Speech and Language Milestones: What to Expect at Kindy Age

As your jarjum starts their kindy journey, their speech and language skills play a crucial role in their overall development. Understanding what to expect and how to support your jarjum’s communication growth can help set them up for success in both learning and social interactions. This guide provides an overview of typical speech and language milestones for children at the kindy age and offers practical tips for parents to support their child’s communication skills.

Typical Speech and Language Milestones for Kindy-Aged Children

By the time children reach kindy age (around 3-5 years old) they are rapidly developing their speech and language abilities. Here are some key milestones you can expect:

Speech Clarity

Sounds: Most children can pronounce many consonants clearly, including p, b, m, w, t, d, n, k, and g.

Intelligibility: Strangers should be able to understand about 75% of what your child says.

Vocabulary Growth

Words: Children typically know and use between 1,000 and 2,000 words.

Concepts: They understand basic concepts like colors, shapes, and sizes.

Sentence Structure

Complex Sentences: Kindy-aged children often speak in sentences of four to five words and are starting to use more complex sentence structures, such as “I want to play outside because it’s sunny.”

Grammar

Tenses: They begin to use past, present, and future tenses correctly.

Pronouns: Proper use of pronouns (he, she, it, they) becomes more consistent.

Storytelling and Conversation

Narrative Skills: They can tell simple stories and describe events in order.

Turn-Taking: They are learning to take turns in conversations and can engage in back-and-forth exchanges.

Supporting Your Child’s Communication Skills

As parents, you play a vital role in nurturing your child’s speech and language development. Here are some practical tips to help:

1. Read Together Daily – Reading to your child exposes them to new vocabulary and sentence structures. Ask questions about the story to encourage critical thinking and conversation.
2. Engage in Conversations – Talk with your child about their day, their interests, and what they’re curious about. Listening attentively and responding to their questions encourages their communication.
3. Play and Pretend – Playtime is an excellent opportunity for language development. Encourage pretend play, which helps children use language in imaginative ways and practice storytelling.
4. Sing Songs and Rhymes – Songs and rhymes are fun ways to enhance phonemic awareness and memory for patterns in language.
5. Be a Role Model – Use clear speech and proper grammar when talking to your child. They learn a lot by imitating adults.
6. Provide Descriptive Feedback – When your child speaks, provide feedback that expands on what they say. For example, if they say, “I see a dog,” you might respond, “Yes, it’s a big, brown dog running fast!”
7. Limit Screen Time – Encourage more face-to-face interactions and hands-on activities, which are more beneficial for language development than passive screen time.

When to Seek Help

While every child develops at their own pace, certain signs may indicate the need for professional support. Consider consulting a speech-language pathologist if your child:

• Is difficult to understand by age 4.
• Has a limited vocabulary compared to peers.
• Struggles to form sentences or follow simple instructions.
• Shows frustration with communication.

Early intervention can make a significant difference. At Deadly Kindy we receive regular visits from ATSICHS Brisbane speech pathologists who can help identify early concerns with speech and language development.

By understanding the typical milestones and engaging in daily activities that promote communication, you can help your jarjum build strong foundational skills for future learning and social interactions. Your encouragement and involvement are key to fostering their confidence and success in communicating with the world around them.