Speech and Language Milestones From Birth to Age 5

Language Milestone Timeline Chart
Age Range

Typical Speech/ Language Milestones

Potential Causes of Speech/Language Delays

Implications for Learning for Children with Delays

Evidence-based Learning Strategies for Supporting Development in Children with Delays

Birth-3 Months

1. Social engagement with the parent or caregiver. The child shows interest in making social interactions by making eye contact and responding to facial expressions
2. Respond to voices from the caregiver. Once a caregiver makes a familiar voice, the infant can turn their head to demonstrate they are alert and aware of the sound.
3. Making pleasure sounds. The child starts experimenting with vowel-like sounds like “oo” and consonant sounds like “aa”.

* Hearing loss as a result of middle ear infections or the side effect of some medicines makes hearing challenging.
* Neurological conditions leading to delays in babbling
* Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and visual impairments

* The inability to make please sounds makes a child take a longer time to get their language
* Challenges in acquiring vocabulary early enough
* Problems with developing phonological awareness
* Challenges in responding to voices can negatively impact early learning skills

* Provide a rich environment where there are numerous opportunities to interact. It is important to communicate with the child frequently through singing.
* Seek treatment for the ear infection that hinders the child from hearing sounds, and hence responding to them. In the case the hearing problems are a result of medication, the caregiver should refrain from the particular drug and get another one that does not have such adverse effects (Wagle, Skopelja & Campbell, 2018)
* Play sound games to assist the infant locate the source of the sound

4-6 Months

1. Infant starts babbling with consonant and vowel sounds. He/she tries to produce a combination of consonant and vowel sounds. For instance, the infant can try to say “ma- ma.”
2. Infant responds to their name. The infant starts recognizing when their name is mentioned in response by turning their heads and looking at the source of the person who called out their name
3. Exploration of the hands and the mouth

* The delay can be because of hearing problems making it difficult for the child to hear consonant and vowel sounds and pronounce them appropriately.
* Developmental disorders make it challenging for the infant to achieve the milestones as expected
* The inability to respond to own name could be due to limited exposure to it, making it challenging for the infant to know and respond to the name when someone mentions it.
* Motor coordination issues and lack of exposure to objects that can allow the infant to explore the hands and the mouth

* The inability to babble words at this age has adverse effects on the development of a child’s communication skills. The communication skills that children gain at this stage are critical in their future development of speech.
* The inability to respond to own name limits the social interaction of the child. It also makes it challenging for the infant to follow directions given since they are not aware of the directions refer to them.
* Challenges with exploring mouth and hand can cause issues with learning about shapes and textures

* For challenges with babbling consonants and vowels, the caregiver can provide toys that make interesting sounds to arouse the interest of the infant in babbling sounds.
* The need to repeat syllables for the infant to imitate. Engage the child to take turns in pronouncing the sounds to help them in the balling process (Mutumburanzou, 218).
* The importance of using the infant’s name frequently during interactions to help them recognize it. Engage the infant in activities that involve turning towards a certain direction when the name is mentioned. This will allow them to be responding towards the name.
* Exploring hand and mouth requires the use of materials that enhance the sensory aspect of the children like interactive toys

7 Months-
1 Year

1. Pronouncing the first words. The infant starts saying the first recognizable words. For instance, the child can pronounce the word “mama” well.
2. Pointing at objects. The infant starts pointing at objects that are of interest to them.
3. Gestures

* Delays in pronouncing recogniza...