when

These skills mark children's progress as they learn to communicate and gain speech and language skills. If you have concerns that your child is not meeting one or more of these milestones then Chatterbox can help.

6 Months

Orients to sounds
Startles in response to loud noises
Makes different cries for different needs (i.e. hungry, tired)
Watches your face as you talk
Smiles/laughs in response to your smiles and laughs
Imitates coughs or other sounds (e.g. "ah", "eh", "bah")

9 Months

Responds to his/her name
Responds to the telephone ringing or a knock at the door
Understands being told "no"
Gets what she/he wants through gestures (e.g. reaching to be picked up)
Plays social games with you (e.g. "peek-a-boo")
Enjoys being around people
Babbles & repeats sounds such as "babababa", "duhduhduh"

1 Year

Follows simple one step directions (e.g. "sit down")
Looks across the room to a toy when an adult points to it
Consistently uses 3 to 5 words
Uses gestures to communicate (e.g. waves "hi", "bye", shakes head "no")
Gets your attention using sounds, gestures, and pointing while looking at your eyes
Brings toys to show you
"Performs" for social attention and praise
Combines lots of sounds together as though talking (e.g. "abada badu abee")
Shows an interest in simple picture books

18 months

Understands the concepts of "in & out", "off & on"
Points to several body parts when asked
Uses at least 20 words consistently
Responds with words or gestures to simple questions (e.g."Where's teddy?", "what's that?")
Demonstrates some pretend play with toys Ie.g. gives teddy a drink, pretends a bowl is a hat)
Makes at least 4 different consonant sounds (e.g.p,b,m,n,d,g,w,h)
Enjoys being read to and sharing simple books with you
Points to pictures using one finger

2 years

Follows two-step directions (e.g. "Go find your teddy bear and show it to Grandma")
Uses 100-150 words
Uses at least two pronouns (e.g. "you", "me", "mine")
Consistently combines 2 to 4 words in short phrases (e.g. "Daddy hat", "truck go down")
Enjoys being around other children
Begins to offer toys to peers and imitate other children's actions and words
Words are understood by others 50% to 60% of the time
Forms words/sounds easily and effortlessly
Holds books the right way up and turns pages
"Reads" to stuffed animals or toys
Scribbles with crayons

2 -1/2 years

Understands the concepts of size (big/little) and quantity (a little/a lot, more)
Uses some adult grammar (e.g. "two cookies", "bird flying", "I jumped")
Uses over 350 words
Uses action words (e.g. run, spill, fall)
Begins taking short turns with peers, using both words and toys
Demonstrates concern when another child is hurt/sad
Combines several actions in play (e.g. feeds doll and then puts her to sleep, puts blocks in train then drives train, drops blocks off)
Puts sounds at the start of most words
Produces words with two or more syllables or eats (e.g. "ba-na-na", "com-pu-ter", "a-pple")
Recognizes familiar logos and signs involving print (e.g. golden arches of Mc Donalds, "Stop" sign)
Remembers and understands familiar stories

3 years

Understands "who", "what", "where" and "why" questions
Creates long sentences (e.g. using 5 to * words)
Talks about past events (e.g. trip to Grandparents' house, day at childcare)
Tells simple stories
Shows affection for favourite playmates
Engages in multi-step pretend play (e.g. pretending to cook a meal, repair a car, etc.)
Understood by most people outside of the family most of the timE
Aware of the function of print (e.g. in menus, lists, signs)
Beginning interest in, and awareness of, rhyming

4 years

Follows directions involving 3 or more steps (e.g. "first get some paper, then draw a picture, last give it to Mom")
Uses adult-type grammar
Tells stories with a clear beginning, middle and end
Talks to try to solve problems with adults and other children
Demonstrates increasingly complex imaginative play
Understood by strangers almost all of the time
Able to generate simple rhymes (e.g. "cat-bat")
Matches some letters with their sounds (e.g. "letter T says "tuh")

5 years

Follows group directions (e.g. "All the boys get a toy")
Understands directions involving "if...then" (e.g. "If you’re wearing runners, then line up for gym")
Describes past, present and future events in detail
Seeks to please his/her friends
Shows increasing independence in friendships (e.g. may visit neighbour by him/herself)
Uses almost all of the sounds of their language with few to no errors
Knows all the letters of the alphabet
Identifies the sounds at the beginning of some words (e.g. "pop” starts with the "puh" sound")