps out loud.

  • Support note-taking and summarizing for schoolwork.

If you’re concerned about your child’s speech or language development, we’re here to help.


Learn more about how Bright Kite Therapy can support your child’s communication journey.

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