Age 5 Milestones: Speech, Language, Literacy, Play, and Executive Functioning Skills
Below you will find milestones for speech, language, literacy, play, pragmatics and executive functioning skills.
Language refers to the whole system of words and sentences used to communicate meaning. Speech refers to the sounds in words, also known as articulation. Literacy skills are phonological awareness, reading and writing skills. Play milestones are used as predictors for later language development. Pragmatics is how language is used. Executive functioning is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.
These milestones represent the skills that are typically developed by the time a child turns 5 years old. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development please contact a speech-language pathologist or discuss your concerns with your child’s pediatrician.
Language
Understands 2,500-2,800 words including spatial concepts (e.g., above, below, top, bottom), basic concepts (e.g., long vs. short, wide vs. narrow, rough vs. smooth), words for time (e.g., yesterday, today, and tomorrow)
Follows 3 step directions (e.g., get the red book, put it on the table, and turn the first page)
Understands words for order (e.g., first, next, and last)
Uses at least 1,500-2,000 words (e.g., zipper, nest, mountain, horn, par, yawning, caterpillar, chin, pouring, decorated, triangle, desk)
Combines 4-7 words to form a sentence (e.g., I want to go to the park)
Answers simple wh- questions (e.g., who, what, where, what doing, why)
Tells a short story with a logical sequence; however, there is no ending or resolution to the story. The character does not have a goal throughout the story.
Cognition/ Executive Functioning
Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it
Counts 10 or more things
Draws a person with 6 body parts
Pragmatics/ How language is used?
Begins to request clarification (huh?)
Uses indirect requests (e.g., “I’m cold” if they want a jacket)
Discusses emotions and feelings
States a problem
Can sustain a conversation
Plays with peers and manages minor conflicts without adult intervention
Talks in different ways, depending on the listener and place. Your child may use short sentences with younger children. He may talk louder outside than inside.
Play
Plans a sequence of pretend play events (e.g., the child will plan his/her role and what other children in the play situation will be doing.)
Full cooperative play occurs at this stage (e.g., any organized recreation among a group of children in which activities are planned for the purpose of achieving some goal.)
Organizes what he or she needs to create play (e.g., other children and objects)
Highly imaginative
Sets the scene without realistic props
Plays in groups of 2-5 friends
Play at this age should require language!
Speech Sounds
100% intelligible to familiar and unfamiliar communication partners
Says all speech sounds in words
May still make mistakes on /l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, and th/
Literacy
Phonological Awareness
Can segment words into syllables and sounds and sentences in words (e.g., “Say cat without the /t/”)
Can recognize and produce rhymes (e.g., “Do mop and top rhyme?”, “What rhymes with mat?”)
Reading
Understands turning pages of a book
Learns left right progression of print
Learns alphabet song
Recognizes and names letters
Can recognize their own name in print
Writing
Learns to write their name
Can distinguish drawing from writing
May use invented spelling to label drawings
Sources:
Applebee, A. (1978). The child’s concept of a story: Ages 2 to 17. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
ASHA. Four to Five Years. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/45/ on January 2, 2021.
Bowen, C. (2011). Table 1: Intelligibility. Retrieved from http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/ on January 2, 2022.
CDC. (July 27, 2021). Important Milestones: Your Child By Five Years Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-5yr.html. on January 2, 2022
Forbes & G LoGrande (2012). Speech and language development chart (Pro-Ed 2nd edition).
Paul, Rhea. Language Disorders from Infancy through Adolescence : Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Communicating. St. Louis, Mo. :Elsevier, 2012.
Shipley, K. G., & McAfee, J. G. (2009). Assessment in speech-language pathology: A resource manual. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Westby, C.E. (2000). A scale for assessing development of children’s play. In Gitlin-Weiner, K., Sandgund, A., Schaefer, C. (Eds.), Play diagnosis and assessment (pp. 15-57) New York: Wiley.
