Milestones

* identifies most sounds phonetically

* forms most sound-letter associations

* segments sounds into smallest grammatical units

* begins to use semantic and syntactic cues in writing and reading

* begins to write simple sentences with vocabulary and spelling appropriate for age

* uses sentences in oral narratives short stories

* understands time and space concepts e.g. before/after, second/third

* understands mathematical concepts such as “few”, “many”, “all” and “except”

* Can use many descriptive words spontaneously-both adjectives and adverbs

* Should be able to repeat sentences as long as nine words

* Should be able to define common objects in terms of use (hat, shoe, chair)

* Should be able to follow three commands given without interruptions

* Should know his age

* Should have simple time concepts: morning, afternoon, night, day, later, after, while, tomorrow, yesterday, today

* Should be using fairly long sentences and should use some compound and some complex sentences

* Speech on the whole should be grammatically correct

Activities to Encourage your Child’s Language abilities

* Make time during the day or evening to hear about your child's activities; be sure she sees that you are actively interested and listening carefully.

* Remember to talk with your child, not at her

* Ask questions that go beyond "yes" or "no" answers to prompt more developed conversation

* Take advantage of car trips or standing in line at the supermarket, to talk with your child.

* Provide activities that offer opportunities to improve communication skills, such as attending or engaging in sporting and school events, talking about current events, and reading stories to younger children that are slightly above their competency level.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Article Courtesy of Isabel Tan Cjinh Ping, Senior Speech Therapist
• Bachelor of Speech Pathology, University of Queensland, Australia (1999)
• Public Service Commission Scholarship Awardee 1995