Key Terms:
Speech & Language Milestones:
the speech, language, and hearing skills that most children (90%) will demonstrate by identified ages
Speech:
how we say sounds and words - articulation, fluency, or voice
Language:
the words we use and how we use them to share ideas and get what we want.
- Receptive Language:
the ability to understand/comprehend language (following directions, vocabulary, sentence comprehension)
- Expressive Language:
the ability to express self using language - by gestures, sign language, verbally, or a communication device (vocabulary, grammar)
- Pragmatic Language:
the use of appropriate communication in social situations
Speech and Language Milestones: 4-5 years old:
Understanding (Receptive Language):
- Understands location words, like
behind, beside, and
between.
- Follows simple directions and rules
to play games.
- Locates the front of a book and its
title.
- Recognizes 10 or more letters
and can usually
write
their own name.
- Imitates reading and writing
from left to right.
Talking/Gestures (Expressive Language):
- Produces
grammatically correct sentences. Sentences are longer and more complex.
- Includes main
characters,
settings, and words like
and to connect information and ideas to
tell stories.
- Uses at least one irregular plural form, like
feet
or
men.
- Uses location words, like
behind, beside, and
between.
- Uses more words for time—like
yesterday and
tomorrow—correctly.
- Blends word parts, like
cup + cake = cupcake. Identifies some rhyming words, like
cat
and
hat.
Speech Sounds (Articulation):
- Produces most consonants correctly.
- Can produce
/v, s, z, "sh", "ch", "j", l/.
- Speech is
understandable in conversation.
Check out our other
parent resources and blogs about how to help
enhance
and
grow
your child's speech and language skills during these specific age ranges.
If you are concerned about your child's speech and language development - some of the next steps you can take include:
- contacting your child's pediatrician (ask for a referral for a speech and language evaluation)
- contacting your local regional center to see if your child could be assessed
- contacting a local speech therapy private practice that specializes in early language development
Resources:
ASHA. (n.d.). Communication milestones: 4 to 5 years. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
https://www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/communication-milestones-4-to-5-years/
