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Choose your child's age range.

If your child was born more than 3 weeks early, use their adjusted age (actual age minus weeks early) until their 2nd birthday. After that, use their actual age.

Child already 5? The 4–5 years section shows skills most children develop by age 5. If you're concerned, speak to a healthcare professional.

2 to 3 years

Every child is different. These are things most children (at least 3 in 4) do by the end of this stage.

Arabic examples show everyday spoken Arabic first, then standard Arabic. They're examples, not exact phrases your child must understand. Arabic varies from one dialect to another.

What to expect

Listening and understanding

  • Follows two-step instructions, like "Put the toy back and close the door" or "رجّع اللعبة وسكّر الباب / أعِد اللعبة إلى مكانها وأغلق الباب"
  • Answers questions like "What do you do when you're sleepy?" or "Which one can you wear?"
  • Shows they know at least one colour, like pointing to the red crayon when you ask

Talking

  • Puts words together often. Repeating words, like "I want, I want juice", is common at this age
  • Says their name when asked
  • Uses words like "I", "me" and "we"
  • Asks questions like "why", "how", "who" and "where"
  • Gives reasons, like saying they need a coat because it's cold
  • Says what's happening in a picture, like "running" or "eating"
  • Has short conversations with you, with at least two turns each
  • In English: starts adding endings, like "birds", "eating" or "played"

Sounds

  • In English: says p, b, m, h, w, d and n correctly in words, and most vowels
  • Speech is getting clearer. People who don't know your child may still find them hard to understand, but by 3 most people understand them most of the time

Playing and connecting

  • Tries to get your attention by saying "Look at me!"
  • Pretends with objects, like feeding a block to a doll as if it were food
  • Plays next to other children, and by 3 joins in with them
  • Calms down within about 10 minutes after you leave them, like at nursery drop-off

Eating and drinking

  • Feeds themselves with a fork and spoon, though often still uses fingers
  • Drinks from an open cup without spilling
  • Chews all foods, including tougher textures, without gagging or choking

Food and drink at this age

This is general guidance, not a milestone to check. Most crunchy, hard and mixed textures. Adults still cut harder foods small and avoid choking risks like whole grapes and popcorn.

Arabic sounds

Between 2 and 4, children are learning ب ت د ك ف ح م ن ل و, the sounds in everyday words like بابا, حليب and تفاحة, and most say them correctly by about 4. These words are only examples of the sounds, not words your child is expected to say. Many other Arabic sounds come later, and saying a sound the way your dialect does isn't a mistake.

The research
  • Before age 4, at least 3 in 4 Jordanian children said ب ت د ك ف ح م ن ل و correctly in every position of a word (Amayreh and Dyson 1998, Table 2, early group, ages 2 years to 3 years 10 months).
  • م was acquired by 2 years to 2 years 4 months; ت ك ف ن و by 2 years 6 months to 2 years 10 months; ب د by 3 years to 3 years 4 months; ل by 3 years 6 months to 3 years 10 months (Table 3).
  • Dialect forms the study counted as correct: ق as k, g or ء; ث as ت; ذ as د; ظ as ض; ج as zh; ء dropped in the middle of a word; ي as ء at the start of a word (Table 1).

Growing up with two languages

If your child starts nursery in a language that's new to them, many children say little in the new language at first. They listen, use gestures and use their home language while they learn. This is common. A speech or language difficulty can affect a child's development in both languages, although it may look different in each. If your child is also not progressing in their home language, that's worth mentioning. Using your languages at home won't confuse your child or stop them learning English later.

Get medical help straight away if, while eating or drinking, your child:

has difficulty breathing (for example grunting, or sucking in their tummy when they breathe); has lips, tongue or skin turning blue, grey or very pale; or is choking and their cough is silent or they can't breathe in properly. Call your local emergency number.

If your child is choking: follow the first-aid steps for children over 1 on the NHS choking first-aid page.

Talk to a professional if your child...

  • Isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage
  • Often coughs during or after eating or drinking
  • Cries during most meals
  • Vomits often
  • Often loses a lot of food or drink from their mouth
  • Regularly takes longer than 30 minutes to finish a meal
  • Is having any trouble eating or drinking. You don't need to wait.

Worried about your child's hearing? Ask for a hearing test, even if your child responds to some sounds. You don't need to wait for other signs. For example, you may notice you often have to repeat yourself, or you find yourself using a loud voice with them, but these are only examples, not signs you need to wait for.

When to talk to someone

You don't need to wait until several things are missing. Talk to a professional if your child isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage, if you have any one specific worry (such as their hearing, losing skills they had, their communication or their feeding), or if you're simply worried. You know your child best.

Who to talk to

Your health visitor, GP, paediatrician or a speech and language therapist.

Ideas to try at home

Ideas to try at home: Try Something Today, under 3s

Where this information comes from

Research references

These milestones describe skills most children develop by the end of each age range. Every child develops differently. This information is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional advice. If you have concerns about your child's communication, hearing, eating or drinking, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.