Learning to Talk, Talking to Learn Handout

Receptive and Expressive Language Milestones

Age Range
0-1 months 1 -4 months 4-9 months

Receptive Response
Startle, eye widening to sound Quiets to voice, eye blinking to sound Head turns toward sound, responds with raised arms when mom says up and reaches for child, responds appropriately to friendly or angry voices Listens selectively to familiar words, begins to respond to no and to one-step commands (usually accompanied by gesture), understands approximately ten words (no, bye-bye, clap, hat, own name) Points to three body parts (eyes, nose, mouth), understands up to 50 words, recognizes common objects by name (dog, cat, bottle, ball, book), follows one-step commands accompanied by gestures (give me the doll, hug your bear, open your mouth) Points to pictures when asked show me, understands soon, in, on, and me, can formulate negative judgments (a pear is not a cookie) Follows two-step commands, can identify actions in pictures and can identify objects by use

Expressive Response
Range of cries (from hunger to pain) Vocal contagion, two-syllable babble Babbling, four-syllable babble, repeats self initiated sounds

9-12 months

Symbolic gestures, jargoning, repeats parent-initiated sounds

12-18 months

Uses words to express needs, has ten words by 18 months, word usage may be inconsistent and mixed with jargon and echolalia

18 months 2 years

Telegraphic two-word sentences (go bye-bye, up daddy, want cookie), 25% intelligibility

30 months

3 years

Knows several colors, knows what we do when we are hungry, thirsty or sleepy, is aware of past and future, understands today and not today

Jargon and echolalia decrease, average sentence of 2 -3 words, adjectives and adverbs appear, begins to ask questions, asks adults to repeat actions (do it again) Uses pronouns and plurals; can tell stories that begin to be understood; uses negatives (I cant, I wont, Im busy); verbalizes toilet needs; can tell full name, age, and sex; forms sentences of three to four words

Handout (continued) Receptive and Expressive Language Milestones

3 years Can answer such questions as do you have a doggie, which is the boy, where is the dress, what toys do you have, understands little, funny, secret Understands same versus different, can follow three-step commands, can complete opposite analogies (a brother is a boy, a sister is a), understands why we have houses, stoves, umbrellas Understands what we do with eyes and ears, understands differences in texture (hard, soft, smooth) understands if, because, when, why, identifies words in terms of use, begins to understand left and right Can relate experiences in sequential order, can say a nursery rhyme, asks permission

4 years

Can tell a story, uses past tense, counts to three, names primary colors, enjoys rhyming nonsense words, enjoys exaggerations, asks up to 500 questions a day. Can indicate I dont know, can indicate funny, surprise, can define in terms of use, asks definition of specific words, makes serious inquires (how does this work, what does it mean), language is now complete in structure and form, all parts of speech are used as well as all types of sentences and clauses

5 years