Use this speech and language checklist to understand how your 4-year-old is growing their speech and language skills! These skills are important for talking, learning, and making friends! At this age, children should be using longer sentences, telling simple stories, and understanding more words.
This simple speech and language checklist for 4-year-olds will guide you in spotting key milestones, knowing when extra support might help and what you can do at home. Every child develops at their own pace, but if you have any concerns, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) can assess your child and provide guidance to support their progress.
Understanding Words & Commands (Receptive Language) for a 4-year-old
Receptive language is children understand words and what people say to us. It helps children follow directions, learn new things, and have conversations with others. Without it, talking and learning could be much harder!
Receptive language checklist for 4-year-old
- Follows three-step directions (e.g., “Pick up your shoes, put them by the door, and sit down.”)
- Understands and answers who, what, where, and why questions
- Sorts objects into categories (e.g., “Which ones are animals?”)
- Understands basic opposites (e.g., big/small, fast/slow)
- Recognizes and names basic colors and shapes
- Understands time concepts like morning, afternoon, and night
- Listens to and understands short stories
Receptive language activities with your 4-year-old
- Give clear, step-by-step instructions – Start with two-step and increase to three-step directions (e.g., “Pick up your toy, put it in the box, and clap your hands.”)
- Play “Simon Says” – Focus on following multi-step commands (e.g., “Touch your nose, then jump!”)
- Sort and categorize objects – “Find all the animals” or “Which ones can we eat?”
- Read books together – Pause and ask who, what, where, and why questions
- Talk about opposites – Use real-life examples (e.g., “This towel is wet, but that one is dry.”)
- Use a visual schedule – Help the child understand time concepts like morning, afternoon, and nigh
Speaking & Using Words (Expressive Language) for a 4-year-old
Expressive language is how children use words to share our thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others. It helps children tell stories, ask for what we need, and connect with people. Without it, it would be hard to express themselves and be understood!
Expressive language checklist for 4-year-old
- Uses 4- to 5-word sentences (e.g., “I want the big cookie.”)
- Can tell a simple story with a clear beginning, middle, and end
- Asks and answers lots of questions (e.g., “Why is the sky blue?”)
- Uses most pronouns correctly (e.g., he, she, they, him, her, his, theirs)
- Uses plural words and past tense (e.g., “dogs,” “jumped”)
- Can describe familiar objects by function (e.g., “A spoon is for eating.”)
- Uses future tense (e.g., “We will go to the park.”)
- Starts using connecting words (e.g., and, because, then)
Expressive language activities with your 4-year-old
- Narrate daily activities – Describe what you’re doing (e.g., “I’m cutting the apple. Now I’ll put it on a plate.”)
- Encourage storytelling – Ask the child to tell you what happened during the day or make up a story together
- Use fill-in-the-blank prompts – “We went to the park, and we saw a ___” (let the child complete the sentence)
- Play “What’s This For?” – Show objects and ask their function (e.g., “What do we use a spoon for?”)
- Describe pictures in books – Instead of just reading, ask, “What do you see here?” and help them add details
- Use puppets or dolls – Act out scenes where the child has to explain what’s happening
- Leverage language and concept development apps – some children can benefit by leveraging language development apps to build vocabulary by providing fun, interactive ways to learn and practice new words in meaningful contexts. 11 Great (and some Free) Language Development Apps
💡Parent Pro Tip: Children learn language best through real-life experiences, play, and conversation. Some children with greater language difficulties may struggle to connect pictures on flashcards or in apps to real objects because their brains are still developing the ability to think symbolically. So flashcards may not be ideal for your child. Children are better to see, touch, play and interact with objects while hearing words in full sentences to truly understand and use them.
Speech Clarity & Social Interaction for a 4-year-old
A child can speak but speaking with clarity means others can understand them easily. Good speech helps in making friends, answering questions, and sharing ideas. It’s important because when a child speaks clearly, they can connect better with people and feel more confident in social situations.
Speech clarity and social interaction checklist for 4-year-old
- Speech is mostly clear, 90% intelligible to unfamiliar listeners
- Produces most sounds correctly but may still struggle with r, s, ch, sh, th
- Speaks with a natural rhythm and intonation
- Engages in back-and-forth conversations
- Takes turns talking and stays on topic
- Uses words to express emotions (e.g., “I’m happy,” “I feel mad”)
- Enjoys pretend play and role-playing
- Tells jokes and enjoys wordplay
Speech clarity activities with your 4-year-old
- Model correct pronunciation naturally – If the child says, “tat” instead of “cat,” say, “Yes, it’s a cat!”
- Practice difficult sounds and words with play – Find items in your household with the target word with “I Spy” or leverage everyday items to play articulation games for more difficult words
- Read stories loaded with words that are more difficult – Target sound loaded stories help children to get used to hearing specific sounds over and over again and makes it easier for their brain to recognize the sounds.
- Give plenty of time to respond – Avoid rushing or finishing their sentences (this includes having older siblings avoid doing this too!), even when they hesitate or stutter.
- Use a mirror for mouth movements – Help the child see how their mouth moves for different sounds
- Leverage articulation apps – although adult speech modelling is best, sometimes you need a break and can leverage articulation apps
- Praise effort, not just accuracy – “Great job trying that word!” instead of just correcting mistakes
Social and Conversational Activities with your 4-year-old
- Encourage back-and-forth conversations – Pause and give time for the child to respond
- Role-play different situations – Pretend to be at a store or a restaurant and practice speaking
- Play turn-taking games – Board games and interactive activities teach waiting and responding
- Use facial expressions and gestures – Show excitement, sadness, or surprise and encourage the child to mimic
- Leverage educational social skill apps – it’s best for parents to set an example, sometimes though you need a break and can wisely use social skills apps to help
In conclusion, tracking your 4-year-old’s speech and language with a checklist is an important step in ensuring they’re on the right path to clear communication and social success. Every child develops at their own pace, but if you have concerns or notice delays, reaching out to a SLP can provide valuable support. Early intervention can make a big difference in your child’s confidence and growth, so don’t hesitate to seek help when needed.
