- Startles to loud sounds
- Quiets or smiles when spoken to
- Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying
- Increases or decreases sucking behavior in response to sound
- Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing)
- Cries differently for different needs
- Smiles when sees you
- Moves eyes in direction of sounds
- Responds to changes in tone of your voice
- Notices toys that make sounds
- Pays attention to music
- Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including /p/, /b/ and /m/
- Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
- Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you
- Enjoys games like peek-o-boo and pat-a-cake
- Turns and looks in direction of sounds
- Listens when spoken to
- Recognizes words for common items like “cup”, “shoe,” “juice.”
- Begins to respond to requests (“Come here,” “Want more?”)
- Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as “tata upup bibibibi.”
- Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention
- Imitates different speech sounds
- Has 1 or 2 words (bye-bye, dada, mama) although they may not be clear
- Points to a few body parts when asked
- Follows simple commands and understands simple questions (“Roll the ball,” “Kiss the baby,” “Where’s your shoe?”)
- Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
- Points to pictures in a book when named
- Says more words every month
- Uses some 1-2 word questions (“Where kitty?” “Go bye-bye?” “What’s that?”)
- Puts 2 words together (“more cookie,” “no juice,” “mommy book”)
- Uses many different consonant sounds of the beginning of words
- Understands differences in meaning (“go-stop,” “in-on,” “big-little,” “up-down”)
- Follows two requests (“Get the book and put it on the table.”)
- Has a word for almost everything
- Uses 2-3-word “sentences” 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
- Hears you when call from another room
- Hears television or radio at the same loudness level as other family members
- Understands simple, “who?,” “what?,” “where?,” “why?” questions
- Talks about activities at school or at friends’ homes
- People outside 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
- Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it
- Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school
- Voice sounds clear like other children’s
- Uses sentences that give lots of details (e.g. “I like to read my books”)
- Communicates easily with other children and adults
- Says most sounds correctly except a few like /l/, /s/, /r/, /v/, /z/, /ch/, /sh/, /th/
- Uses the same grammar as the rest of the family
