Growing skills
Development & Milestones
ASHA Developmental Milestones
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) provides information about communication and feeding development during the early childhood years. These milestones can help families become familiar with skills that commonly emerge as children grow and identify areas they may want to discuss with their child’s healthcare or therapy providers.
View ASHA Developmental MilestonesPathways.org — Information by Age
Pathways.org provides age-based information about many areas of early childhood development, including communication, feeding, motor, sensory, play, and social-emotional skills. Families can explore milestones, activities, videos, and developmental information to better understand how skills develop across different areas of development.
Explore Pathways.orgPathways.org — Checklists & Brochures
Pathways.org also offers free printable checklists and educational materials covering communication, feeding, play, motor skills, and other areas of early development. This is an easy-to-reference way to learn about and follow developmental skills over time.
View Pathways.org Checklists & BrochuresCommunication development
Speech & Language Development
Speech Sound Development & Intelligibility
Children develop speech sounds gradually over time, and their speech typically becomes clearer and easier to understand as they grow. Information about speech sound development and intelligibility can help families understand developmental expectations and recognize when a speech-language evaluation may be helpful.
View ASHA Communication MilestonesTeach Me To Talk — Speech & Language Therapy Videos
Teach Me To Talk, created by pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, offers free videos with practical ideas for supporting communication in toddlers and young preschoolers. Families can find demonstrations and strategies related to early language, play, imitation, understanding and using words, and building communication through everyday activities.
View Speech & Language Therapy VideosApraxia Kids Parent Resources
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that affects the planning and sequencing of movements needed for speech. Apraxia Kids provides education and resources to help families learn more about the characteristics of CAS, evaluation and diagnosis, treatment, and ways families can support their child’s communication development.
Visit the Apraxia Kids Parent PortalBuilding foundations
Language & Early Literacy
Early speech and language skills provide an important foundation for later reading and writing development. Shared reading and other literacy-based activities also provide natural opportunities to build vocabulary, comprehension, sound awareness, narrative skills, and expressive language.
Literacy Development — The Role of SLPs in Early Learning
Speech-language pathologists can play an important role in supporting skills that contribute to literacy development. This University of St. Augustine resource explains the connection between spoken language and early literacy and discusses areas such as vocabulary, phonological awareness, comprehension, and early reading development.
Learn About the Role of SLPs in Early LiteracyASHA — Supporting Speech, Language & Literacy
Everyday activities such as reading together, talking about stories, playing with rhymes and sounds, introducing new vocabulary, and asking simple questions about stories can support both communication and literacy development. ASHA provides practical suggestions families can use to encourage speech, language, reading, and writing skills as children grow.
View ASHA Suggestions for ParentsReading Rockets — Oral Language & Early Literacy
Oral language skills that include vocabulary, sentence development, listening comprehension, and the ability to tell and understand stories provide an important foundation for literacy. Reading Rockets offers family-friendly information and activities for strengthening language through conversation, shared reading, play, and everyday experiences.
Explore Oral Language & Literacy ResourcesFeeding development & starting solids
Infant & Pediatric Feeding
ASHA Feeding & Swallowing Milestones
Feeding development begins in infancy and includes skills involved in breast or bottle feeding, sucking and swallowing, transitioning to solids, chewing, drinking, and self-feeding. ASHA provides age-based feeding and swallowing milestones to help families understand how these skills commonly develop and recognize when additional feeding support may be helpful.
View ASHA Feeding & Swallowing MilestonesCDC — Introducing Solid Foods
Learning to manage solid foods is an important part of infant feeding development. The CDC provides guidance about signs of readiness, when and how to introduce foods, appropriate textures, food preparation, allergens, and ways to reduce choking risk.
Learn About Introducing Solid FoodsHealthy Eating Research — Feeding Recommendations: Birth to 2 Years
Healthy Eating Research provides age-based feeding guidance for infants and toddlers from birth through 24 months. Families can find information about foods and textures, hunger and fullness cues, responsive feeding, mealtime routines, self-feeding, food safety, and the development of healthy eating habits.
View Feeding Recommendations for Ages 0–2Feeding Matters — Adapted Baby-Led Weaning
Some infants and young children need additional support or adaptations as they learn to manage solids and participate in self-feeding. This Feeding Matters resource discusses ways baby-led weaning principles may be adapted for children with feeding, motor, or developmental challenges.
Read About Adapted Baby-Led Weaning