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Developmental Milestones
What Should My Child be Able to Understand
1.5 Years
Identifies pictures of familiar objects
Understands inhibitory words (e.g., “no”, “don’t”)
Indicates body parts on self, caregiver, or doll
Understands verbs in context
2 Years
Identifies clothing items on self, caregiver, or doll
Understands spatial concepts (e.g., in, off, out)
Recognizes actions in pictures
Understands several pronouns (e.g., me, my, your)
2.5 Years
Understands use of objects
Understands part/whole relationships
Understands simple descriptive concepts (e.g., big, little, wet)
Follows 2-step, related directions without cues
3 Years
Understands quantity concepts (e.g., “one”, “some”, “rest”, “all)
Understands pronouns “his” and “her”
Understands negatives in sentences
Understands negatives in sentences
3.5 Years
Identifies colors
Makes inferences
Identifies categories of objects in pictures
Understands picture analogies
Understands “more” and “most”
4 Years
Understands expanded sentences
Understands qualitative concepts (e.g., “tall”, “long”, “short”)
Understands shapes
4.5 Years
Understands “-er” as “one who”…
Understands time concepts (e.g., “night”, “day”)
Understands noun + 2 modifying adjectives
5 Years
Identifies an object that doesn’t belong
Understands quantity concepts 3 and 5
Indicates body parts on self
Understands passive voice sentences
5.5 Years
Orders pictures from largest to smallest
Understands quantity concepts (e.g., “half”, “full”)
Understands time/sequence concepts (e.g., “first”, “last”)
6 Years
Identifies initial sounds
Understands quantitative concepts (e.g., “each”)
Understands rhyming sounds
6.5 Years
Adds and subtracts numbers to five
Understands time concepts (e.g., seasons)
What Should My Child Be Able to Say
1.5 Years
imitates words
Uses 5-10 words
Vocalizes and uses gestures to make requests
Produces different types of consonant-vowel combinations
Babbles short syllable strings with inflection similar to adult speech
2 Years
Names objects in pictures
Uses words more often than gestures to communicate
Asks questions
Uses words for a variety of pragmatic functions
Uses different word combinations
2.5 Years
Uses plurals
Combines 3 or 4 words in spontaneous speech
Answers “what” and “where” questions
Uses verb + ing
Uses a variety of nouns, verbs, modifiers, and pronouns in spontaneous utterances
3 Years
Produces basic 4-5 word sentences
Names a variety of pictured objects
Tells how an object is used
Uses possessives
3.5 Years
Answers questions logically
Uses words that describe physical state
Completes analogies
Answers questions about hypothetical events
4 Years
Responds to “where” questions
Complete analogies
Names objects when the object is described
4.5 Years
Responds to “why” questions by giving a reason
Names categories
Repeats sentences
Uses qualitative concepts “short” and “long”
Uses “-er” to indicate “one who”
Uses past tense forms
5 Years
Formulates meaningful, grammatically correct questions in response to picture stimuli
Describes similarities
Names the items that fit into categories
5.5 Years
Completes similes
Counts items and gives correct number
Repairs semantic absurdities
6 Years
Defines words
Repairs grammatical errors
Rhymes words
Segments words
6.5 Years
Tells a story in sequence, using grammatically correct sentences
Tells a story with introduction, sequence, and conclusion
Uses irregular plurals
Expresses quantity (e.g., “empty”, “more”)
Speech Sound Development Chart (based upon Standard American English)
