Phonology Development

0 - 3 Months 3 - 6 Months 6 – 9 Months 9 – 12 Months

• Birth cry – undifferentiated • Babbling begins • Uses m, n, t, d, b, p, y in babbling multiple • Vocalizes during play
• Reflexive sound making produces glottal Double syllables – VCV, aga syllables • Vocalizes to mirror
catch and vowels (ah, eh, uh) Puts lips together – says “m” • Babbles tunefully – singing tones • Jabbers loudly – wide variety of sounds and
Nasal tone is heard
• Some variety in non-crying sounds • Uses wide variety of sound combinations intonations
• Differentiated cry (true vocal communication
• Vocalizes pleasure and displeasure including non-English sounds • Uses most sounds (C&V) in vocal play –
begins) • Stops vocalizing when adult enters • Inflected vocal play – intonation patterns beginning of phonetic drift
• Coos and gurgles • Self-initiated vocal play heard • May acquire first true word –0-18 months
• Produces single syllables • Coos, chuckles, gurgles and laughs • Imitates intonation and speech sounds in • Variegated babbling begins – combines
• Begins blowing bubbles • Babbles to self, others, and objects his/her own repertoire different syllables in vocal play
• Babbling show pitch and inflection change • Reduplicative babbling begins – bababa
• Vocally expresses eagerness
1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years 2- 2 ½ Years 2½- 3 Years
• Uses sentence-like intonations (jargon) • Words increasing in frequency – jargon • Approximately 70% intelligible • Still some substitutions and distortion of
• Some echolalia almost gone by 2 years • May omit final consonant, reduce consonant consonants
• Uses most vowels and consonants and some • Asks questions by raising intonation at end blends; substitute one consonant for another • Continuing to improve intelligibility – now
initial consonants of phrase. approximately 80% intelligible
• Basically unintelligible with exception of a • Improvement in intelligibility – now • Consonants mastered: p, m, n, w, h
few words approximately 65% intelligible by 2 years
• Omits final consonants and some initial • Appearance of words produced with CVC
consonants structure (hot)
• Words produced with VC structure (bo/boat)
emerge)
• Accurately imitates some words
3- 3 ½ Years 3 ½ - 4 Years 4- 4 ½ Years 4½- 5 Years
• Uses final consonants most of time • Becoming very intelligible in connected • Should be few omissions and substitutions of • Most consonant sounds used consistently
• Phonological processes disappearing by age speech consonants and accurately, though may not be mastered
3: consonant assimilation, diminutization, • Continued refinement of articulatory skills • Very intelligible in connected speech in all contexts
doubling , final consonant deletion, taking place • More errors present in difficult blends
prevocalic voicing, reduplication, unstressed • Consonants mastered: b, d, k, g, f, y
syllable deletion, velar fronting
• Phonological processes continuing after
age 3: cluster reduction, deplatalization,
epenthesis, final devoicing, gliding,
stopping, vocalization
5- 6 Years 6 – 7 Years
• Consonants mastered: t, ing, r, l • Consonants mastered: voiceless th, sh, ch, j From: Speech and Language Development
(by 8 years, voiced th, v, s, zh are Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman,
mastered) and Jim Gorman, Pro-Ed.

From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman, Pro-Ed.
 Semantics Development Chart

0 - 3 Months 3 - 6 Months 6 – 9 Months 9 – 12 Months

• Startle response to loud sound • Anticipates feeding upon sight of bottle • Attempts to imitate gross gestures • Begins to relate symbol and object – first
• Visually tracks while on back • Watches or closely attends to movement • Comprehends parental gestures true word
• Moves eyes toward source of sound patterns • Looks at some common objects when names • Will give block, toy or object on request
• Attends to voice – turns head toward voice • Smiles on sight of face are spoken • Understands and follows simple commands
• Fixes gaze on spoon or bottle • Recognizes spoon or bottle • Comprehends “no” – inhibits on command regarding body action

• Orients to light • Laughs when playing with objects • Interest in pictures maintained for full • Responds with searching movements to
minute while they are name simple questions
• Briefly holds and inspects two objects (1-4
• Looks in correct place for toys out of sight
months) • Searches for partially hidden object (4-8
• Mouths some objects
months) • Turns heads immediately to own name
• Bangs objects together • Understands the meaning of “hot”
• Performs many actions on objects – shakes, • In presence of more than one object, shows
tears, slides, mouths, rubs awareness of more than one
• Sight of object or person produces gross • Indicates displeasure when object is
gesture (emerging nomination) removed
• Imitates ringing of bell
Attending Phase (0 – 9 Months) • Can name or look for subject out of sight –
Prerequisite of Semantic Development first true word
• Gestures and/or vocalizes to indicate wants
and needs (emerging state, recurrence,
nomination)
• Recognizes inverted object – emerging
awareness of top/bottom, front/back
1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years 2- 2 ½ Years 2½- 3 Years
• Follows simple one-step commands • Comprehends approximately 300 words • Comprehends approximately 500 words • Comprehends approximately 900 words
• Points to recognized objects (emerging • Listens as pictures are name • Listens to 5 to 10 minute story • Points to pictures of 10 objects described by
nomination) • Listens to simple stories – especially likes • Carries out series of two related commands their use
• Point to wanted objects (emerging state) ones heard before • Identifies action in pictures • Listens to 20 minute story
• Begins to claim certain objects (emerging • Points to five body parts on self or doll • Has concept of “one” and “all” • Knows own sex and difference
possession) • Responds approximately to yes/no • Knows in/on/under
• Points to one to three body parts on command questions (head shake) • Knows big/little
• Identifies two or more objects or pictures • Object permanence fully acquired • Matches colors
from a group • Discriminates food from other objects • Completes three piece form board, matches
• Perceives other’s emotions (unwraps candy before eating) shapes
• Imitates only events that are present to the • Is cautious of common dangers, such as
senses, not those from past experiences stairways, animals
• Has complicated, sequenced routines for
daily activities (bedtime, meals); objects to
change (beginning of time/sequence
awareness
From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman (Pro-Ed).
 1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years 2- 2 ½ Years 2½- 3 Years
• Uses 3 to 20 words • Uses approximately 50 recognizable words • Uses 200 intelligible words • Uses 500 intelligible words
• Vocalizes with gestures • Uses names of most familiar objects • Names six objects by use • Answers six to seven agent/action questions
• Says “all gone” (emerging negation) • Produces animal sound or uses its name • Repeats two numbers correctly (what runs?)
• Answers question “what’s this?” • Verbalizes toilet needs (closer to 2 years) • Answers “where” questions • Answers simple “who, why, where, how
many “ questions (3 years)
• Asks for “more” (emerging recurrence) may verbalize need before, during, or after • Answers “what….doing” questions
act
• Answers “what do you hear with?”
• Answers one of three questions (what do
• Identifies and names five or more pictures you do when you’re hungry, sleepy or
by 2 years cold?)
• Says own name on request – refers to self • Can ask simple questions (what’s that?)
with full name • Yes/No questions emerging (is he sleeping?)
• Verbalizes “no” • Repeats sentence of sex to seven syllables
• Verbalizes immediate experiences accurately
• Combines two words into phrases, ma use
three to four word responses (2 years)
• Begins to use some verbs and adjectives
3- 3 ½ Years 3 ½ - 4 Years 4- 4 ½ Years 4½- 5 Years
• Comprehends 1,200 words • Comprehends 1,500 – 2,000 words • Understands concept of the number three • Comprehends 2500 to 2800 words
• Knows “in front of” and “behind” when • Knows front and back of clothes (give me just three) • Answers two complex comprehension
object with logical front and back if used • Responds to commands involving three • Knows between, above, below, top, bottom questions
• Identifies hard/soft, rough/smooth actions • Names one color (54 months) • Executes three commissions in sequence
• Identifies circle and square • Recognizes one color • Can recognize two to three primary colors • Points to red, yellow, green, and blue on
• Responds to commands involving two (54 months) request (60 months)
actions • Knows heavy/light, loud/soft, like/unalike,
• Responds to commands involving two discriminates /long/short
objects • Classifies according to form, color or use
• Able to match sets (42 months)
• Uses 800 words • Uses 1000 to 1500 words • Answers 14 agent + action questions • Uses 1500 to 2000 words
• Responds appropriately to simple “how” • Answers 13 agent + action questions • Responds appropriately – not necessarily • Repeats two nonsense syllables
question • Can do simple verbal analogies (Daddy is correctly, to “how far” questions • Answers simple “when” questions (when
• Can answer two or three questions (what do a man, Mommy is a …..) • Defines four words in terms of use do you sleep?)
you do when you’re hungry/sleepy/cold?) • Answers (responds appropriately) to “how • Counts four objects • Answers 15 agent + action questions
• Beginning of question-asking stage – asks much” and “how long” (length of time) • Rote counts to 10 • Responds appropriately to “how often,
mainly “what” and “who” questions questions – not necessarily correctly
• Repeats four digits in one of three trials how long” questions
• Names 8 to 10 pictures • Tells two events in order of sequence
• Uses “what do…does…did” questions • Asks meaning of words
• States action • Long, detailed conversations • Tells long story accurately
• Supplies last word of line (the apple is on • Repeats 12 to 13 syllable sentence – one of • Counts 10 objects
the…) three trials
• Can name first/middle/last
• Counts three objects, pointing to each • Can answer three of three questions (what
• Identifies missing objects from group of
do you do when you’re hungry/sleepy/
three
cold?)
• Repeats days of week in sequence
From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman (Pro-Ed).
 5- 6 Years 6 – 7 Years
• Comprehends 13,000 words (by age 6) • Comprehends 20,000 to 26,000 words
• Can answer “what happens if…” • Understands roughly the difference in time
• Understands “opposite of” (the opposite of intervals
hot is…) • Understands seasons of the year, what you
• Differentiates am from pm do in each
• Understands yesterday/tomorrow, more/less, • Prints phone numbers and own full name
with no model
• Some/many, several/few, most/least,
before/after, now/later, across, a pair • Puts numerals 1-10 in proper sequential
order
• Has number concepts of 10 (give me blocks)
• Can point to a penny, nickel, quarter, dime
• Forms letters left to right – reversals and
inversions common
• Points to half and whole
• Prints alphabet and numerals from
• Knows right from left (by age 6) previously printed model
• Can shift classification – classifies according • Writes one syllable words related to sight
to shape, then color, shift in mental set vocabulary
• Grasps the basic ideas of additions and
subtraction
• Counts 12 objects correctly • States preceding and following numbers
• Recite (rote counts) numbers up to 30 and days of week
• Repeats four digits correctly • Is aware of mistakes in other people’s
speech
• Names basic colors
• Name five letters of alphabet (by age 6)
• Apt to use slang and mild profanity
• • Can tell address, both street and number
Can state similarities and differences of
objects • Second emergence of question state (why)
• Describe location or movement: through, • Recites the alphabet sequentially – names
away, from, toward, over capital letters; names lower case by 7;
matches upper to lower case
• Names position of objects: first, second,
third • Sight reads 10 printed words
• Names days of week in order • Names numerals 1-10
• Tells time related to a specific daily
schedule
From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman (Pro-Ed).
 Play Development Chart
0 - 3 Months 3 - 6 Months 6 – 9 Months 9 – 12 Months
• Long spells of staring vacantly at large • Raises head and chest when prone • Grasps dangling objects • Squeezes doll to make it squeak
masses (windows, walls) • Puts objects in mouth • Explores toy with fingers and mouth • Regards and pokes clapper of bell
• Hands predominately closed. No reaching to • Watches hands • Hitching present (beginning cause/effect)
grasp objects
• Plays actively when propped in play area • Will bounce when supported in standing • Deliberately drops toys and watches them
• If hand is touched, either clenches or opens 10-15 minutes position fall
• Reacts to paper or cloth on face • Looks intently at and shakes rattle • Sits without support • Plays ball with another person
• Raises head when prone • On visual cue, free hand comes towards • Uses pincer grasp to pick up small object • Still brings objects to mouth – uses tongue
• Will grasp object when placed in hand but doesn’t grasp rattle. • Drinks form cup
more
• Reaches for object but misses (3 months) • Pays attention to cube on table • Eyes and hands function in close interaction
• Puts objects in and takes them out of large
container (beginning awareness of in/out)
• May detect a tiny pellet • Imitates arm movements
• • Places one block after another on table
Generally inspects surroundings • Bangs spoon on table (prerequisite to counting)
• Smiles, fingers mirror image • Pull self to standing position • Responds to music
• Increases activity at sight of toy • Craws – on belly • Holds crayon – imitates scribble
• Words for toy out of reach
• Takes a few steps with help
• Exploitative in string play
• Can bring one object momentarily above
• Head control established in midline another (emerging awareness of spatial
• Bangs with object held in hand concept – precedes block stacking)
• Transfers object form one hand to another • Stack rings on pegs
• Rolls over – both ways • Throw objects intentionally
1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years 2- 2 ½ Years 2½- 3 Years
• Solitary or onlooker play – self play • Parallel play – plays near others but not • Parallel play predominates • Dramatization and imagination begin to
• Continual walking activities with them • Arranges doll furniture into meaningful enter play (make believe and pretend)
• Begins running- still and awkward • Talks to self as he/she plays groups and uses doll figures to act out simple • Beginning interest in cooperative play –
• Scribbles spontaneous with crayons • Little social give and take – little interest in themes from own experience plays with others in small groups

• Can remove mittens, socks, hat, unzips zipper

what others say or do but hugs, pushes, • Aligns three or more cubes to make train; • Interest in combining play things

• Puts objects in and out of container

pulls, snatches, grabs, defends rights by pushes train • Is willing to wait his/her turn
pulling hair and kicking • Builds tower of six to seven blocks • Will put toys away with some supervision
• Can figure out ways of overcoming some • Does not ask for help •
obstacles (opening doors, reaching high
Imitates drawing of vertical line • Watches cartoons on TV
places)
• Procrastinates • Sequences related action in play such as • Names own drawing
• Imitates many things (sweeping, combing
• Strings beads preparing food for doll, feeding it, wiping its
• Builds tower of nine blocks
hair – self use) • Transports blocks in a wagon rather than mouth
• Puts together four-part nesting toy
just building
• Pulls toys, carries or hugs dolls, teddy bear • Stacks five or more rings on a peg in order
• •
Very rapid shifts in attention – especially
Relates action to object or another person –
of size
washes, feeds, combs doll in addition to
expressed by gross motor skills
self • Draws horizontal line in imitation
• Likes to play with flexible materials such • Imitates drawing a circle
as clay, pat, pinches, and fingers
• Less rapid shifts in attention
From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman (Pro-Ed).
 3- 3 ½ Years 3 ½ - 4 Years 4- 4 ½ Years 4½- 5 Years
• Builds bridge from model • Increase in dramatization of play • Make cube gate from model • Likes cutting out and pasting
• Cooperative play begins • Complicated ideas but unable to carry out • Identifies parts missing in two pictures • Likes working on projects – may carry
• Organizes doll furniture accurately and in detail; no carryover from day to day • Shows off dramatically over from day to day
begins to use in genuinely imaginative ways • Prefers to play in group of two to three • Copies square • Definite interest in finishing what he/she
• Draws two or more strokes for a cross-on children; chooses companion of own sex
• Much self-praise
starts
imitation • Suggests turns, but often bossy in directing
• Uses dolls and puppets to act out scripts
• Plays in groups of two to five – friendships
• Beginning to share others
• Good imaginative play
becoming stronger
• Reenacts experienced events such as birthday • Often silly in play and may do things • Spurred on by rivalry in activity –
party, baking cookies wrong purposely competition
• Uses one object to represent another (stick = • Puts toys aware • Interested in going on excursions
phone or fence) • Likes to dress up • Draws unmistakable human with body,
• Draws a human with two parts. Adds three arms, legs, feet, nose and eyes
parts to incomplete human • Adds seven parts to incomplete human
• Builds structures/buildings with blocks • Copies a triangle
• Assumes the role of another person in play • Watches life situation programs on TV –
(becomes a teacher, animal, parent) gains information from verbal contents (60
months)
5- 6 Years 6 – 7 Years
• Copies drawing of rectangle with diagonals • Obsessive play interests – mania for games,
in middle funny books
• Copies drawing of diamond • Can s0pend hours at one activity
• Draws human with heck, fingers, clothes, and • Plays alone better than at 6 years
two dimensional legs • Groups play similar to 6 year old’s with less
• Adds nine parts to incomplete human ability to pretend and more to provide
• May start collections necessary paraphernalia
• Able to play games by rules • Demands more realism
• Builds elaborate things with blocks • Doesn’t branch out on many novel
adventures
• Plans many sequences of pretend event –
uses props and language to develop a theme• Better at planning actions
(going on a trip into outer space) • Beginning of inventing and designing
• Strong return to cutting out and coloring
• Fond of table games
• Predominant dramatization of experiences
and stories
• Likes stunts: gymnastics, tumbling
From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman (Pro-Ed).
 Syntax-Morphology Development Chart
0 – 3 Months 3 – 6 Months 6 – 9 Months 9 – 12 Months
Note: Due to the highly variable nature of syntactic and morphological development and due to the lack of sufficient research in the area, the age levels listed are approximations of when
certain forms and constructions may appear
1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years 2- 2 ½ Years 2½- 3 Years
• 50% of all utterances are nouns • Follows directions using one or two • Articles “a” and “the” appear in sentences • Auxiliary “is/am + ing” (girl is running)
• Mean length of responses is one or spatial concepts – in/on • Present progressive “ing” on verbal • Regular past tense verbs appear (walk/walked)
two words • Negation used in form of “no” (no bed) • Regular plural forms emerging (cat-cats) • Uses “s” for possession (Daddy’s car)
• Possessive emerging (Daddy car) • Uses in/on correctly • Uses pronouns – I, me, you, mine (he, she, and
• Refers to self with pronoun and name • Irregular past tense emerging it emerging)
(me Tommy)
• Uses come contractions in memorized form • Negative “not emerging
(don’t, can’t, it’s, that’s) • Uses contracted form of “is” (he’s running)
• Appropriate use of at least two pronouns • Adverbs of location emerging (here, there)
• Asks basic questions (Daddy gone?) • Begins to use do, can and will (emerging future
• Understands concept of first and second tense)
person pronouns (I, you) • Uses imperatives (commands: go get it, don’t)
• 33% of utterance are nouns • 25% of utterance are nouns, 25% verbs • Understands “est” adjective marker (biggest)
• Combines two words into phrase • Combines three to four words in subject + • Comprehends third person pronouns (he, she)
(approximately 2 years) in noun _+ verb verb + object format • 20% nouns, 25% verbs
or noun + adjective format • Mean length of response if 3.1 words • Mean length of response is 3.4 words
• Mean length of response is 1.8 words
• Infinitive complement (I want to play) emerging
3- 3 ½ Years 3 ½ - 4 Years 4- 4 ½ Years 4½- 5 Years
• Beginning to use “is” at beginning of • Possessive marker “s” consistent • “If” and “so” appear in sentences • Possessive pronouns – “his, her” emerge
questions • Regular third person singular (-s) consistent • Irregular plurals used fairly consistently • Uses “will” to form future tense
• Third person singular present tense(s) • Simple past tense (t, d) consistent (child/children) • Fewer errors in agreement between
emerging (he runs) (walk/walked) • “Our, they, and their” used consistently adjective/noun
• Contracted forms of modals (won’t, •
Present progressive “is + ing” consistent • Uses “could” and “would” in sentences • Reflexive pronouns becoming more consistent
can’t)
•
Contractions used consistently • Errors of noun/verb and adjective/noun • Comparative (er) emerging (bigger)
• Irregular plural forms emerging
•
Uses negative “not” consistently agreement are frequent
(child/children)
• Uses “are” with plural nouns (boys are
•
Pronouns: he, she, I you, me, mine
consistent
running)
• Uses “and” as conjunction
• “Are, they, their” used inconsistently
• Regular plural forms are consistent
• Reflexive pronoun “myself” emerging
• Uses is, are, am in a sentence
• More adverbs of time/manner are being
used
• Conjunction “because” emerging
• Uses “got” (I got it)
• “What was, what were,” questions emerging
• “Was…were” (yes/no questions) emerging
(was he there?)
From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman (Pro-Ed).
 3- 3 ½ Years 3 ½ - 4 Years 4- 4 ½ Years 4½- 5 Years
• Mean length of responses is 4.3 words • Mean length of response is 4.4 words • Mean length of response is 4.6 words • Mean length of response is 5.7 words
• Combines four to five words in sentences • Combines four to five words in sentences • Combines four to seven words in sentences • Combines five to eight words in sentences
• Uses compound sentence with “and” • Complex sentences used frequently • Passive voice emerging in some children
• Imperatives and emphatics used (the dog was kicked by the boy)
consistently
• Part of speech now in stable relationship
5- 6 Years 6 – 7 Years
• All pronouns used consistently • Fairly consistent use of most
• Superlative (est) used (biggest) morphological markers
• Adverbial word endings emerging • “If” and “so” developed by most children
(slowly, faster) • Reflexive pronouns developed by most
children
• Irregular comparatives used more correctly
(good, better, best)
• Perfect tense “have” and “had” emerging
• Nominalization occurring: noun forms are
developed from verb forms
• Continued improvement on irregular
plurals
• Iteration emerging (you have to clean
clothes to make them clean)
• Participial complements emerging
• Mean length of response is 6.6 words • Mean length of response is 7.3 words From: Speech and Language Development Chart
(2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim
• Syntax nearly normal • Passive voice fully developed in most Gorman (Pro-Ed).
children
• Continued refinement of syntax
 Pragmatics Development Chart
0 – 3 Months 3 – 6 Months 6 – 9 Months 9 – 12 Months
• Briefly looks at people • Fixes gaze on face • Initiates vocalizing to another person • Shouts or coughs to attract attention
• Follows moving person with eyes • Responds to name by looking for voice • Enjoys being played with (4-8 months) • Shakes head “no” and pushes undesired
• Quiets in response to sound (responds more source (4-8 months) • Different vocalizations for different states: objects away
readily to speech than non-speech sounds • Regularly localizes sound source/speaker anger, contentment, hunger (4-8 months) • Waves “bye”
• Smiles/coos in responses to another • Occasionally vocalizes in response to • Recognizes familiar people • Affectionate to familiar people
smile/voice (1-4 months) speech • Cries when parent leaves room (9 months) • Begins directing others’ behavior physically
• Excites when caregiver approaches (1-4 • Imitates familiar sound and actions (pat, pulls, tugs on adult)
months) • Extends arms to be picked up
• Aware of strangers and unfamiliar situations • Moves away from a stranger
(1-4 months)
• Participates in “pat-a-cake”, “peek-a-boo”,
• Cries differently when tired, hungry, in pain “so-big”
(1-4 months)
• Begins to vary behavior according to
• Quiets when picked up emotional reactions of others – repeats
actions that are laughed at
• Reaches to request an object
• Imitates novel sounds/actions
1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years 2- 3 Years
• Brings object to show an adult • Uses single words or short phrases to • Engages in short dialogues
• Request objects by pointing and vocalizing or express the intentions listed at 1-1 ½ year • Verbally introduces and changes topic of discussion
level
possibly using a word approximation • Expresses emotion
• Solicits another’s attention vocally, • Names objects in front of others
• Begins using language in imaginative ways
physically, possibly with a word (Mommy) • Says “what’s that?” to elicit attention • Begins providing descriptive details to facilitate comprehension
• Gesturally requests action/assistance (may • Begins using single words and two word • Uses attention getting words such as “hey”
give back wind-up toy to request activation) phrases to command (move), indicate
• Says “bye” and possibly a few other possession (mine), express problems (owee) • Clarifies and request clarification
conversational ritual words such as “hi”, • Much verbal turn-taking • Prenarrative development begins with heaps and sequences:
“thank you”, and “please” heaps – collections of unrelated ideas
sequences – story elements linked by perceptual bonds
• Protests by saying “no” shaking head,
moving away, frowning, or pushing object
away
• Comments on object/action by directing
listeners’ attention to it with a point and
vocalization or word approximation
• Answers simple wh questions with vocal
response (may be unintelligible)
• Acknowledges speech of another by giving
eye contact, vocally responding, or repeating
a word said
• Teases, scolds, warns using gesture plus a
vocalization or word approximation
From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman (Pro-Ed).
 3- 4 Years 4 - 5 Years 5 –6 Years 6 – 7 Years
• Engages in longer dialogues • Uses indirect requests • Narrative development characterized by • True narratives – well developed plot and
• Assumes the role of another person in play • Correctly uses deictic terms such as this, focused chains – stories have central character with sequenced events
character with logical sequence of events,
• Uses more fillers to acknowledge partner’s that, here, there
but ending is unclear
message (un-huh, yeah, OK) • Uses twice as many effective utterances as 3
• Begins code switching (using simpler year old to discuss emotions and feelings • Gives threats and insults
language) when talking to very young • Narrative development characterized by • Issues promises
children unfocused chains – stories have sequence of • May give praise
• Uses more elliptical responses events but no central character or theme
• Requests permission
• Begins using language for fantasies, jokes,
teasing
• Makes conversational repairs when listener
has not understood
• Correct others
• Primitive narratives emerge: events follow
from central core/use of inference in stories
From: Speech and Language Development Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim Gorman (Pro-Ed).