What to expect

What to expect at different ages

6 months +

• Responds to different tones of voice
• Can wave ‘bye bye’
• Appears to recognise names of family members
• Babbles for attention
• Laughs and squeals
• Enjoys games such as ‘peek-a-boo’ and ‘pat-a-cake’
• Will turn to mum's voice across the room
• Will put objects into mouth, hit and shake them.

12 months +

• Knows own name
• Understands simple commands like ‘no’, ‘clap hands’
• First words develop (5 or more)
• Can find a toy hidden out of sight
• Begins to relate objects e.g. puts the spoon in the cup, brushes own hair

18 months – 2 ½ years

• Will point to several parts of the body and various items of clothing/objects e.g. hair, nose, ball, sock, spoon
• Understands action words (verbs) such as ‘sit down, drink, come here, sleep’
• Understand pronouns such as ‘ me, my, your, him’
• Imitates frequently heard 2-3 word sentences
• Imitates sounds such as cars, animals during play
• Follows simple instructions e.g. ‘give me the cup’
• By 2 ½ years can use 3-4 words in a sentence
• Asks questions ‘What’s that?’
• Names objects such as ball, sock, cup
• Uses one pronoun – me, my, mine, you

2 ½ years – 3 ½ years

• Understands use of objects e.g. ‘show me what you can ride’ – ‘a bike’
• Understands describing words e.g. big, little, wet
• Understands pronouns – he, she, they
• Uses 4-5 words in a sentence
• Can answer ‘what, where, yes/no questions
• Understands negatives
• Can group objects such as food, animals etc
• Identifies colours
• Can describe an object
• Answers questions logically
• Uses several pronouns in speech e.g. I, he, she, we, they
  

3 ½ years – 5 years

• Answers ‘when’ questions
• Indicates body parts such as head, knee, arm
• Compares objects
• Understands complex instructions
• Understands time concepts
• Understands numbers
• Understands prepositions e.g. under, behind, next to, in front of
• Can describe an activity e.g. getting dressed, making a sandwich
• Responds to ‘why’ questions
• Names members of categories
• Repeats complex sentences
• Uses prepositions (e.g. on, in, under)

5 years – 7 years

• Understands time and sequence concepts
• Uses adjectives to describe people and objects
• Uses words that express quantity e.g. whole, half
• Defines words e.g. what is telephone?
• Can add and subtract numbers to five
• Can retell a story with visual support
• Uses plurals e.g. tooth-teeth, man-men
• Understands time concepts such as Autumn, Summer
• Indicates body parts such as wrist, heel, ankle
• Uses words that express quantity e.g. empty, full