Language
Language and Communication
Communication
Development of Communication Skills
2 years
Communicates using a combination of gestures, looking, sounds and words
Starts to take turns in conversations
Able to attend to activity of own choosing
Understands that events are made up of a series of steps in sequence (for example wash hands,
sit at table, eat, get down)
Demonstrates more than one action in pretend play (for example feeds doll then puts doll to bed)
Understands that words can stand for pictures and toys for real objects
Understands some long and complicated sentences
Able to carry out instructions containing two key words, without contextual cues (for example (Put
teddy on the table)
Starts to combine two or three words into short phrases (for example, Daddy drink might mean,
Thats daddys drink, or Daddy, I want your drink or Daddys drinking)
Starts to ask questions, starts to say No and Not
Starts to talk about past events and possibly things that might happen in the future
3 years
Uses language as the main means of communicating
Takes a number of turns in conversations
Initiate conversations and is increasingly able to maintain topic of conversation
Imagination evident in play
Becomes involved in sustained make-believe play with peers
Understands all common action words, object names, most common adjectives
Understands Who?, Whose?, Why? and sometimes How many?
Use sentences like me do it, Daddy have that one
Follow simple directions like Put the Teddy bear to bed
Understand concepts in, on, under, big, small, long, short.
Asks questions using Why?
Talks about the past and future; can tell short but disjointed stories
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Tel: 021 4254241 - Email: info@[Link]
Uses grammatical structures
Pronouns (I, he, she, you, they, we
Verbs (can, will, is, are)
Verb endings (pushed, stopped)
Negatives mid-sentence (I not like it)
Articles (a, the)
Conjunctions (and, because
4 years
Holds conversation skillfully with a variety of people
Able to shift attention spontaneously from what she is doing to what somebody is saying and back to
what she is doing again
Understands and can use sentences with 4 to 6 words, e.g. Put the small bag and the cup under
Daddys chair
Understands and uses all basic grammatical structures, with occasional mistakes e.g. I went to the
circus and sawed the clowns.
Uses language to express ideas and feelings, discuss plans, problem-solve and negotiate
Uses complex sentences with two or more verbs to link ideas
Asks questions especially using How?, and Why?
Tells stories about connected past events providing:
An introduction, sufficient background knowledge, account of what happened
Information on how the story ended
Uses can, will, is, are, have, do correctly
Speech is clear with few immaturities e.g. thank you - fank you
5 years
Holds conversation easily on a number of topics with a variety of people
Shows mature attention and listening; can be taught in a classroom; easily integrates what somebody
says with what she is doing
Understands most grammatical structures; continuing to develop an understanding of more complex
sentences e.g. the cow was pushed by the horse The boy who is standing next to the shortest girl is
the one whos got all the biscuits
Understands and responds appropriately to How? and Why? questions
2
Follows complicated stories without the need for pictures
Able to express herself clearly on most occasions, reflecting a vocabulary that consists of thousands of
words.
Able to define words according to function e.g.. a car is used for driving
Uses pronouns and articles correctly when telling stories
Starts to ask questions using When?
Uses sentences that sound almost like an adult
Able to say most speech sounds correctly
Can still make grammatical errors e.g. My feets are cold
Speech is clear to familiar and unfamiliar listeners; possible difficulty pronouncing th" "ch", j v(
Adapted from Childrens Communication Skills From birth to five years Belinda Buckley)
Follows related directions such as Get your scissors, cut out the picture and stick it on the page
6 years
Begin to think in a more co-ordinated way
Can hold more than one point of view at a time
Begin to develop concepts of quantity: length, measurement, distance, area, volume, capacity and weight
Able to distinguish the difference between reality and fantasy
Can pronounce the majority of the sounds in their own language
Talk fluently and with confidence
Can remember and repeat nursery rhymes and songs
Are developing literacy skills such as reading and writing
Alternate between wanting stories read to them and reading books themselves
