As children grow and develop, they reach many speech and language milestones. Between the ages of 4 and 5 years old, children develop their language skills rapidly. They begin to understand complex questions, use some irregular past tense verbs, and describe how to do things. It's an exciting time for both children and parents, and there are many ways to encourage the development of these important skills.
By age 5 children should be able to attend to a short story and answer simple questions related to it. They are also developing more complex spatial understanding. You can encourage this development by using spatial language in everyday conversation. For example, you can ask your child to place objects "next to" or "behind" each other while playing or doing chores. This will help your child understand spatial relationships and use these concepts in their own speech.
Every child develops at their own pace, but some children may need additional support to reach speech and language milestones. If you notice that your child is struggling with speech, has difficulty understanding or expressing themselves, or if their speech is difficult to understand, it may be time to seek help from a speech therapist. A speech therapist can provide tailored exercises and support to help your child reach their speech and language goals.