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There is no greater gift that you can give a child than the ability to communicate. In this section you will find lots of information which will help you to support children's language and communication at each stage of development from birth to 5 years.
- How Communication Develops
- Encouraging Good Communication
- The Early Years Foundation Stage
- Useful Local Contacts
- Useful links
- News
- Downloads
How Communication Develops
Developing communication skills is not just about learning to talk. To be good communicators children also need to be able to pay attention, understand what is being said and be able to interact with others. The following guidlines show the common stages of development in these key areas. It is important to remember that all children are unique and develop at different rates. By clicking on each stage of development you will also be able to see how each stage is described in the Early Years Foundation Stage Guidance.
By 6 months
Attention
Watches people's faces when they are talkingUnderstanding
Starts to respond to the word 'No'Talking
Uses different cries for different meanings, e.g. if hurt or hungrySpeech sounds
Plays with sounds like 'ba-ba-ba'Makes sounds
Social Interaction
Smiles at familiar peopleBy 12 months
Attention
Shows signs of 'listening' when spoken to, e.g. quietens, turns and watchesUnderstanding
Turns and looks when name is calledTalking
Uses gestures like pointing and waving goodbyeSpeech sounds
Makes soundsBabbling in strings of connected but different sounds, e.g. 'ba-da-go'
Social Interaction
Enjoys games like 'round and round the garden'By 18 months
Attention
Listens to and carries out simple instructions, e.g. 'get your shoes'Understanding
Points to pictures in books, e.g. 'show me the ball'Points to body parts (head, arm, leg) when asked
Talking
Knows, uses and says at least 10 different wordsSpeech sounds
Tries to copy new words that are said to themSocial Interaction
Plays simple pretend, e.g. sweeping the floor, dressingDolly
By 2 years
Attention
Can concentrate on an activity they have chosen, but can't tolerate directions from an adultUnderstanding
Can point to a number of familiar objectsTalking
Uses a vocabulary of around 50 wordsBegins to join two words together, e.g. 'mummy cup'
Speech sounds
Speech can be understood by people who know the child wellHas lots of immaturities with their sounds, e.g. 'tar' for 'car', 'bu' for 'spoon'
Social Interaction
Understands adult gestures like pointingBy 3 Years
Attention
Can stop to listen to directions from an adult but needs help to do this, e.g. prompts to stop, listen and refocusUnderstanding
Can find items according to attributes, e.g. 'find me a small one', 'which one is on the table?'Can answer what and who questions about what is happening, e.g. 'who's in the garden?'
Talking
Has a large vocabulary, including objects, actions, adjectives as well as words to describe time and space, e.g. today, next, underCan use sentences of four to five words
Uses some word endings, e.g. some plural, 's' or 'ing' for tenses
Speech sounds
Social Interaction
Use people's names to get their attentionAnswers questions by talking
Can participate in pretend conservations
By 4 Years
Attention
Can change focus of attention without help, but still needs to stop activity to be able to listenUnderstanding
Can follow instructions with two parts, e.g. 'get teddy and sit on the floor'Can give reasons when asked a 'why' question
Talking
Uses long sentencesCan use some different tenses, but may make mistakes with irregular words, e.g. 'we drived home'
Can link ideas together using words like 'because', 'if' and 'but'
Speech sounds
Speech can be understood by most peopleMay have still have some longer immaturities in longer words, e.g. 'bella' for umbrella; simplifies when there are two sounds together, e.g. 'pease' for 'please'
Social Interaction
Can start conversations with a range of strategies like asking questions, making comments, calling a nameBy 5 Years
Attention
Can respond to questions and concentrate on an activity at the same timeUnderstanding
Can follow directions using sequence words, e.g. 'show me your picture before you hang it up'Talking
Uses words to describe height (e.g. 'short'), width ('thin', 'fat') and speed ('fast')Can tell a simple, familiar story in the right sequence
Speech sounds
May still not use 'th'May still swap 'w' for 'r'
May still find it difficult to say three consonants together, e.g. 'scratch'
Social Interaction
Takes part in conversations with several turnsUses language for a variety of different purposes, e.g. to gain or give information, to negotiate, express feelings and opinions
Links
You can find out more about how children develop from...The Talk to Your Baby campaign
The Early Years Foundation Stage