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By 3 Years - Ages and Stages

By 3 Years - Ages and Stages

The developmental milestones listed below mark the progress of young children as they learn to communicate and develop their speech and language skills.

You will find:

If your child is not meeting one or more of the developmental milestones or if you are concerned about your child's speech and language development please contact us at:

1-888-503-8885

 


Milestones:
  • Responds to simple questions or directions

  • Understands location words like in, on and under

  • Identifies some objects by their functions e.g. "What is a spoon for?"

  • Is understood by most people outside of the family most of the time

  • Uses long sentences, using 5-8 words

  • Uses pronouns, I you, me, and mine

  • Understands questions using who, what, why, when and where

  • Is learning the meaning of several new words every week (in spoken language)

  • Sings simple songs and familiar rhymes

  • Talks about past events

  • Tells simple stories

  • Shows affection for favourite playmates

  • Engages in multi-step pretend play e.g. cooking a meal, repairing a car

  • Shows ability to participate in routines

  • Understands that "print" is meaningful-tries to read lists and menus


Things to try at home:
  • Describe things in sentences e.g. "I am really hungry." "That's a HUGE bite!"

  • Repeat what the child says, using correct sounds and sentences

  • Play guessing games. Place some things from around the house on the table. Take turns finding different items, by describing how they are used e.g. "Show me something we use to comb our hair." "Show me something I wear on my feet."

  • Talk about the ways things around you are the same and different. Use colour, shape, size, and location as ways to sort.

  • Give your child lots of chances to choose e.g. "Do you want a pear or an apple for snack?" "Do you want to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt?"

  • Read books that are predictable and repetitive- pause to give your child a chance to fill in words and phrases.

  • Play pretend with your child. Act out favourite stories, pretend to eat in a restaurant, let your child be the teacher or the vet.


Play:
  • Begins to play co-operatively with other children

  • Enjoys short periods of pretend play (playing house, shopping, Mommy/Daddy)


Teachable Moments:
  • Ask your child to be your "helper" and give him/her small jobs to do.

  • Read books with pictures and take turns telling little stories about the pictures.

  • Make-believe play with or without toys (Pretend to go shopping, dress-up, play with the pretend toy garages, doll houses or kitchen sets).

  • Sort pieces of clothing together while doing the laundry. Sort by colours, who it belongs to, where it goes, type of clothing etc.


Watch out for:
  • Periods of stuttering lasting longer than three months

  • A child who rarely makes eye contact with anyone

  • A child who avoids being with others

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please call to refer your child (age two is not too soon!): 1-888-503-8885 or 613-283-2742
June 23, 2008 •
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