Typical Speech and Language
Development:
How to promote speech and language
development…
When to worry and when to relax
Objectives
• Describe the stages of Speech and Language
development.
• Help you know when to be concerned about your
child’s speech and language development
• Give you tools to help facilitate speech and
language in everyday situations.
The 5 areas of Typical Speech
and language development
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Syntax
Semantics
Morphology
Pragmatics
Phonology
Syntax
• The rules about how words are combined to form
sentences.
– Basically, grammar.
Semantics
• The meanings behind words and word
combinations.
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Vocabulary
Definitions
Implied meaning
Idioms
Morphology
• The understanding of the smallest unit of meaning
in a language.
– This includes the ability to add endings such as plural –
s, -ing, -ed, ly etc.
– Jump, jumping, jumped, jumps
– Fast, faster, fastest, quickly
Pragmatics
• The study of how language is used in social
situations.
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Reading/understanding body language
taking turns in conversation or play
maintaining a topic
making eye contact
Phonology
• The study of how sounds are produced in a
language.
– Articulation
Questions?
Now that we have all this
background information…….
Let’s take a look at how it applies to different
ages and stages of development.
But first a warning…
Every child is DIFFERENT!
All of the stages of development that we are going to
discuss tonight are guidelines.
If your child is not meeting the milestones at exactly
the “right” age does not mean that they aren’t
developing typically. Remember that each child is
different and that there is a range of time for all of
these skills to develop.
Birth-3 Months
• Child will display a startle response to loud
sounds
• Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if
crying
• Attend and turn their head towards a voice
• Smile reflexively
• Quiet when picked up
• Stops activity or coos back when a person talks.
4-6 Months
• The child will:
– Respond by raising arms when mother says come here
– Responds to changes in tone of your voice
– Move or look toward family members when they are
named
– Makes babbling sounds more speech-like with many
different sounds, including p, b and m
– Explore their voice through “vocal play” (growling,
squealing, yelling, making “raspberries”)
– Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
• Chuckles and laughs
7-9 Months
• The child will:
– Look at objects when named
– Understand “no”
– Begins using gestures
• shake their head for no
• Waving
• Holding arms out to be picked up
– Use a wide variety of sound combinations
– Babbling with differing consonant sounds (bamabama)
10-12 Months
• The child will:
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Understand up to 10 words
Understand simple directions (sit down)
Use first true word(s)
Give toys or objects on request
Turns head to their own name
Gesture and vocalize to indicate wants or needs
So my child is 1 or younger…
What can I do to help?
(the things you probably already do, but don’t
think about)
Promoting language
development: Birth to 1
• Reinforce your baby's communication attempts by
looking at him or her, speaking, and imitating his
or her vocalizations
• Repeat his or her laughter and facial expressions.
• Teach your baby to imitate actions
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Peekaboo
Clapping
blowing kisses
pat-a-cake
waving bye-bye
Promoting language
development: Birth to 1
• Talk while you are doing things, such as dressing,
bathing, and feeding (e.g., "Mommy is washing
Sam's hair"; "Sam is eating carrots"; "Oh, these
carrots are good!").
• Talk about where you are going, what you will do
once you get there, and who and what you'll see
(e.g., "Sam is going to Grandma's house. Grandma
has a dog. Sam will pet the dog.").
1-2 Years
• Syntax & Morphology:
– Uses one to two word phrases
– The child will use one word to convey an entire sentence
worth of meaning:
• Doggie!—Look at the Doggie
• Doggie?– Is that a doggie?
• Doggie.– Naming the object.
– May begin adding beginning word endings by 24 months
• adding –ing, and making words into plurals (dogs)
1-2 Years Cont.
• Semantics:
– Produces 50 words by 24 months (nouns most
prevalent)
– Understands around 200 words
– Follows 1-step commands with gestures
– Responds to yes/no questions
– Points to 1-2 body parts
1-2 Years Cont.
• Pragmatics:
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Child can be both the speaker and listener
Eye contact
Turn taking
Joint reference (will look at a book with an adult and
maintain attention at 18 months)
So my child is 1-2…
What can I do to help?
(the things you probably already do, but don’t
think about)
Promoting language
development: 1-2
• Keep talking while you do things and go places
(explain what you are seeing/doing)
• Use simple but grammatical speech that is easy
for your child to imitate.
• Expand on words. For example, if your child says
"car," you respond by saying, "You're right! That is
a big red car."
Promoting language
development: 1-2
• Read to your child as often as possible.
– Try to find books with large pictures and one or two
words or a simple phrase or sentence on each page
– Name and describe the pictures on each page
– Have your child point to pictures that you name
2-3 Years
• Syntax:
– Uses 2-4 words per sentence
• Sentence forms include:
– Object+verb “Mommy go”
– Verb+object “Go car.”
– Subject+verb+object “Mommy read book”
– Wh- questions (What that?)
– Expresses negation by saying no. (No eat.)
2-3 Years Cont.
• Morphology:
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Present progressive –ing
Plural –s
Regular past tense
Some irregular past tense words that are commonly used
like went.
– Prepositions in and on
– Possessive –s (Mommy’s or Daddy’s)
2-3 Years Cont.
• Semantics
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Produces between 200-600 words
Understands around 3,600 words
Answers simple Wh- questions
Identifies some body parts
Follows one and two-step commands
At 3 can tell a simple story
First pronouns (I and/or me)
Understands plurals
2-3 Years Cont.
• Pragmatics
– Child’s sentences are usually self centered but are
generally communicative in nature.
– Shifts from one topic to another very rapidly
• Phonology
– In general, by age 3 they should produce:
• p, b, m, n, h, w
– Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the
time
So my child is 2-3…
What can I do to help?
(the things you probably already do, but don’t
think about)
Promoting language
development: 2-3 years old
• Continue to expand on what your child says
• Expand on your child's vocabulary by reading
books that have a simple sentence on each page
• Look at family photos and name the people. Use
simple phrases/sentences to describe what is
happening in the pictures (e.g., "Sam swims in the
pool").
• Ask your child questions that require a choice,
rather than simply a "yes" or "no" answer
3-4 Years
• Syntax:
– Sentence length averages 3-5 words
– Begins using
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complex and compound sentences (“I jump and play”)
embeded clauses (“That dog over there is big”)
Passive voice (“Mommy was kissed by daddy”)
Negative sentences (“I can’t do it”)
3-4 Years Cont.
• Morphology:
– Begins using:
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Irregular plurals
Third person singular present tense (she talks)
Past and present progressive (was walking, is running)
Reflexive pronouns (myself, himself)
Uses simple regular plurals correctly
Contractions
3-4 Years Cont.
• Semantics:
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Produces between 800-1500 words
Understands 4,200-5,600 words
Asks how, why and when questions.
Understands common opposites (big/little)
Has labels for almost everything in their environment.
Tells about activities in sequential order
3-4 Years Cont.
• Pragmatics:
– Can maintain a conversation
– Uses words like please, thank you, hello, and goodbye.
• Phonology
– In general, by age 4 they should also produce:
t, d, k, g, f
So my child is 3-4…
What can I do to help?
(the things you probably already do, but don’t
think about)
Promoting language
development: 3-4 years old
• Expand vocabulary and the length of your child' s
utterances by reading, singing, talking about what
you are doing and where you are going, and saying
rhymes
• Start reading books that have a simple plot, and
talk about the story line with your child
– You can act out parts of the story together
– Have your child retell the story
• Encourage pretend play
4-5 Years
• Syntax:
– Sentence length 4.5-7 words
– Uses complete sentences
– Uses future verb tenses “I will go”
• Morphology:
– Comparatives (big, bigger)
– More consistent irregular plurals
– Most pronouns including posessives (mine, his)
4-5 Years Cont.
• Semantics:
– Produces 1500-2000 words; Understands 5600-9000
words.
– Names items in a category (animals, clothes, toys)
– Defines common words
– Tells longer stories with more accurate details
– Identifies objects by function (“show me which one you
write with”)
– Uses “why” questions
4-5 Years Cont.
• Pragmatics:
– Begins to respond to conversational repairs (I don’t
understand, could you explain that again?)
– Better able to maintain topics in conversation
– Less egocentric
• Phonology:
– In general by age 5 the child should also produce:
-ng- as in song, j- as in yarn
So my child is 4-5…
What can I do to help?
(the things you probably already do, but don’t
think about)
Promoting language
development: 4-5 years old
• Encourage your child to ask for an explanation if
he or she does not understand what a word means
• Read stories with easy-to-follow plots. Help your
child predict what will happen next in the story.
• Start to play early board games (Candyland,
Chutes and Ladders)
• Play games like “I Spy”
5-6 Years
• Syntax:
– Sentence length 6-8 words
– Past, present and future tense
– Language approaches more of an adult level
• Morphology:
– Uses indefinite pronouns (nobody)
– Superlative –est (earliest) and –ly (slowly)
• Semantics
– Understands and expresses spatial relationships (on/off)
– Describes similarities and differences
– Names the order of objects (first, second, third)
5-6 Years Cont.
• Pragmatics:
– Responds appropriately to and requests conversational
repairs
– Understands humor and responds appropriately
• Phonology:
– In general by age 6 the child should also produce:
ch, sh, s, dg-as in judge, l
Later developing sounds
• By age 7:
• l blends, st, v, r (initial position-red), vocalic r (bird, horse),
r-blends (grow, drive)
• By age 8:
– Th (voiced and unvoiced) sp, sw, sl, z, r in all positions
Things To Watch For
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No words by 18 months
Limited to no eye contact by 18 months
Pervasive rocking or flapping
Highly unintelligible speech at 3 (understanding
less than 50% of what the child says)
• Not putting a variety of words together by the
time they’re ready for preschool
Ways You Can Encourage Speech
and Language Development at
Home
• READ to your child
• Parallel and self talk
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Describe what you are doing to the child while you are doing it
and describe what the child is doing while he/she is doing it.
• Model correct sentence structures
– If the child leaves out words you can fill them in and/or
expand their sentences.
• “Want cookie”  “Oh you want a cookie”
• “Look doggie”  “Yes, look at the big dog! It is black and
white. Look at him run”
More…..
• Encourage pretend play and play with them.
• Encourage play with other children their own age
or older to improve pragmatic skills.
• Model correct productions of words:
– If the child says “nake” for “snake” you say it correctly
for them.
ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU DO
CAN ENCOURAGE SPEECH AND
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT!
JUST KEEP TALKING WITH YOUR
KIDS!
Thank you for your time!
Any questions?