In language development, a child must be able to ask and answer questions in order to navigate a conversation and to seek and relay information. When assessing a child’s ability to ask and answer questions, it is important to separate their content knowledge from their ability to ask or answer questions.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
1-2 years
- When asked, “Where’s Daddy/Mommy?” They will look in the appropriate person.
- Answers “Where” questions, such as “Where’s the ball?” by pointing to the pictured item in the book.
- Answers “What’s this?” questions about familiar objects or pictures such as “Cookie or Baby?”
- Answers “Yes/No” questions, possibly with a head nod or shake
2-3 years
- Points to objects when described, such as “What do you wear on your head?”
- Answers simple “WH” questions logically.
- Answers critical thinking questions, such as “What do you do when you are cold?”
- Answers questions such as “Where….?” “What’s that?”, “What’s…..doing?”, “Who is….?”
- Answers or understand “Can you…?” questions
3-4 years
- Answers more complex questions logically, such as “Who”, “Why”, “Where” and “How”
- Answers “If….What?” questions, such as “If it starts raining, what would you do?”
- Answers questions about the functions of objects, such as “What are spoons for?” Why do we have shoes?”
4 years
- Answers “When” questions
- Answers “How many” questions (in which the answer does not
ASKING QUESTIONS
1-2 years
- Starts to use question forms, beginning with “What’s that?”
- Using rising intonation
2-3 years
- Asks simple ego-centric questions, such as “Where cookie?”
- Asks “Where…?” “What…?,” “What…doing?” questions
3-4 years
- Asks one-word “Why” questions
- Uses “What”, “Where,” “When,” How,” and “Whose” when asking questions
- Asks “Is” questions
4 years
- Asks the following types of questions using correct grammatical structure
- “Do you want to…?”
- “Are we going to….?”
- “Can you…?”
LISTENING
Birth – 3 months
- Discriminates speech from non-speech sounds
- Startles to loud sounds
- Quiets or excites in response to novel sounds
- Recognizes a primary caregiver’s voice
- Smiles or quiets when spoken to
- Decreases or increases sucking behavior in response to sounds
3 – 6 months
- Moves eyes in direction of sounds
- Discriminates friendly and angry voices
- Reacts to changes in tone of voice
- Attends to music and toys that make sounds
- Listens to a speaker and watches a speaker’s face when spoken to
6 – 12 months
- Responds to sound when a source is not visible
- Responds physically to music
- Stops an activity when their name is called
- Recognizes words for common items
- Listens with increased interest to new words
- Begins to respond to simple requests, such as “Sit here”
1-2 years
- Follows one-step directions with cues
- Understands simple questions, such as, “Where’s Daddy?”
- Points to named pictures in a book
- Follows directions to find familiar objects
- Listens to simple stories
2-3 years
- Responds to commands involving body parts, such as “Show me your foot”
- Follows two-step directions, such as “Get your cup and bring it to me”
- Follows directions that include action + adverb or action + adjective, such as “Walk slowly” or “Give me the red” ball”
- Demonstrates an understanding of several verbs by selecting the corresponding pictures
- Recognizes family labels such as “baby“, “grandpa“
3-4 years
- Attends to name being called from another room
- Understands simple “Wh” questions
- Understands most simple questions pertaining to their activities and environment
- Improves listening skills and begins to learn from listening
4-5 years
- Attends to the short story and answers simple questions about it
- Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school
- Repeats four digits when they are given slowly
- Readily follows simple commands involving remote objects