During this time, children are learning to put words together to create phrases and short sentences! They are also still learning new words and developing the ability to follow more complex directions. At this age, most people, even those not familiar with your child, should be able to understand what your child is saying. Below are details on what 3-4 year old children should be able to understand, say, and what might be difficult for them.
What should a 3-4 year old child be able to understand?
-When someone is calling them from another room
-Most colors and shapes
-Words for family members, like grandfather, aunt, uncle
What should a 3-4 year old child be able to say?
-By 4 years old, a child’s vocabulary should include 1,500-1,600 words!
-Answer simple questions consistently and start to ask questions
-Use rhyming words
-Use plurals, past tense, and pronouns appropriately when communicating
-Use phrases/sentences that include 4+ words
-Uses multiple sentences to tell a story
What might be difficult for a 3-4 year old child?
-May be difficult to say l, j, sh, ch, s, r, and th sounds.
-May make grammatical errors when speaking
-May repeats sounds or words when talking
-May have difficulty using sentences with more than 1 action word
-May have difficulty understanding words for time
Thank you for reading Speech & Language Development: What to Expect, 3-4 Years Old.
Written by: Stephanie Pecht, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
AAC Specialist, Tri-County Therapy
