Language Development Milestones

prefers human face and voice and can discriminate phenomes (sounds)

newborn

coos and laughs

1.5-3 months

begins babbling

1.5-3 months

babbles in string of sounds

6 months

reduplicate sounds

6 months

varied babbling

8 months

begins using gestures to communicate

8 months

jargon

8 months

uses phonetically consistent forms for words (specific patterns or utterances that infants use to consistently refer to particular objects)

10 months

says 1st word

10-14 months

combines words based on word order rules

18 months

vocabulary explosion (50-400 words)

16-24 months

first sentence, uses bound morphology (bound roots)

18-24 months

uses 3 or more word combos but understands more than speaks

30 months

says up to 1000 words, adult like sentences

36 months

adapts style of communication to fit conversational partner

4 y/o

90% of language form is learned

5 y/o

learns written modes of communication w/ writing and reading

6 y/o

all American English speech sounds are aquired

8 y/o

able to completely participate in conversations and telling of narratives

adolescence

knows multiple meanings of words and figurative language

adolescence