The following is a checklist that has been devised by our SLT Olive to briefly see if a child is meeting their milestones. This checklist is not meant as a diagnostic tool; rather it gives a concise overview of general speech and language development goals.
Milestones for a 1 to 2 year old child.
| Understanding | Talking |
| Knows body parts when asked. Follows simple directions and understands simple questions ("Where's your shoe?") Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes Points to pictures in a book when named |
Puts two words together ("more cookie," "no juice," "mommy book") Uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words |
Milestones for a 2 to 3 year old child
| Understanding | Talking |
| Follows two requests ("Get the book and put it on the table") Listens to and enjoys hearing stories for longer periods of time |
Has a word for almost everything. Uses two- or three- words 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 |
Milestones for a 3 to 4 year old child.
| Understanding | Talking |
| Answers simple "what?", "where?", and "why?" questions | People outside of the 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 |
Milestones for a 4 to 5 year old child.
| Understanding | Talking |
| Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about them | Uses sentences that give lots of details ("The biggest peach is mine") Tells stories that stick to topic Communicates easily with other children and adults Says rhyming words Names some letters and numbers Uses the same grammar as the rest of the family |