Language and communication development is about how children express themselves, their wants and needs, and share what they are thinking as well as understand what is said to them.
Language and communication is also a way for children to build strong connections with the people in their lives. Quality interactions will help children’s brains develop and strengthen their language and communication development.
Here’s some examples of what most children are expected to do at ages 3, 4, and 5 within this developmental domain.
3 year old:
- talks with you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges
- asks “who” “what” “where” or “why” questions, like “where is mommy/daddy?”
- says what action is happening in a picture or book when asked, like “running” or “playing”
4 year old:
- says sentences with four or more words
- says some word from a song, story, or nursery rhyme – talks about at
- least one thing that happens during their day
- answers simple questions like “what is a crayon for?”
5 year old:
- tells a story she heard or made up with at least two events
- answers simple questions about a book or story after you read
- keeps a conversation going with more than three back-and-forth exchanges
- uses or recognizes simple rhymes (bat-cat/ ball-tall)
In addition to looking for key milestones to monitor your child’s development, you can monitor for signs or look-fors that may indicate that your child needs extra support or may have a developmental delay.
A developmental delay could be detected if your child is not meeting the milestones for their age in one or more of the domains.
Bringing any concerns to your pediatrician and early childhood provider can ensure that your child gets the support that they need to help them be successful in school and beyond.
Definition
Strategies
Developmental Milestones
Resources
Detecting Delays
Who to Contact
Screening/Monitoring