Receptive and Expressive Language
Receptive and expressive language skills are essential for conveying our wants and needs throughout the day across environments. Children who struggle in this area often have difficulty understanding both simple and complex instructions and may be unable to effectively communicate their desires or necessities.
A good way to understand whether or not your child might need help in these areas is through understanding milestones for language development.
Expressive Language Developmental Milestones Include:
By 12 Months
- Uses simple gestures, such as waving or shaking head.
- Says a few basic words like “mama” or “dada.”
- Imitates different sounds.
By 18 Months
- Says several single words.
- Can label familiar objects and people.
- Uses simple phrases like “more juice.”
By 24 Months
- Combines two words to form simple sentences, such as “want cookie.”
- Vocabulary of around 50 words or more.
- Begins to use pronouns like “me” and “you.”
By 3 Years
- Uses three to four-word sentences.
- Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time.
- Can name most familiar things.
- Uses pronouns and plurals.
By 4 Years
- Uses sentences with four or more words.
- Tells stories and can describe events.
- Speech is understood by strangers most of the time.
- Begins to use correct grammar more consistently.
By 5 Years
- Uses complex sentences with detailed information.
- Uses past, present, and future tenses correctly.
- Communicates easily with both children and adults.
- Can retell a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Receptive language developmental milestones include:
By 6 Months
- Responds to their name.
- Recognizes basic words like “no” and “bye-bye.”
- Shows interest in sounds and music.
By 12 Months
- Understands simple instructions, such as “come here.”
- Recognizes names of familiar people and objects.
- Responds to “no” and “stop.”
By 18 Months
- Follows simple one-step commands without gestures (e.g., “sit down”).
- Understands simple questions like “where’s your shoe?”
- Points to objects or pictures when named.
By 24 Months
- Understands simple two-step commands (e.g., “pick up the toy and give it to me”).
- Points to body parts when named.
- Listens to simple stories and enjoys hearing them repeatedly.
By 3 Years
- Understands prepositions such as “in,” “on,” and “under.”
- Follows multi-step instructions (e.g., “put your shoes on and get your coat”).
- Recognizes basic colors and shapes.
By 4 Years
- Understands concepts of same and different.
- Follows three-step directions (e.g., “wash your hands, dry them, and come to the table”).
- Understands questions about hypothetical situations (e.g., “What would you do if you were hungry?”).
By 5 Years
- Understands more complex directions and explanations.
- Can answer questions about a story after listening.
- Understands time concepts like “yesterday,” “today,” and “tomorrow.”
- Follows classroom instructions and routines.