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

Moves eyes in direction of sounds

Responds to changes in tone of your voice

Notices toys that make sounds

Pays attention to music

Enjoys games like peek-a-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,” “book”

Begins to respond to requests (“Come here,” “Want more?”)

Points to a few body parts when asked

Follows single directions 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

Understands differences in meaning (“go-stop,” “in-on,” “big-little,” “up-down”)

Follows two requests (“Get the books and put it on the table”)

Listens to and enjoys hearing stories for longer periods of time

Hears you when you call from another room

Hears television or radio at the same loudness level as other family members

Answers simple “who?,” “what?,” “when?,” “why?” questions

Pays attention to short stories and answers simple questions about them

Understands words that involve sequencing (first, next, last) and time (yesterday, today, tomorrow)

Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school

Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing)

Cries differently for different needs

Smiles when sees you

Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including p, b, and m

Chuckles and laughs

Vocalizes excitement and displeasure

Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you

Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds each as “tata upup bibibibi”

Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention

Uses gestures to communicate (waving, holding arms to be picked up)

Imitates different speech sounds

Has 1 or 2 words (hi, dog, dad, mama) around first birthday, although all sounds may not be clear

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 at the beginning of words

Has a word for almost everything

Uses 2-3 words to talk about and ask for things

Uses k, g, f, t, d, and n sounds

Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time

Often asks for or directs attention to objects by naming them

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

Uses sentences that give lots of details (“The biggest peach is mine”)

Tells stories that stick to topic

Communicates easily with other children and adults

Says most sounds correctly except a few like l, s, r, v, z, j, ch, sh, th

Says rhyming words

Names some letters and numbers

Uses the same grammar as the rest of the family