Birth to 3 months
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Reacts to familiar sounds or voices. For example, calms down when hearing parent’s voice.
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Reacts to sudden loud sounds. May blink, startle, or cry.
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Makes vocal sounds other than crying.
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3 months to 4 months
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Looks in the direction of a sound to see where it’s coming from.
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Makes sounds back when you talk to them.
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Makes sounds, such as “oooo” and “ahhh” (cooing).
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4 months to 6 months
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6 months to 9 months
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Babbles, making repetitive sounds, such as “mama” and “baba.”
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Looks when you call their name.
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Smiles or laughs when you play peek-a-boo.
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9 months to 12 months
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12 months to 15 months
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Tries to say 1 or 2 words besides “mama” or “dada,” like “ba” for ball or “da” for dog.
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Follows simple directions when given with both a gesture and word. For example, they give you a book when you hold your hand out and say, "Give me the book."
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Looks at a familiar object when you name it.
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Points to ask for something or get help.
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15 months to 18 months
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Tries to say 3 or more words besides “mama” or “dada.”
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Follows one-step directions without any gestures, like giving you an object when you say, “Give it to me.”
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18 months to 24 months
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Combines at least 2 words into short phrases, such as “more cookie” or “want milk.”
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Points to at least 2 body parts when you ask them to show you.
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Uses more gestures than just waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes.
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Points to things in a book when you ask, like “Where is the fish?”
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24 months to 30 months
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Says about 50 words.
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Says 2 or more words, with one action word, like “Doggie run.”
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Names things in a book when you point and ask, “What is this?”
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Says words like “I,” “me,” or “we.”
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Follows simple routines when told, like helping to pick up toys when you say, “It’s clean-up time.”
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30 months to 3 years
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Talks with you in conversation using at least 2 back-and-forth exchanges.
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Asks “who,” “what,” “where,” or “why” questions, like “Where is my ball?”
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Says what action is happening in a picture or book when asked, like “swimming,” “eating,” or “walking.”
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Says first name, when asked.
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Talks well enough for others to understand, most of the time.
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3 years to 4 years
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Says sentences with 4 or more words.
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Says some words from a song, story, or nursery rhyme.
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Talks about at least 1 thing that happened during their day.
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Answers simple questions like “What is a pencil for?”
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4 years to 5 years
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Tells a story they heard or made up with at least 2 events. For example, a dog was lost and a friend found it.
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Answers simple questions about a book or story after you read or tell it to them.
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Keeps a conversation going with more than 3 back-and-forth exchanges.
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Uses or recognizes simple rhymes (bat-cat, ball-tall).
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