3-4 Years

• Understands most of what is communicated to him/her
• Understands singular and plural
• Understands the difference between past, present and future
• Understands 'who,' 'what,' 'where,' 'why,' and how' questions
• Carries out 2-4 simple unrelated successive commands (sit down and eat your lunch)
• Gives you object as you request them by name
• Points to or places objects on top/bottom, up/down at your request
• Attends to a 15-20 minute story
• Comprehends more complex language
• Understands 'same/different'
• Begins to understand 'full, empty, some'
• Understands prepositions (relative location terms)
• Begins to understand comparatives (I am taller.)
• Points to objects in pictures that depicts an action verb when named
• Understands the concepts of 'day/night'
• Understands quality, texture and quantity
• Makes comparisons of speed and weight
• Identifies missing objects in a scene
• Understands language absurdities
• Carries out 3 simple related successive commands in order
• Points to common objects by function

ASL

• Begins to understand part to whole relationships (ARM-BODY, WHEEL- CAR)

Spoken Language

• Answers final word analogies
• Understands about 1000 spoken words

• Communicates fluently, clearly, and is easily understood by family and familiar adults.
• Answers questions logically
• Uses 3-4 word combinations
• Carries on simple conversations, staying on topic through 3-4 turns
• Talks about things that have happened at school or with friends
• Discusses storybooks that are read to him/her
• Describes action in pictures
• Uses possessives (mine, yours, his, hers)
• Repeats simple rhymes
• Makes attempts to read and write
• Converses using many grammatical structures
• Uses when, how many and who questions
• Relays a message
• Describes what objects can be used for
• Starts to answer what-if questions
• Correctly answers questions about a message
• Identifies what does not belong and why
• Creates and maintains worlds of make-believe
• Describes physical needs
• Counts from 5-10
• Combines negative modals (shouldn't, won't, can't)
• Uses comparisons
• Begins to make inferences
• Begins to ask "How much?" and "How?" questions
• Most spontaneous utterances are correct
• Uses some basic qualitative (wet, dry, hot, cold) and quantitative (more, less, empty, full) adjectives
• Gives child friendly definitions of things
• Tells a word that associates with another word
• Uses more complex language structures

ASL

• Uses classifiers to describe manner, place, direction, size, shape, degree and intensity
• Begins to use linking verbs to connect the subject and verb (HE LIKE ICE CREAM)
• Begins to use verb modifications (WALKING, WALKING QUICKLY, WALKING DIFFERENTLY)
• Begins to use rhetorical questions in conversations (FATHER GO WHERE? WORK)
• Attempts to fingerspell own name on request
• Begins to use topicalization (POPCORN. ME LIKE)
• Begins to use complex handshapes W, D, P, 3, V, H
• Begins to use classifier+actions (CARD DRIVING CRAZY)

Spoken English

• Combines sentences using 'and, but and because'
• Uses be + present progress (-ing)
• Uses past modals 'could, would, should, must, might'
• Uses do to ask 'yes/no' questions
• Uses hundreds of spoken words
• Spoken language is intelligible to unfamiliar listeners
• Uses regular and irregular past tense
• Uses articles (a, the)
• Uses third person singular 's'

• Takes conversational turns
• Plays with other children appropriately
• Shows understanding of the feelings of others
• Interacts through simple conversation
• Enjoys role playing
• Adapts to changes of topic
• Uses language for different communicative intent (obtaining information, giving information, expressing needs/feelings, bargaining)
• Shows frustration when not understood
• Asks questions or responds to requests for clarification
• Works in a small group for 5-10 minutes
• Increases confidence and self-esteem
• Responds to request made from others
• Continues a conversation through 3 or more turns
• contributes details or comments in a conversation without changing the subject
• Usually understands friends and familiar adults and they usually understand the child

ASL

• Begins including TWO-OF-US, THREE-OF-US in interactions
• Increases the ability to use descriptive Non-Manual Markers in conversations

Spoken Language

• Begins to make conversational repairs
• Combines two events in a narrative