Phonology Development Chart - St. Rita School for the Deaf

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 • Vocalizes to mirror
Double syllables – VCV, aga syllables • Jabbers loudly – wide variety of sounds and
catch and vowels (ah, eh, uh) Puts lips together – says “m”
Nasal tone is heard • Babbles tunefully – singing tones intonations
• Some variety in non-crying sounds • Uses wide variety of sound combinations
• Differentiated cry (true vocal communication • Vocalizes pleasure and displeasure • Uses most sounds (C&V) in vocal play –
• Stops vocalizing when adult enters including non-English sounds
begins) • Self-initiated vocal play beginning of phonetic drift
• Coos, chuckles, gurgles and laughs • Inflected vocal play – intonation patterns
• Coos and gurgles • Babbles to self, others, and objects • May acquire first true word –0-18 months
• Produces single syllables • Babbling show pitch and inflection change heard • Variegated babbling begins – combines
• Begins blowing bubbles • Vocally expresses eagerness
• Imitates intonation and speech sounds in different syllables in vocal play
1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years
his/her own repertoire 2½- 3 Years
• Uses sentence-like intonations (jargon) • Words increasing in frequency – jargon
• Some echolalia • Reduplicative babbling begins – bababa • Still some substitutions and distortion of
• Uses most vowels and consonants and some almost gone by 2 years
2- 2 ½ Years consonants
initial consonants • Asks questions by raising intonation at end
• Approximately 70% intelligible • Continuing to improve intelligibility – now
• Basically unintelligible with exception of a of phrase. • May omit final consonant, reduce consonant
approximately 80% intelligible
few words • Improvement in intelligibility – now blends; substitute one consonant for another
• Consonants mastered: p, m, n, w, h
• Omits final consonants and some initial approximately 65% intelligible by 2 years 4- 4 ½ Years
4½- 5 Years
consonants • Appearance of words produced with CVC • Should be few omissions and substitutions of
• Most consonant sounds used consistently
• Words produced with VC structure (bo/boat) structure (hot) consonants
and accurately, though may not be mastered
emerge) 3 ½ - 4 Years • Very intelligible in connected speech in all contexts

• Accurately imitates some words • Becoming very intelligible in connected • More errors present in difficult blends

3- 3 ½ Years speech From: Speech and Language Development
Chart (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman,
• Uses final consonants most of time • Continued refinement of articulatory skills and Jim Gorman, Pro-Ed.
• Phonological processes disappearing by age
taking place
3: consonant assimilation, diminutization,
doubling , final consonant deletion, • Consonants mastered: b, d, k, g, f, y
prevocalic voicing, reduplication, unstressed • Phonological processes continuing after
syllable deletion, velar fronting
age 3: cluster reduction, deplatalization,
5- 6 Years epenthesis, final devoicing, gliding,
stopping, vocalization
• Consonants mastered: t, ing, r, l
6 – 7 Years

• Consonants mastered: voiceless th, sh, ch, j

(by 8 years, voiced th, v, s, zh are
mastered)

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
• Moves eyes toward source of sound • Looks at some common objects when names true word
• Attends to voice – turns head toward voice patterns
• Fixes gaze on spoon or bottle are spoken • Will give block, toy or object on request
• Orients to light • Smiles on sight of face • Understands and follows simple commands
• Briefly holds and inspects two objects (1-4 • Recognizes spoon or bottle • Comprehends “no” – inhibits on command
• Laughs when playing with objects • Interest in pictures maintained for full regarding body action
months)
Attending Phase (0 – 9 Months) minute while they are name • Responds with searching movements to
• Mouths some objects Prerequisite of Semantic Development
• Searches for partially hidden object (4-8 simple questions

months) • Looks in correct place for toys out of sight
• 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 • Can name or look for subject out of sight –

1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years 2- 2 ½ Years first true word

• Follows simple one-step commands • Comprehends approximately 300 words • Comprehends approximately 500 words • Gestures and/or vocalizes to indicate wants
• Points to recognized objects (emerging • Listens as pictures are name • Listens to 5 to 10 minute story
• Listens to simple stories – especially likes • Carries out series of two related commands and needs (emerging state, recurrence,
nomination) • Identifies action in pictures nomination)
ones heard before • Has concept of “one” and “all”
• Point to wanted objects (emerging state) • Recognizes inverted object – emerging
• Begins to claim certain objects (emerging • Points to five body parts on self or doll
• Responds approximately to yes/no awareness of top/bottom, front/back
possession) 2½- 3 Years
questions (head shake)
• Points to one to three body parts on command • Comprehends approximately 900 words
• Identifies two or more objects or pictures • Object permanence fully acquired • Points to pictures of 10 objects described by
• Discriminates food from other objects
from a group their use
(unwraps candy before eating)
• Perceives other’s emotions • Listens to 20 minute story
• Imitates only events that are present to the • Knows own sex and difference
• Knows in/on/under
senses, not those from past experiences • Knows big/little
• Matches colors
• Completes three piece form board, matches

shapes

• Is cautious of common dangers, such as

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
• Answers question “what’s this?” • Verbalizes toilet needs (closer to 2 years) • Answers “where” questions (what runs?)
• Asks for “more” (emerging recurrence) • Answers “what….doing” questions
may verbalize need before, during, or after • Answers “what do you hear with?” • Answers simple “who, why, where, how
3- 3 ½ Years act
4- 4 ½ Years many “ questions (3 years)
• Comprehends 1,200 words • Identifies and names five or more pictures
• Knows “in front of” and “behind” when • Understands concept of the number three • Answers one of three questions (what do
by 2 years
object with logical front and back if used (give me just three) you do when you’re hungry, sleepy or
• Says own name on request – refers to self cold?)
• Identifies hard/soft, rough/smooth • Knows between, above, below, top, bottom
• Identifies circle and square with full name • Names one color (54 months) • Can ask simple questions (what’s that?)
• Responds to commands involving two • Can recognize two to three primary colors • Yes/No questions emerging (is he sleeping?)
• Verbalizes “no” • Repeats sentence of sex to seven syllables
actions • Verbalizes immediate experiences (54 months)
• Combines two words into phrases, ma use accurately
• Responds to commands involving two
three to four word responses (2 years) 4½- 5 Years
objects
• Begins to use some verbs and adjectives • Comprehends 2500 to 2800 words
• Able to match sets (42 months) • Answers two complex comprehension
• Uses 800 words 3 ½ - 4 Years
• Responds appropriately to simple “how” questions
• Comprehends 1,500 – 2,000 words
question • Knows front and back of clothes • Executes three commissions in sequence
• Responds to commands involving three • Points to red, yellow, green, and blue on
• Can answer two or three questions (what do
actions request (60 months)
you do when you’re hungry/sleepy/cold?)
• Recognizes one color • Knows heavy/light, loud/soft, like/unalike,
• Beginning of question-asking stage – asks
• Uses 1000 to 1500 words • Answers 14 agent + action questions discriminates /long/short
mainly “what” and “who” questions • Answers 13 agent + action questions • Responds appropriately – not necessarily
• Can do simple verbal analogies (Daddy is • Classifies according to form, color or use
• Names 8 to 10 pictures correctly, to “how far” questions
• States action a man, Mommy is a …..) • Uses 1500 to 2000 words
• Supplies last word of line (the apple is on • Defines four words in terms of use • Repeats two nonsense syllables
• Answers (responds appropriately) to “how • Counts four objects • Answers simple “when” questions (when
the…) • Rote counts to 10
much” and “how long” (length of time) • Repeats four digits in one of three trials do you sleep?)
• Counts three objects, pointing to each questions – not necessarily correctly • Uses “what do…does…did” questions
• Answers 15 agent + action questions
• Tells two events in order of sequence • Responds appropriately to “how often,
• Long, detailed conversations
• Repeats 12 to 13 syllable sentence – one of how long” questions

three trials • Asks meaning of words
• Tells long story accurately
• Can answer three of three questions (what • Counts 10 objects
• Can name first/middle/last
do you do when you’re hungry/sleepy/ • Identifies missing objects from group of
cold?)
three

• 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,
• Some/many, several/few, most/least, • Prints phone numbers and own full name

before/after, now/later, across, a pair with no model

• Has number concepts of 10 (give me blocks) • Puts numerals 1-10 in proper sequential
• Can point to a penny, nickel, quarter, dime
• Points to half and whole order
• Knows right from left (by age 6)
• Can shift classification – classifies according • Forms letters left to right – reversals and

to shape, then color, shift in mental set inversions common

• Prints alphabet and numerals from

previously printed model

• Writes one syllable words related to sight

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
• Names basic colors • Is aware of mistakes in other people’s
• Name five letters of alphabet (by age 6)
• Can state similarities and differences of speech

objects • Apt to use slang and mild profanity
• Can tell address, both street and number
• Describe location or movement: through, • Second emergence of question state (why)
• Recites the alphabet sequentially – names
away, from, toward, over
capital letters; names lower case by 7;
• Names position of objects: first, second, matches upper to lower case

third • Sight reads 10 printed words
• Names numerals 1-10
• Names days of week in order • 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
• Regards and pokes clapper of bell
masses (windows, walls) • Puts objects in mouth • Explores toy with fingers and mouth
• Watches hands • Hitching present (beginning cause/effect)
• Hands predominately closed. No reaching to • Plays actively when propped in play area • Will bounce when supported in standing
• Deliberately drops toys and watches them
grasp objects 10-15 minutes position
fall
• If hand is touched, either clenches or opens • Looks intently at and shakes rattle • Sits without support
• Reacts to paper or cloth on face • On visual cue, free hand comes towards • Uses pincer grasp to pick up small object • Plays ball with another person
• Raises head when prone • Drinks form cup • Still brings objects to mouth – uses tongue
• Will grasp object when placed in hand but doesn’t grasp rattle. • Eyes and hands function in close interaction
• Reaches for object but misses (3 months) • Imitates arm movements more
• Pays attention to cube on table • Bangs spoon on table
• May detect a tiny pellet • Pull self to standing position • Puts objects in and takes them out of large
• Generally inspects surroundings • Craws – on belly
• Smiles, fingers mirror image container (beginning awareness of in/out)
• Increases activity at sight of toy
• Words for toy out of reach • Places one block after another on table

• Exploitative in string play (prerequisite to counting)

• Head control established in midline • Responds to music
• Holds crayon – imitates scribble
• Bangs with object held in hand • Takes a few steps with help
• Can bring one object momentarily above
• Transfers object form one hand to another
another (emerging awareness of spatial
• Rolls over – both ways concept – precedes block stacking)

1 – 1½ Years 1 ½ - 2 Years 2- 2 ½ Years • Stack rings on pegs
• Throw objects intentionally
• Solitary or onlooker play – self play • Parallel play – plays near others but not • Parallel play predominates
2½- 3 Years
• Continual walking activities with them • Arranges doll furniture into meaningful
• Begins running- still and awkward • Dramatization and imagination begin to
• Scribbles spontaneous with crayons • Talks to self as he/she plays groups and uses doll figures to act out simple
• Can remove mittens, socks, hat, unzips zipper • Little social give and take – little interest in themes from own experience enter play (make believe and pretend)
• Puts objects in and out of container
• Can figure out ways of overcoming some what others say or do but hugs, pushes, • Aligns three or more cubes to make train; • Beginning interest in cooperative play –
pulls, snatches, grabs, defends rights by
obstacles (opening doors, reaching high pulling hair and kicking pushes train plays with others in small groups
places)
• Does not ask for help • Builds tower of six to seven blocks • Interest in combining play things
• Imitates many things (sweeping, combing • Procrastinates • Imitates drawing of vertical line • Is willing to wait his/her turn
• Strings beads • Sequences related action in play such as • Will put toys away with some supervision
hair – self use) • Transports blocks in a wagon rather than • Watches cartoons on TV
preparing food for doll, feeding it, wiping its • Names own drawing
• Pulls toys, carries or hugs dolls, teddy bear just building mouth • Builds tower of nine blocks
• Very rapid shifts in attention – especially • Puts together four-part nesting toy
• Relates action to object or another person – • Stacks five or more rings on a peg in order
expressed by gross motor skills
washes, feeds, combs doll in addition to of size
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 • Shows off dramatically
in detail; no carryover from day to day • Copies square over from day to day
begins to use in genuinely imaginative ways • Much self-praise
• Prefers to play in group of two to three • Uses dolls and puppets to act out scripts • Definite interest in finishing what he/she
• Draws two or more strokes for a cross-on • Good imaginative play
children; chooses companion of own sex starts
imitation
• Suggests turns, but often bossy in directing • Plays in groups of two to five – friendships
• Beginning to share
• Reenacts experienced events such as birthday others becoming stronger

party, baking cookies • Often silly in play and may do things • Spurred on by rivalry in activity –

• Uses one object to represent another (stick = wrong purposely competition

phone or fence) • Puts toys aware • Interested in going on excursions
• 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
• Builds elaborate things with blocks • Demands more realism
• Plans many sequences of pretend event – • Doesn’t branch out on many novel

uses props and language to develop a theme adventures
(going on a trip into outer space)
• Better at planning actions
• 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)
• Regular plural forms emerging (cat-cats) • Uses “s” for possession (Daddy’s car)
two words • Negation used in form of “no” (no bed) • Uses in/on correctly • Uses pronouns – I, me, you, mine (he, she, and
• Possessive emerging (Daddy car) • Irregular past tense emerging
• Refers to self with pronoun and name • Uses come contractions in memorized form it emerging)

(me Tommy) (don’t, can’t, it’s, that’s) • Negative “not emerging
• 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
• Mean length of response is 3.4 words
or noun + adjective format • Mean length of response if 3.1 words • Infinitive complement (I want to play) emerging

• Mean length of response is 1.8 words

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
• Simple past tense (t, d) consistent • Fewer errors in agreement between
• Third person singular present tense(s) (child/children)
(walk/walked) adjective/noun
emerging (he runs) • “Our, they, and their” used consistently
• Present progressive “is + ing” consistent • Uses “could” and “would” in sentences • Reflexive pronouns becoming more consistent
• Contracted forms of modals (won’t, • Contractions used consistently • Errors of noun/verb and adjective/noun • Comparative (er) emerging (bigger)
• Uses negative “not” consistently
can’t) • Pronouns: he, she, I you, me, mine agreement are frequent

• Irregular plural forms emerging consistent

(child/children) • “Are, they, their” used inconsistently
• Reflexive pronoun “myself” emerging
• Uses “are” with plural nouns (boys are • More adverbs of time/manner are being

running) used

• Uses “and” as conjunction
• Regular plural forms are consistent
• Uses is, are, am in a sentence

• 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 From: Speech and Language Development Chart
5- 6 Years (the dog was kicked by the boy) (2nd Ed.) by Addy Gard, Leslea Gilman, and Jim
consistently Gorman (Pro-Ed).
• All pronouns used consistently
• Superlative (est) used (biggest) • Part of speech now in stable relationship
• Adverbial word endings emerging
6 – 7 Years
(slowly, faster)
• Fairly consistent use of most
• Mean length of response is 6.6 words
• Syntax nearly normal morphological markers

• “If” and “so” developed by most children
• 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 7.3 words
• Passive voice fully developed in most

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
• Imitates familiar sound and actions
• Excites when caregiver approaches (1-4 (pat, pulls, tugs on adult)

months) • Extends arms to be picked up
• Moves away from a stranger
• Aware of strangers and unfamiliar situations • Participates in “pat-a-cake”, “peek-a-boo”,

(1-4 months) “so-big”

• Cries differently when tired, hungry, in pain • Begins to vary behavior according to

(1-4 months) emotional reactions of others – repeats

• Quiets when picked up

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 • Expresses emotion
possibly using a word approximation • Begins using language in imaginative ways
• Names objects in front of others • Begins providing descriptive details to facilitate comprehension
• Solicits another’s attention vocally, • Says “what’s that?” to elicit attention • Uses attention getting words such as “hey”
• Begins using single words and two word • Clarifies and request clarification
physically, possibly with a word (Mommy) • Prenarrative development begins with heaps and sequences:
phrases to command (move), indicate
• Gesturally requests action/assistance (may possession (mine), express problems (owee) heaps – collections of unrelated ideas
sequences – story elements linked by perceptual bonds
give back wind-up toy to request activation) • Much verbal turn-taking

• Says “bye” and possibly a few other

conversational ritual words such as “hi”,
“thank you”, and “please”

• 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,
• Uses more fillers to acknowledge partner’s focused chains – stories have central character with sequenced events
that, here, there character with logical sequence of events,
message (un-huh, yeah, OK) but ending is unclear
• Uses twice as many effective utterances as 3
• Begins code switching (using simpler • Gives threats and insults
year old to discuss emotions and feelings • Issues promises
language) when talking to very young • May give praise
children • Narrative development characterized by

• Uses more elliptical responses unfocused chains – stories have sequence of
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).