• follows 2 related directions e.g. "close the book and give it to me"
• tells first and last name
• understands questions about a picture story e.g. "Where did the bunny go?"
• reasons - answers "What do you do when you're hungry/cold?"
• tells a short story e.g. "two kids played ball"
• sentences are usually 3 and 4 words long
• gives directions such as "Fix this for me"
• asks many questions: "what", "where", "why"

• is your child's speech difficult to understand?
• are your child's speech skills not at age level described?

• your child should be able to distinguish square and round some of the time.
• he should be able to maneuver objects and exhibit up, down, top, and bottom with them.
• she should understand fast and slow.
• he should be able to identify silly or wrong pictures. e.g. A picture of a child sitting on a table and eating food off his chair. He should be able to tell you what's wrong with the picture.
• after you read your child a short story or book, she should be able to recall 3 or 4 events of the story.

Language expression

• He should be able to sing or say two nursery rhymes. "Ring around the Roseys" or other rhymes that use physical movement are popular and seems to help them remember the words easier.
• She should be able to respond to 'who' or 'whose' questions. "Whose shoe is this?" or "Who lives here?" (try this when you are driving in the car).
• a child this age should be able to sustain a conversation for 3 to 4 turns.
• when playing with toys, he should be able to describe attributes of the toy. e.g. "What is the color of your car?", etc.

  age 4 to 5th birthday

Speech Development and Milestones - Index
Early detection of difficulties at any age can make learning to talk easier. If your child shows any of the warning signs listed for his or her age group, please contact the Speech-Language Pathologist at your Local Health Unit for more information.