Welcome back to our “Milestones: Navigating the Numbers” series! In this series, we have covered the expected speech, language, social-pragmatic, and feeding milestones expected by age 1, age 2, and age 3. Today we are focusing on the fearsome fours!
We created this series based on the updated American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Developmental Milestones. Our goal is that by sharing this information, you can familiarize yourself with the expected milestones, encourage these skills at home, and better identify if your child needs help. This list is not meant to be a screener or diagnostic tool. While this list does not cover all of the expected milestones for this age group, it aims for you to start conversations with your child’s healthcare professionals. Keep reading for more!
By 4 years old:
Receptive Language Skills (the comprehension of language):
Recognizes signs and logos, such as “stop”.
Pretends to write or spell.
Pretends to read alone or with others.
Write some letters.
Understands and uses more location words.
For example, understands and uses words like: under, outside, and on.
Expressive Language Skills (ability to communicate wants, needs, thoughts and feelings):
Tells a story from a book or a video.
Uses words like “a” or “the”.
For example, your child may say “a cookie” or “the cat”.
Compares things.
For example, use comparative words such as “faster”, “smaller” and “bigger”.
Speech Production Skills (Sound Production):
Says all of the syllables in a word.
By age 4 years, your child talks smoothly.
For example, your child does not repeat sounds, words, or phrases most of the time.
Says the sounds at the beginning, middle and end of words.
Correctly produces the following sounds in the beginning, middle and final positions of words by 4 years of age: p, b, m, d, n, h, t, k, g, w, -ing, f, y, l, j, s, z, v, ch and sh.
A child should be able to say all speech sounds correctly expect the following: “r” (i.e. “car”, “red”, “green”), “zh” (i.e. “measure”), and voiced and voiceless “th” (i.e. “that”, “brother”, “bath”).
Says all sounds in a consonant cluster (i.e. two or more consonants in a row). containing two or more consonants in a row.
For example, your child correctly says the “sw” in “swim” or the “pl” in “place”.
Your child may have errors with “r” consonant clusters. For example, “green” or “spray” may still be difficult to pronounce by age 4.
Most people can understand what your child says by age 4.
Feeding Skills:
By age 4, your child self-feeds independently and consumes a variety of foods. They have developed food preferences for things they do and do not enjoy. They should chew and swallow with no difficulties.
It’s important to note that each child develops uniquely (even within the same families!). If your child does not reach milestones within their age range, we are here to answer specific questions you may have.
For more information on the milestones, check out:
https://www.owlstherapy.com/new-blog/milestones-vs-averages
https://www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/communication-milestones/
At OWLS Therapy, we offer free phone consultations with a certified speech-language pathologist. During these consultations, we are able to answer questions, discuss milestones, and determine the best course of action based on your family’s needs. We offer comprehensive evaluations and individualized treatment sessions in the comfort of your home.
Contact us today!
Northern Virginia
Phone: 703-470-6957
Email: info@owlstherapy.com
Philadelphia’s Main Line
Phone: 610-579-0914
Email: philadelphia@owlstherapy.com
Keep watch for the last blog in the series- all about development from age 4 to age 5!