Communication Milestones: Birth to 6 Years

Every child develops at their own pace, but here are some general milestones to help you understand how communication grows over time. These skills build the foundation for talking, listening, and connecting with others.

👶 0–18 Months

• Shows things to adults (like toys or objects)

• Gets attention using sounds, gestures, or by leading you by the hand

• Waves or says “bye” to greet or say goodbye

• Responds to voices with looks, sounds, or simple words

🗣️ 18 Months–2 Years

• Uses phrases like “What’s that?” to get your attention

• Names objects in front of others

• Starts taking turns in simple conversations

🎭 2–3.5 Years

• Pretends to be someone else during play

• Takes more turns during back-and-forth interactions

• Adjusts how they speak depending on who they’re talking to (baby vs. adult)

• Responds to others with phrases like “yeah” or “okay”

• Begins using language for pretend play and fantasy

• Starts correcting others

• Can tell simple stories and guess what might happen next

💬 4–5 Years

• Talks more about emotions and feelings

• Uses indirect ways to ask for things (e.g. “I’m hungry” instead of “Can I have food?”)

• Can describe a sequence of events in a story

📖 5–6 Years

• Tells stories with a main character and logical order (though endings may still be tricky)

• Begins to make threats or give playful insults

• May praise others (“Well done!”)

• Starts making promises (“I promise I’ll do it tomorrow”)

Social emotional skills include the ability to:

• identify and manage emotions

• stay positive and persevere when things are difficult 

• cope with stress

• build and keep healthy relationships

• understand and celebrate our identities

• engage in critical and creative thinking

In order to identify and manage feelings, students need a bank of “feelings words” that represent a wide range of emotions. This is known as their emotional vocabulary.

Petrified

Happy

Furious

Anxious

Frustrated

Worried

Thrilled 

Strategies to expand emotional vocabulary:

•   Repeated exposure to new words  

•   Explicit instruction

Core Emotions to Explore

Start with basic emotions and gradually introduce richer vocabulary

Basic Feelings: Happy, Sad, Angry
Expanded Feelings: Enthusiastic, Frustrated, Worried, Miserable, Proud, Jealous, Lonely

Strategies to Support Social Emotional Learning

1. Model Feeling Words

Use social emotional language in everyday situations:

“I’m thrilled that grandma’s coming today.”
“I’m working hard at this and still don’t understand. That’s making me frustrated.”

2. Expand Your Child’s Vocabulary

Build on what your child says:

Child: “I’m scared to go on stage.”
Parent: “That’s normal. Performing makes me feel nervous, and I always worry before I go on stage too.”

3. Use Songs

Sing songs that highlight emotions, such as:
“If You’re Happy and You Know It”

4. Read Books About Feelings

Choose stories with expressive characters. Emphasize tone of voice and emotional cues.

5. Discuss Facial Expressions and Body Language

While reading or watching videos, ask:

“I wonder how she’s feeling here.”
“If that happened to me, I’d feel…”

6. Comment on Media

Use videos your child watches to introduce new feeling words:
Words like: Impatient, Devastated, Joyful

7. Keep It Open-Ended

There are no right or wrong answers. The goal is to help your child explore and express their emotions freely.

Visit CSEFEL at Vanderbilt University for more tools and guidance on supporting emotional development in early childhood.