Milestones

Hearing/Understanding and Talking Milestones

	Hearing/Understanding	Talking
0 – 3 Months	Startles to loud sounds Quiets or smiles when spoken to Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying Increases or decreases sucking behavior in response to sound	Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing) Cries differently for different needs Smiles when sees you
4 – 6 Months	Moves eyes in direction of sounds Responds to changes in tone of your voice Notices toys that make sounds Pays attention to music	Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including /p/, /b/ and /m/ Vocalizes excitement and displeasure Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you
7 – 12 Months	Enjoys games like peek-o-boo and pat-a-cake Turns and looks in direction of sounds Listens when spoken to Recognizes words for common items like “cup”, “shoe,” “juice.” Begins to respond to requests (“Come here,” “Want more?”)	Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as “tata upup bibibibi.” Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention Imitates different speech sounds Has 1 or 2 words (bye-bye, dada, mama) although they may not be clear
1 – 2 Years	Points to a few body parts when asked Follows simple commands and understands simple questions (“Roll the ball,” “Kiss the baby,” “Where’s your shoe?”) Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes Points to pictures in a book when named	Says more words every month Uses some 1-2 word questions (“Where kitty?” “Go bye-bye?” “What’s that?”) Puts 2 words together (“more cookie,” “no juice,” “mommy book”) Uses many different consonant sounds of the beginning of words
2 – 3 Years	Understands differences in meaning (“go-stop,” “in-on,” “big-little,” “up-down”) Follows two requests (“Get the book and put it on the table.”)	Has a word for almost everything Uses 2-3-word “sentences” to talk about and ask for things Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time Often asks for or directs attention to objects by naming them
3 – 4 Years	Hears you when call from another room Hears television or radio at the same loudness level as other family members Understands simple, “who?,” “what?,” “where?,” “why?” questions	Talks about activities at school or at friends’ homes People outside family usually understand child’s speech Uses a lot of sentences that have 4 or more words Usually talks easily without repeating syllables or words
4 – 5 Years	Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school	Voice sounds clear like other children’s Uses sentences that give lots of details (e.g. “I like to read my books”) Communicates easily with other children and adults Says most sounds correctly except a few like /l/, /s/, /r/, /v/, /z/, /ch/, /sh/, /th/ Uses the same grammar as the rest of the family

Oral-Motor, Feeding, and Speech Development Milestones

Childrens' speech development milestones

34 Weeks Gestation to Full Term (40 Weeks Gestation)

Is developing oral-motor coordination to begin bottle or breast-feeding, including a suck-swallow rhythm

0 – 5 Months

Takes nutrition primarily through breast milk or formula from a bottle
Begins to explore rattles and toys orally
Begins to bring hands to the mouth
Makes cooing and gurgling sounds during play
Cries in a manner that is purposeful and communicative

5 – 8 Months

Begins accepting spoon feeding of semisolid foods, such as stage 1 or 2 jar foods or baby cereals
Sometimes displays munching pattern with thicker jar foods
Begins sitting in a high chair
Produces emerging babbling and sound play
Holds a bottle and tips it accordingly to receive liquid
Begins to use cup around 8 Months with an adult holding the cup and tipping slowly

8 – 12 Months

Begins to eat soft-solid foods and some first finger foods and to produce more noticeable up and down movement of the jaw during chewing
Picks up and puts to mouth foods such as Cheerios, soft vegetables cut into pieces, and small pieces of toast
Is becoming adept at closing lips on a spoon to clear the food off
Holds a spoon (will not necessarily feed himself, but will hold and experiment with his or her own spoon)
Begins eating cold and warm foods of varying temperatures
Tolerates massaging of gums
Produces increased drooling with emergence of teeth
Continues to mouth objects

12 – 15 Months

Starts to hold the cup and take a few sips on his own
May begin drinking from a juice box with a straw
Blows on a simple and easy instruments or infant blow toys
Starts to hold the spoon and get it to his or her mouth with lots of mess
May be able to take a bite of a sandwich when it is held by an adult
May drool less, even with teeth emerging
May continue to mouth toys, but becomes more selective
Is introduced to the concept of toothbrushing

15 Months – 2 Years

Is pretty independent with mealtime in terms of feeding self, using utensils, and drinking from a cup or straw
Should be able to request foods or choose foods when given options
May have favorite foods
Tolerates foods of all temperatures
Has vocabulary of at least 50 words and starts to put two words together
Imitates adult’s words and facial expressions

3 – 5 Years

Eats independently
Participates in mealtime routines at home and at school
Is willing to try new foods on a limited basis
Is able to blow bubbles and age-appropriate whistles and blow toys
Produces speech and language that is similar to that of an adult with occasional articulation, grammer, or syntax errors
Is able to imitate rapid oral-motor movements and up to three-syllable words
Is able to chew gum when taught in an appropriate manner
Brushes teeth independently

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LaChone Pitchford, MA/CCC-SLP

Chicago Speech Therapy Services

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Milestones

Hearing/Understanding and Talking Milestones

Oral-Motor, Feeding, and Speech Development Milestones