0-6 months
  • many consonants and vowels start to emerge (m, b, g, E)
  • natural vocalizations
  • increased vocal play and babbling
  • searches for the source of a sound
  • starts mouthing objects
  • responds vocally to pleasure
  • uses babbling to get attention
  • repeats syllables
  • imitates sounds

6-10 months

  • more vowels emerge (I)
  • babbling peaks
  • more imitation of sounds
  • jargon (string of vocalizations) begins

10-12 months

  • first true words may appear
  • consonants begin to develop faster than vowels
  • simplification of adult-form of words begins

16-24 months

  • child's overall speech is hard to understand (25% is understandable)

(2 years)

  • child may omit unstressed part of words
  • combination of words emerge
  • better production of some sounds

24-30 months

  • 90% of all vowels are learned

(2 - 2 1/2 years)

  • sentences usually contain 3 words
  • articulation is improving (60% is now understandable)
  • front consonant sounds are beginning to be learned (m, w, b, p)

30-36 months

  • all vowels are acquired

(2 1/2 - 3 years)

  • consonant sounds are learned (m, p, b, w)
  • articulation improves (75% is now understandable)
  • sentences contain up to 5 words

36-54 months

  • more consonant sounds are learned (n, -ing, y, d, t, k, g)

(3 - 4 1/2 years)

  • sentences may have 6 or more words

54-66 months

  • the consonant sounds of /f, v, th, l/ are acquired

(4 1/2 - 5 1/2 years)

66-78 months

  • /r, s, z, ch, j, sh/ are learned

(5 1/2 - 6 1/2 years)

84 months

  • all consonant blends are learned, articulation is completely normal

(7 years)

  • language continues to develop through the school-age years
 
   
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Copyright © 1997 North Shore Speech-Language Associates
Last modified: July 08, 1997