What to say and do at every age

Pick your child’s age to see ideas to try, what to expect and the milestones that usually come next.

• PregnancyDuring the later months of pregnancy, the developing auditory system can register rhythm, pitch, and recurring speech patterns.
• Newborn to 3 month oldCommunication begins through sounds, body movements, facial expressions, and changing attention.Newborn to 3 month milestones
• 4 to 6 month oldSocial engagement and vocal play become more varied.4 to 6 month milestones
• 7 to 9 month oldBabbling becomes more speech-like as babies repeat and combine consonant and vowel sounds.7 to 9 month milestones
• 10 to 12 month oldGestures, sounds, and shared attention begin working together more clearly.10 to 12 month milestones
• 13 to 17 month oldChildren increasingly connect words and gestures with the people, objects, and actions they notice.13 to 17 month milestones
• 18 to 23 month oldWords take on a larger role in everyday communication, alongside gestures and facial expression.18 to 23 month milestones
• 2 year oldShort word combinations grow into longer, more varied phrases and sentences.2 year old milestones
• 3 year oldConversation becomes more connected as children use longer sentences, answer and ask questions, describe events, and begin organizing experiences into simple stories.3 year old milestones