Possible implications if

Age Listening Vocabulary Sentences Verbal grammar Concepts Questions milestones not achieved

 Babbling (e.g.
ma-ma, da-da) May have difficulties
 Takes turns socialising with parents and
Attends to sounds vocalising with joint attention
and voices others
 Recognises facial  Recognises May affect muscle tone in
6-12 expressions and names of a few No specific No specific the face as babbling helps to
months tones of voice objects milestones No specific milestones milestones No specific milestones strengthen the muscles

 Responds  Babbling (e.g. May have difficulties

to familiar ma-ma, da-da) socialising with parents and
requests (e.g.  Takes turns joint attention
come here) and vocalising with
own name others May struggle to copy and
 Understands  Recognises Can understand one key word learn from others due to
1-2 gestures (e.g. names of a few No specific No Specific in a sentence (e.g. Where’s poor understanding and
years wave for ‘bye’) objects milestones No Specific milestones milestones your nose?) attention

Talks about present events May have difficulties

Regular Plurals – e.g. 1 dog, socialising with peers and
2 dogs joint attention
Articles –‘a’ and ‘the’ Position: on; off; in; May struggle to copy and
 Follows 2 part Progressive –ing – e.g. The out; up; down; learn from others due to
instructions (e.g. boy is jumping under; top; open; poor understanding and
Go to your room shut attention
and get your  Names actions Uses Pronouns – ‘you, I, me, Size: big; May have difficulties
shoes) (e.g. go, run) Minimum of 2-3 small/little; long following instructions
 Points to main  By 2 years words in a sentence mine’ Quantity: 1; 2 May have difficulties being
body parts, vocabulary is (e.g. Daddy go work Other: stop; Understands understood by peers
clothing items, 250-300 words Regular Past Tense – e.g. “I go/start; loud; and May have difficulties being
2-3 toys and food  By 3 years uses Still talks to self in quiet; heavy; soft; asks What and Where questio understood by unfamiliar
years when asked 1000 words long monologues climbed” fast; hot; cold ns people
 May have difficulties
Possessive‘s – e.g. expressing wants, needs,
thoughts and ideas
“Daddy’s car

Begins to talk about past events

Auxiliary ‘is’ – e.g. The

girl is skipping

Pronouns ‘he/she’ – e.g.

“He is running” or “She is May have difficulties

socializing with peers
drinking”. May struggle to copy and
learn from others due to
Connector ‘and’ –e.g. “I want poor understanding and
attention
a banana and an apple” May have difficulties
following instructions at
3rd Person Singular – e.g. “He home, child care,
kindergarten
wants the ball”; “It eats grass”; May have difficulties being
understood by peers
“She reads books” 3 to early 4 years: May have difficulties being
Position:bottom; understood by unfamiliar
 Follows 3 part Contracted Negative – e.g. behind; first; near people
instructions (e.g. Size:short May have difficulties
point to the cat, Minimum of 3-4 isn’t, doesn’t, haven’t, (length) – emerging; expressing wants, needs,
the dog and the words short (height) thoughts and ideas
monkey Tells you what they shouldn’t Quantity:3; every; May have difficulties
 Understands are doing none  Understands Who quest responding appropriately to
longer, more  By 4 years uses Tells you the Contracted Copula – e.g. Other:hard; slow; ions questions
3-4 complex nearly 1500 function or use of an light (weight); many  Asks What, Why, Word finding difficulties
years sentences words object He’s happy colours When and How questions causing disfluent speech
 Past Participle –e.g. It’s

broken

Talks about past and future

May have difficulties
events socialising;
Pronouns ‘his, hers, theirs’ –
May struggle to copy and
e.g. “It is his/hers/theirs“ learn from others due to
poor understanding and
Comparative –er and attention;
Superlative -est: e.g. big, Mid-late 4 years: May have difficulties
Position: middle; following instructions at
bigger, biggest around; away from; home, kindergarten;
between; through;
Use of ‘is’ vs ‘are‘ – e.g. “The next to/beside; last May have difficulties being
Size: short (length); understood by peers;
monkey is eating a banana” vs short (height); tall;
fat May have difficulties being
“The monkeys are eating the Quantity: 4; most; understood by unfamiliar
 Continuing to few people;
expand bananas”)
 Can generally Late 4-5 years: May have difficulties
understand Past Tense “to be” – e.g. Position: in front; in expressing wants, needs,
colour and a line; corner; thoughts and ideas;
shape words “I was running” and middle
(e.g. red, Size: thin May have difficulties
square) “They were running” Quantity: 5 responding appropriately to
 Follows the  Can sort objects (emerging); pair  Understands How questions;
meaning of into simple Connector ‘because‘ –e.g. The Other: same; questions
4-5 others’ categories (e.g. Minimum of 4-5 different (size);  Asks meanings of Word finding difficulties
years conversations animals, food) word sentences boy was crying because he fell different (function) words causing disfluent speech;
 over and hurt his knee”

Adverb –ly – e.g. quickly,

slowly, quietly

Irregular Plurals – e.g. mice,

men

May have difficulties

socialising;
May have poor attention and
concentration;
May have difficulties
following instructions at
home, school;
May have difficulties
retelling events;
May have difficulties
following routines;
May have difficulties being
Uses more understood by unfamiliar
complex people;
 Follows the sentences; May have difficulties
meaning of expressing thoughts and
others’ Uses imaginative ideas verbally and in written
conversations language in play – form;
 Follows multi- likes to pretend May have difficulties
step instructions and act out stories responding appropriately to
 Vocabulary  Vocabulary Tells several Irregular past tense – e.g. fell, Time: yesterday, questions;
5-6 comprehension comprehension attributes tomorrow, morning, Uses How and Word finding difficulties
years increases increases about an object broke, ate afternoon, later Where questions causing disfluent speech;

6-7  Ideas are shared  Can classify Gives short oral Able to make predictions, May have difficulties
years  Follows multi- objects reports Grammar is mature Position: left; right justify decisions, provide socialising;
 step instructions according to Uses language solutions and give May have poor attention and
more specific at a higher level to Other: same; explanations concentration;
traits (e.g. form, make jokes, tease, May have difficulties
colour, use or engage in sarcasm, different; season; following instructions at
composition- argue point of view, home, school;
what it is made explain complex time of day May have difficulties
of) situations, talk about retelling events;
movies or past Can understand the May have difficulties being
events in detail understood by unfamiliar
Develops written difference between people
language skills and May have difficulties
ability to write reality and fantasy expressing thoughts and
descriptive ideas verbally and in written
paragraphs form
and stories May have difficulties
responding appropriately to
questions
Word finding difficulties
causing disfluent speech
May have difficulties with
reading fluency and
comprehension

May have difficulties

socialising
May have poor attention and
concentration
May have difficulties
following instructions at
home, school
May have difficulties
retelling events
Can listen for a May have difficulties
sustained period Can express their problem solving
of time (e.g. opinion May have difficulties
attend to a guest Can retell both expressing thoughts and
7-8 speaker at No specific imaginary Uses appropriate grammar in Will ask questions to clarify ideas verbally and in written
years school) milestones and real events their speech and written work Can problem solve information form
May have difficulties
responding appropriately to
questions
Word finding difficulties
causing disfluent speech
May have difficulties with
reading fluency and
comprehension