Language development: four - five years of age

Key points to remember

Introduction

By four years of age

By five years of age

Using language socially

Encouraging language development

Learning through play

When should I seek help?

Where to go for more information or help about language development

Acknowledgements

Your notes

Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for educational use only. Please consult your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

Key points to remember

every child develops at a different rate
there is a wide range of what is considered to be normal in a child's language development
children learn by listening and watching - so talk to your child, sing songs and rhymes, look at books together

You might find it useful to also look at the following related fact sheets on this website:

an introductory fact sheet What's involved in learning to talk?
Speech sound development
Language development: 0 - three years of age
Encouraging language development
Using language socially - an important skill
Voice
Stuttering / dysfluency

Introduction

There is a wide range of what is considered to be normal in a child's language development. No two children say or understand exactly the same things at the same ages. However, there is a series of language stages that most children pass through between the ages of four and five years.

By four years of age

children use sentences which are increasingly complex and which include a greater number of words
there is a great increase in the number and type of words used
they answer whose, who and why questions
they use location words - in, on, under
children refer increasingly to events and objects in the past and future
they understand some concepts of time such as now, soon, later
they ask who, what, where, and why questions
they recognise common everyday sounds
they carry out series of two related commands (for example, put your fork down and pick up your spoon)
they can identify some objects by use (for example, which one do we write with?)

By five years of age

children use complete sentences - minor grammatical errors are common (for example, runned, mouses)
they have a basic understanding of concepts related to number, size, weight, colour, texture, distance, position and time and understand the concepts of tallest, biggest, same, more, on, in, under
children understand the order of daily routines (for example, breakfast before lunch, lunch before dinner, dinner before bedtime)
they adapt language to the listener's level of understanding (for example, to their baby sister: daddy go bye-bye; to their mother: daddy went to the shop to get a paper)
they ask and answer who, what, when, why and where questions
they follow two unrelated directions (for example, put your milk on the table and get your coat on)
they refer increasingly to the activities of others
they link past and present events
they ask the meanings of words � they try to use new words, not always correctly
their classification skills and reasoning ability are developing

Using language socially

A child's ability to use language socially is an important skill which, just like other parts of language, develops gradually over time.

See Using language socially -an important skill on this website.

Encouraging language development

See Encouraging language development on this website, including the sections:

Learning through play

You can help your child learn and develop by offering lots of opportunities to play and explore in an environment that is stimulating, safe and secure. Talk as you play to help your child understand and use language. Let your child hear the words that match what they are looking at and thinking about.

When should I seek help?

It is important to remember that:

every child develops at a different rate
there is a wide range of what is considered to be normal in a child's language development

Look at how your child's language compares to typical development, using:

the checklists in this fact sheet (By four years of age and By five years of age)
the Social use of language checklist in the fact sheet on this website Using language socially - an important skill

You can also check another fact sheet on this website:

Speech sound development. Look at how your child's speech compares to typical development, using:
� the speech sound development chart in When do speech sounds develop?
� the descriptions of individual sound errors and patterns of sound changes in What are some of the sound errors a child may make?
� the guide to the approximate level of intelligibility (how much is understood) expected at different ages in When is a child's speech usually understood?

If you are concerned about your child's language development, you should discuss your concerns with the following:

your child's teacher (if attending an early childhood centre or school)
your GP (general practitioner), who should be able to advise you whether your child's language development is appropriate for their age, or whether there is a language development issue or another developmental concern
your Plunket nurse or other Well Child provider (see Where to go for more information below and the Well Child / Tamariki Ora services for under fives fact sheet on this website)

Problems with speech and language development can sometimes be a sign of hearing difficulties. Glue ear can be one of the causes of hearing difficulties. See the following fact sheets on this website:

Glue ear
Well Child / Tamariki Ora services for under fives, including the section on Hearing and vision tests

If your child is still having significant difficulties being understood by familiar adults:

by their third birthday, or
earlier if you are concerned,

or if you think your child does not understand language as well as other children of their age, you should request a referral for a speech assessment by a speech-language therapist.

A speech-language therapist will:

firstly talk with you about your concerns, your child's developmental history, any health issues, any significant events including birth history
assess your child's communication development, in particular the areas that you are concerned about
if required, develop a programme with you which will include strategies that you can use daily with your child, as much as possible within daily routines
monitor and review progress and refer to other services (such as audiology), if required

See Where to go for more information or help about language development below, for information about finding a speech-language therapist.

Where to go for more information or help about language development

On this website (related fact sheets)

An introductory fact sheet What's involved in learning to talk?

Speech sound development

Language development: 0 - three years of age

Encouraging language development

Using language socially - an important skill

Voice

Stuttering / dysfluency

Much more than words: Monitoring and encouraging communication development in early childhood. (Warning: large pdf file - 60 pages).

Originally written for early childhood professionals, this booklet may be of interest to parents and caregivers who want more detailed information. The booklet was published by the Ministry of Education, Special Education in 2000.

Website: http://www.minedu.govt.nz/

Plunket

If you are concerned about your child's language or speech development, you could discuss your concerns with your Plunket nurse (or other Well Child provider - see the Well Child / Tamariki Ora services for under fives fact sheet on this website). For your local Plunket office or Plunket Karitane Family Centre, check the Plunket website or look under Plunket in your phone book. Plunket also offers a specialist early childhood health telephone help service. It is available to all families, whanau and caregivers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call PlunketLine free on 0800 933 922.

Postal address: PO Box 5474, Wellington 6145

National office phone: 64 4 471 0177

National office fax: 64 4 471 0190

Email: plunket@plunket.org.nz

Website: http://www.plunket.org.nz/

Speech Language Therapists

Speech language therapists are employed in the Ministry of Education, special schools, hospitals, and in private practice. To find a speech language therapist, you can:

contact the Ministry of Education, Special Education - (see Special Education on this website or phone the Special Education information line on 0800 622 222 or email a query to special.education@minedu.govt.nz. You can self-refer to a Ministry of Education speech-language therapist
see where to find speech and language therapists at the New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists Association website
ask your child's kindergarten or school teacher to refer your child
look in the phone book's yellow pages under speech language therapy for speech language therapists in private practice

Team-Up: Helping our kids learn (Ministry of Education)

The Team-Up website provides information, ideas and materials to help parents support their children and get more involved in their learning and education. There are lots of ideas about play for young children and information about how children learn through play.

Website: http://www.teamup.co.nz/

Acknowledgements

This fact sheet has been produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Special Education and adapted from:

Ministry of Education, Special Education. 2000. Much more than words: Monitoring and encouraging communication development in early childhood.

Your notes

Endorsement

This fact sheet was endorsed by PSNZ - 27/06/2009

Copyright

Fact sheets are subject to copyright. In the interests of information sharing they may be copied but acknowledgement must be given to PSNZ and Starship Foundation.
© The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 - 2012

The Paediatric Society of New Zealand
http://www.paediatrics.org.nz

Starship Foundation
http://www.starship.org.nz