Every child is unique and has an individual rate of development. This chart represents, on average, the age by which most children will accomplish the listed skills. Children typically do not master all items in a category until they reach the upper age in each age range. Just because your child has not accomplished one skill within an age range does not mean the child has a disorder. However, if you have answered no to the majority of items in an age range, seek the advice of a pediatric audiologist at New Jersey Hearing Health Center at (732) 746-4604.
Birth - 3 Months
Hearing and Understanding
- Statles to loud sounds.
- Quiets or smiles when spoken to.
- Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying.
- Increases or decreases sucking behaviour in response to sound.
Talking
- Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing).
- Cries differently for different needs.
- Smiles when sees you.
4 – 6 Months
Hearing and Understanding
- Moves eyes in direction of sounds.
- Responds to changes in tone of your voice.
- Notices toys that make sounds.
- Pays attention to music.
Talking
- Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including p, b and m.
- Vocalizes excitement and displeasure.
- Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you.
7 Months – 1 Year
Hearing and Understanding
- Enjoys games like peek-o-boo and pat-a-cake.
- Turns and looks in direction of sounds.
- Listens when spoken to.
- Recognizes words for common items like “cup,” “shoe,” “juice.”
- Begins to respond to requests (“Come here,” “Want more?”).
Talking
- Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as “tata upup bibibi.”
- Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention.
- Imitates different speech sounds.
- Has 1 or 2 words (bye-bye, dada, mama) although they may not be clear.
1 – 2 Years
Hearing and Understanding
- Points to a few body parts when asked.
- Follows simple commands and understands simple questions (“Roll the ball,” “Kiss the baby,” “Where’s your shoe?”).
- Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes.
- Points to pictures in a book when named.
Talking
- Says more words every month.
- Uses some 1-2 word questions (“Where kitty?” “Go bye-bye?” “What’s that?”).
- Puts 2 words together (“more cookie,” “no juice,” “mommy book”).
- Uses many different consonant sounds of the beginning of words.
2 – 3 Years
Hearing and Understanding
- Understands differences in meaning (“go-stop,” “in-on,” “big-little,” “up-down”).
- Follows two requests (“Get the book and put it on the table.”).
Talking
- Has a word for almost everything.
- Uses 2-3-word “sentences” to talk about and ask for things.
- Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time.
- Often asks for or?directs attention to objects by naming them.
3 – 4 Years
Hearing and Understanding
- Hears you when call from another room.
- Hears television or radio at the same loudness level as other family members.
- Understands simple, “who?,” “what?,” “where?,” “why?” questions.
Talking
- Talks about activities at school or at friends’ homes.
- People outside family usually understand child’s speech.
- Uses a lot of sentences that have 4 or more words.
- Usually talks easily without repeating syllables or words.
4 – 5 Years
Hearing and Understanding
- Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it.
- Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school.
Talking
- Voice sounds clear like other children’s.
- Uses sentences that give lots of details (e.g. “I like to read my books”).
- Tells stories that stick to topic.
- Communicates easily with other children and adults.
- Says most sounds correctly except a few like l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, th.
- Uses the same grammar as the rest of the family.
Chart courtesy of ASHA
At New Jersey Hearing Health Center we specialize in evaluating child hearing loss. If you feel your child has a hearing problem, please contact us to schedule a hearing test appointment. We will test your child’s hearing and determine if their hearing loss requires hearing aids or other hearing technology. Call (732) 746-4604.