Speech & Language Developmental Milestones
From 3 to 4 Years Old
Expressive Language Skills
begins to use simple grammar rules - will say Doggie runs instead of Doggie run
uses present tense verbs ~s, regular past tense verbs ~ed, some irregular past tense verbs like ate, rode, ran
sentences are more complex - The doggie likes what he eats.
uses pronouns I, me, you, we, us, our, they, them, their
uses personal pronouns myself, yourself, itself, themselves
begins to play with rhyming words - book-look, sad-mad
Receptive Language Skills
answers yes-no questions
answers simple who, what, where questions
understands around, in front of, by the side of
listens attentively to stories
understands give-take
understands mother, father, grandmother, uncle
by 4 years, has a good understanding of the meaning and grammar of sentences
can alter her speech depending on listener's age
has about 1700 words in her repertoire
you'll understand just about everything she says
Your child’s conversations will become more sophisticated as her syntax becomes more complex.
Vocabulary will expand. You'll be able to understand just about everything she says.
A year ago your child asked for clarification if she didn't understand something, now she will give clarification when you say what?
She'll gain a solid grasp of the language rules for sentences and continue to expand her repertoire of words.
Not sure if your child is reaching speech and language developmental milestones? Ask your pediatrician if a referral to a speech therapist might be appropriate.
Please don’t wait too long to seek professional advice. As your child gets closer to kindergarten and first grade, the “gap” between his speech-language level and his peers may continue to get larger.
