Language and Communication Milestones for your baby

The language and communication milestones listed below can be helpful in identifying areas of concern that you may have for your child. If your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or if you think there could be a problem with the way your child plays, learns, speaks or acts, talk to your child’s doctor and share your concerns. Don’t wait.

2 months

• Coos, makes gurgling sounds
• Turns head toward sound

 4 months

• Begins to babble
• Babbles with expression
• Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired

 6 months

• Responds to sounds by making sounds
• Strings vowels together when babbling (“ah”, “eh”, “oh”) and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds
• Responds to own name
• Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure
• Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with “m” “b”)

9 months

• Understands “no”
• Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
• Copies sounds and gestures of others
• Uses fingers to point at things

 1 year

• Responds to simple spoken requests
• Uses simple gestures, like shaking head “no” or waving “bye bye”
• Makes sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech)
• Says “mama” and “dada” and exclamations like “uh-oh!”
• Tried to say words you say

 18 months

• Says several single words
• Says and shakes head “no”
• Points to show someone what he wants

 2 years

• Points to things or pictures when they are named
• Knows names of familiar people and body parts
• Says sentences with 2 to 4 words
• Follows simple instructions
• Repeats words overheard in conversation
• Points to things in a book

 3 years

• Follows instructions with 2 or 3 steps
• Can name most familiar things
• Understands words like “in”, “on”, and “under”
• Says first name, age, and sex
• Says words like “I, “me”, “we” and “you” and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats)
• Talks well enough for strangers to understand most of the time