How A Child's Speech And Language Develops (2-5 years)

Between the ages of 2 years and 5 years, most children learn a great deal. The number of words they can say increases quickly. They talk more and they ask lots of questions. They enjoy listening to stories and music. By the time your child is ready to go to school, he or she should be able to speak and listen well.

By 5 years, most
children will:

When to call for help:

• use sentences that sound almost like an adult
• be able to say most speech sounds correctly
• explain what familiar words mean
• use sentences to describe objects and events
• explain how to solve a simple problem
• follow related directions, like "get your crayons, make a picture and put it on the fridge"

• Your child does not use complete sentences.
• Your child does not like talking to other children.
• Your child has trouble following directions.