Your child is starting to follow longer instructions, for example 'get your bag, put your boots on and wait at the door'. They are learning the names of colours and can match two or three, usually red and yellow. They really enjoy listening to stories and will want you to read their favourite over and over again. They can also answer some questions about the book you have just read. They are starting to understand time related words, such as yesterday/tomorrow. They will laugh at simple jokes and funny things that happen.
Talking
Your child is using longer sentences that have 4-6 words, such as 'I want to play with cars'. They are also starting to join sentences together using words like 'and', 'but', 'because'. They will change their volume and the tone of their voice when talking. They want to chat to people more. They want to tell them about what they are doing and things that have happened like 'we went to the park'. They will still make some mistakes and may say things like 'runned' instead of 'ran'. They can tell you 'why' something has happened. They can use words like 'he', 'she', 'yours', 'mine'. They can tell people their name and how old they are. They can count up to ten or higher. They like to sing some of the nursery rhymes that they know. People who don't know them can understand them as their speech is becoming clearer. They may still find some sounds tricky, for example your child might say 'seep' for 'sheep' or 'wed' for 'red'. They might stumble over their words when they have lots to say or when they are excited.
Interacting
Your child likes to play with lots of different toys and will play on their own and with other children. They will join in games that other children have made up. They are starting to talk about games with other children to decide what they are going to play. They are learning to take part in short group tasks in nursery and will sit for around 5 minutes. They are very caring towards younger children. They will look at you when you are speaking to each other, but sometimes they may get distracted and look away.
3 ½ - 4 years
Listening and Understanding
Your child can follow instructions that have simple concepts like size, position, shape and colour. For example 'find me 3 big blue crayons' or 'get your shoes that are under the chair'. They can listen to a story and answer a range of 'wh' questions including 'why?'.
Talking
Your child can use sentences with 6 or more words and link sentences together with 'and', 'but', 'because'. They like to tell you stories about things that have happened. Sometimes they may sound a bit jumbled and they may repeat words and phrases. They may still get sounds mixed up especially r, l, th, sh, ch and j but most people can understand them.
Interacting
Your child can work in a small group for about 10 minutes. They like to share their news and take part in chats with adults and friends. They enjoy friendships and understand more about how to make and keep friends. They like to tell tales on their friends if they do something wrong! They like to bring new ideas into their play.
4-5 years
Listening and Understanding
Your child can listen to a story from beginning to end and will remember it later. They can pay attention to your talking whilst they are playing. They are learning new words all the time and they can sort things into categories like animals, shapes, food. They are starting to understand what a joke is and will make up their own. They are starting to understand instructions with lots of steps like 'Get your socks from under your bed and put them in the washing machine'. They are beginning to understand sequence words like 'first', 'next' and 'last'. They understand every day conversations with their family.
Talking
Your child's sentences are getting longer and more complicated. They can use more question words like 'when' and 'how'. They are more creative in their talk and they can talk about things in the past or future or in their imagination! They are beginning to talk about language and will ask you what words mean or talk about how words sound. Most people understand them now. They may still mix up sounds like 'th and f' and 'r and w' like they might say 'fumb' for 'thumb' or 'wed' for 'red'. More complicated groups of sounds can still be tricky for them like 'scratch'. They can find words with lots of syllables a bit tricky like gingerbread.
Interacting
Your child enjoys interacting with their friends and can take turns and share most of the time. They can use language for lots of different reasons like asking questions, telling people what to do, commenting on what they see and telling you how they feel. They like to find out lots of things about other people. They are beginning to understand consequences and discuss this with you.
Many children successfully learn more than one language at home before they go to nursery or school. Others will learn one language at home and then go on to learn English as an additional language when they start nursery or school. Here are some tips and information to help you if your child is exposed to more than one language:
Speak your strongest or first language at home so that your child hears a good language model.
Sometimes if more than one language is used in a home, people will switch from one to the other. This will not impact on your child's language but try to be consistent with vocabulary. If you use the word 'roti' try not to call it a 'chapati' at another time.
To learn any language a child has to hear it often. Talk to your child every day during everyday activities like bath time, meal times and in social situations.
Encourage all attempts to communicate in any way or in any language whether they are using words, gesture or facial expression. Show them you are interested in them.
Children learning more than one language often go through a silent period. Don't worry they might not say anything for several months in the new environment. This is a natural process.
An environment which exposes children to more than one language should not bring difficulties or cause delay in learning language. There is lots of evidence that learning to speak and use more than one language can benefit a child's overall academic and intellectual progress.
For more information and advice have a look at the Bilingual section on CBeebies Parenting.
Editorial Information
Last reviewed:
16/05/2025
Next review date:
31/05/2026
Author(s):
Specialist Children's Services.
Approved By:
KIDS Content Group, SCS Clinical Governance Executive Group
We are one of the leading paediatric care centres in the UK, and the largest in Scotland. We provide family centred care to newborns, infants, children and young people both in hospital and in the community.
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