Speech and Language Milestones for Babies and Children

By Allison Martin

"Milestones are a road map to the awesome processes of maturation and learning that occur in those early formative years of life," according to Dr. Ed Hall. He explains taht langauge milestones provide information about the normalcy of a child's developmetn. Milestones can also provide a window of opportunity for parents and educators to optimize the development of language and cognition. Most importantly to parents of children who are at risk for speech or language disorders, familiarity with developmental speech and language milestones can help you determine whether it is time to seek professional guidance.

Typically, children learn the rudiments of language by age 3 and master it almost completely by age 10. Beginning with babbling, babies typically use single words by one year. As a general rule of thumb, children usually can speak in phrases using the number of words as their age, up to age five. For example, a two year old child can typically use two word phases. Most grammar is learned by age 5, with refinement continuing to age 10. However, even up to age 8 children are still developing the physical skills necessary to create all the sounds in words.

This variation in timing of development in speech and language makes it more difficult to determine if your child truly has a problem in this area. If you have concerns about your child's speech, please take this seriously and ask for an evaluation by your pediatrician and a qualified speech-language pathologist. The websites listed in our resource section provide lists of qualified speech-language professionals in the US and in Canada. There are also several excellent books available now for parents on speech issues for children, that provide helpful advice to determine if your child needs assistance. I highly recommend these books to any parent whose child is at risk for speech or language delays.

Here are some links to charts available on the web for the wide variety of language development milestones. (Milestones for preemies and international adoptees are provided on the bottom of the page.)

Learning Disabilities Association of America, Speech & Language Milestone Chart

ASHA, Language and Literacy Development

ASHA, How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?

Caroline Bowen, Developmental Milestones for Receptive and Expressive Language Acquisition

Caroline Bowen, Normal Speech Development (Phonological)

Children's Disabilities Information, Speech and Language : Causes, Milestones and Suggestions

Children's Disabilities Information, Speech and Language: Developmental Milestones

Speech Delay.com, Speech and Language Milestones (and parent suggestions)

Stanford University Medical Center, Age-Appropriate Speech and Language Milestones

University of Michigan, Developmental Milestones (Derived from American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

American Academy of Pediatricians, Guide to Your Child's Symptoms
Speech Development

Sharon Glennen, Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children