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

Special Education Support Service, c/o Cork Education Support Centre, The Rectory, Western Road, Cork
Tel: 021 4254241 - Email: info@sess.ie
 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