Best Language Milestones References

Here are some of my favorite Speech and Language Milestone References.

LinguiSystems Communication Milestones FREE (has a ton of data, might have some terms that are confusing if you are not super familiar with SLP literature)

Zero to Three Developmental Milestones a great resource for kids ages birth to 3 years hits all major areas of development (not just speech and language)

ASHA Birth to age 5 Reference  contains information about language and speech development for ages birth to five, broken down by how old they are

ASHA Kindergarten to 5th Grade Reference contains information about language skill for school age kids broken down by what grade they are in


There are a lot of developmental checklists out there for tracking your child's speech.  You will notice that each checklist has a wide range of when kids are supposed to be picking up new skills.  That is because all kids progress differently and that is ok...but sometimes it is hard to know exactly when to worry.

Will your child figure it out if you just watch and see?  Does your child need specialized help?  It can be confusing and cause anxiety...if you feel worried I suggest that you first talk with your pediatrician and the child's preschool or school teacher.  These professionals know normal development and are very good at sensing if there is a bigger problem.  Then you can reach out to a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) if it is appropriate.  There are some milestones that are very important for kids to master, a SLP will be able to tell you exactly which skills your child is in the process of learning and which will come next and where to start working and how to target each goal and most importantly...why these skills are so important.

*tip - as you are researching I highly recommend checking out the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website:  ASHA's website. It will contain the most recent evidence-based research so you can be sure you are getting facts and not crazy internet information that will just freak you out.

Reading Books with Toddlers

“Babies and toddlers are enriched by books. Even more important, the relationships between very young children and their parents are enriched by books. Books (can) provide a source of mutual pleasure for parent and child that is likely to last a lifetime. We introduce infants and toddlers to books not simply because of what they will learn from them, but so that they will grow to love them. It is a gift beyond measure.”

-Jeree H. Pawl, Ph.D

When should I start reading books with my child?

Today! It is never too early to start exposing your child to books. Books are a wonderful way to introduce children to new words, increase attention, and help build a child’s understanding of the world.

Your child will have the most success if you can make books part of your everyday routine. You can decide to read books as part of your nap and bedtime routine, in the car, at the grocery store, in the bath, and whenever you will most likely remember to make it an everyday habit.

How can I help my child become interested in books?

Try to have fun! When your child is engaged and enjoying himself he is learning. Remember that kids learn through playing, so books need to be viewed as another way to play.

Follow Your Child’s Lead: let your child decide how long you should be reading (a few minutes at a time is just fine), how much of a book you should read (you don’t have to read to the end of the story), and which parts of the book to read (you don’t have to go in order or in any order). Reading will be a lot more fun if you focus on what your child is interested in instead of what you think your child should be interested in.

Talk about the Pictures: you do not have to read all (or any) of the words to tell a story. Ask your child what he sees, look at what your child is looking at, and talk about the pictures that your child is interested in. Just asking “what’s that?” can get really boring…for you and for your child, try asking “what do you see?” instead.

Bring the Pictures to Life: pictures can be hard for a child to understand, they are a lot more abstract than the real object or action they represent. When you are reading try to bring the pictures to life: pretend to “eat” the berries, “wash” the boy’s dirty hands, “pet” the soft kitty, etc. These types of games will help your child comprehend what the picture means.

Let Children Turn the Pages: babies may not be able to turn the pages of a book but an 18-month-old will want to give it a try, and a three-year-old can certainly do it alone. Remember, it's OK to skip pages or go in any order. *Board books are especially great for encouraging a child to turn pages.

Create Books Together: your child may be a lot more interested in a book if it has pictures of him or his family. You can use basic dollar photo books and add pictures of family members or favorite toys or games to capture his attention. Another fun idea is to make a color book by having fun with crayons, markers, and paints.

Keep It Simple: For young children it is generally best to stick to books that are not too overwhelming or overstimulating. It can be confusing for a child to pick out specific objects on a very busy page of pictures, or to focus on a book and the language of the book if they are too caught up in the extraneous bells and whistles (lights and sounds).

What books are the best for helping my child engage?

It generally depends on the child’s age and experience.

Infant: 0-6 months

• Books with simple, large pictures or designs with bright contrasting colors (black and white and red are great colors for newborns).
• Stiff cardboard, "chunky" books, or fold out books that can be propped up in the crib (they also make great teething toys).
• Cloth and soft vinyl books with simple pictures of people or familiar objects that can go in the bath or get washed.

Baby: 6-12 months

• Board books with photos of other babies (babies love faces!).
• Brightly colored "chunky" board books to touch and taste.
• Books with photos of familiar objects like balls and bottles.
• Books with sturdy pages that can be propped up or spread out in the crib or on a blanket.
• Plastic/vinyl books for bath time.
• Washable cloth books to cuddle and mouth.
• Small plastic photo albums of family and friends.

Young Toddlers: 12-24 months

• Sturdy board books that they can carry.
• Books with photos of children doing familiar things like sleeping or playing.
• Goodnight books for bed time.
• Books about saying good-bye and hello (sturdy flap books are nice).
• Books with only a few words on each page.
• Books with brightly colored, engaging illustrations.
• Books with simple rhymes or predictable, repetitive text.
• Touch-and-feel books (you can talk about fuzzy, rough, bumpy, etc.).
• Animal books of all sizes and shapes (animal sounds are such fun!).

Older Toddlers: 24-36 months

• Books that tell simple familiar stories.
• Simple rhyming books that they can memorize.
• Bed time books.
• Books about counting, the alphabet, shapes or sizes.
• Animal books, vehicle books, books about playtime.
• Pop-up books, pull-the-tab books, touch-and-feel books.
• Books with humorous pictures and words.

References:

Choosing Books for Babies and Toddlers, www.zerotothree.org

Choosing Books for Young Children, Read with Me, www.rif.org

Tips for Sharing Books with Babies and Toddlers, www.zerotothree.org

Types of Picture Books to Improve Your Toddler’s Language, K. Scanlon, www.blog.asha.org

Typical 3 year old sounds/speech clarity

I have compiled some information about the clarity of speech that we would like to see in 3 year olds. These are some ideas for things to work on/look at when your child is approaching his third birthday. Don't get too hung up on any one item, try to look at your child's speech from a wide view when they are really little (birth to three). How they are using the words they have is just as or even more important than how they are saying them.

Sounds:

Children should be able to copy the “m”, “b”, “y”, “n”, “w”, “d”, “p”, and “h”

Children might be able to copy the “t”, “ng”, “k”, “g”, “f”, “v”, “ch”, and “j”

Words:

Children should use be using correct vowels in their words

Children should be able to say the sounds listed above in the beginning and endings of words (if they are alone and not in a group of consonants).

Children might not be able to say all of the consonants that are in a group (like the st in stop)

Children might replace a hard sound like a “v” with an easier sound like a “b”

Intelligibility:

Strangers should be able to understand around 75% of what child says (gestures included)

Parents should be able to understand around 90% of what child says (gestures included)

Encouraging your child to talk GOOD TECHNIQUES

Don’t Anticipate Your Child’s Needs or Wants:

Don’t anticipate your child’s every need or want before they have a chance to make them known to you.

Example: When you know your child wants a drink – instead of just handing them the drink, require them to request it (pointing, signing, or saying “drink”).

Sabotage the Environment:

Mess up routines so your child has to communicate his or her needs.

Example: During mealtime give everyone a spoon but “forget” to give your child a spoon. Wait and see if your child initiates they need something. If they don’t initiate what they need, help them by saying. “What do you need?” or “Are you missing something” or “Uh-oh!” Label the item before you give it to them.

Play “dumb” when your child points to a desired object.

Example: When your child points to the counter for their drink (or another desired object you know they want), say: “What do you want?” (pause) “A spoon?” (pause) “An apple?” (pause) “A drink?” …. “Oh, Drink!”

Parent Speech:

Use clear simple speech with your child during play routines. The goal is to talk in phrases you want your child to copy – 1 to 2 words.

Example: Instead of saying “Go down the hall and get your shoes” say “Get shoes”. When getting undressed use short phrases “Shoes off…shirt off…etc.”

Don’t do this all the time. Your child needs to hear normal phrases as well.

Echo-Expansion Modeling:

Add 1 or 2 words to what your child says when you respond back to him or her.

Example: When your child says “up” say “up… you want up”.

Self-Talk:

When your child is within hearing range, talk about what you are doing while you do it.

Example: When washing your hands at the sink say “wash hands”, when the phone is ringing say “I hear the phone”.

Parallel Talk:

When playing with your child, describe what your child is doing while they are doing it.

Example: When your child picks up a car – say “pick up car”. When your child drops a block – say “drop block”.

Describe what he is seeing and hearing.

Example: “That’s a ball”, When listening to music say “Music, listen to music”

The Importance of Play

I have heard it said that "play is a child's work". I think defining play as work (any type of work) makes it sound less fun, less like play. Today I attended a training discussing play that gave it a much more appropriate definition. A better way to describe play is something that is spontaneous, volitional and "timeless".

Play is:
FUN!
The way that children explore their world
The best way for kids to create connections within their brains
Essential for a child's cognitive development

Play is not*:
Looking at flash-cards
"Drilled" games
Adult directed
*These things can be fun and can be good ways to teach children specific skills BUT they are not what I consider play. Children need quiet time (no TV/radio/computer distractions) set aside each day for them to engage in free-play.

I want to encourage parents to play with their children. Let your child lead the activities, follow what your child seems interested in. Think of ways to expand your child's current knowledge of household objects. Have fun!

What if you get "stuck" in the same play routine or you struggle to think of new ways to play with the toys your children like?
One great way to overcome these challenges is to write down 10 different games or activities you could do with the tricky toy in advance. Then when you are in the "spontaneous play moment" you will have some ideas in mind so that you don't feel stuck.
For example: My child has a "blankie" that he is always carrying, after wrapping him in it a few times I ran out of ideas...so here is my list
1) Give pull-rides
2) Superhero cape
3) Tug of war
4) Parachute to bounce balls
6) Be ghosts
7) Dress-up (skirts, turbans, hair)
8) Use for a swing
9) Fort/tent
10) Hot lava on red squares

Feel free to be crazy, think outside the box, whatever, just use your imagination.

Articulation Milestones

Infants and toddlers are not expected to be able to use all of the sounds that adults use in speech. However, there are certain sounds that most kids should be able to use with consistency. Here is a chart of some approximate ages that children should acquire sounds by (at the beginnings of words). Keep in mind...these are approximations at best.

12 months: b, d, g, n, m, h
24 months: b, d, p, t, k, m, n, h, w
36 months: p, b, d, k, g, m, n, h, ch, w, l, "y" as in "yellow" and "th" as in "the"

McLeod, S., & Bleile, K. (2003). From 2003 ASHA Convention: Neurological and developmental foundations of speech acquisition.