OralLanguage:ProgressionContinuum
ProgressionMilestones–Earlyatod
*earlya
a
b
c
d
Thechildisawareofand/orrespondstosensorystimuli.He/sheusesverbalornon-verbalmethodstocommunicateandrequest.
Thechildattendsand/orrespondstoobjectsofreference.He/sheindicatespreferences,respondstoand/oranticipatesfamiliarcues.
Thechildgesturestoandsharesattentionofanobjectwithanotherperson.He/sheexchangessmiles,vocalisesand,insomecases,
usessinglewordstorespond.Thechildreliesontheotherpersontointerpretandsharetheirmeaning.
Thechildunderstandsfamiliarwordsandbasicphrasesusedtodescribehim/herselfandhis/herimmediatesurroundings.He/she
usessinglewords,phrasesand/orsimplesentences,sometimeswithgestures,toinitiateconversation,tomakerequests,totalk
aboutfamiliarpeopleandobjects,andtoexpressthemselvesandinteractwithothers.The‘otherperson’continuestoplayakeyrole
ininterpretingandsharingmeaning.
Thechildreferstofamiliarobjectsandevents,andsharedexperiences.He/sheuseslanguagefromhomeandtheirsurroundingsto
communicateforavarietyofpurposes.Thechildusesnon-verbalcuestohelpunderstandspokenlanguageandwhensharing
meaningwithothers.Thechildusessimplesocialconventionswheninteracting.He/sherespondsshowingsomeappreciationofthe
communicationpartner’sneeds.Thechildbeginstoseeaconversationasanexchangeofknowledgeandinformationwithanother
person.He/shecanreadilyfollowone-stepinstructions.
Thechilduseslanguagetocommunicatetheirthoughts,feelingsandideas,andtoaskquestions.He/shehasconversationsabout
thingsthatinterestthem,personalexperiences,topicsfamiliartothemandincreasinglyunfamiliar.Thechildengagesothersin
conversation,askingquestionsandexchanginginformation.He/shebeginstoreflectonexperienceandtoexplainproblemsand
considersolutionsforage-appropriatetopics.He/shebeginstounderstandthattheaudienceinfluenceshowwecommunicate.
He/shecanfollowone-threestepinstructions.
ProgressionSteps–OralLanguage
Communicating
Element
Learning
Outcome:
Numberandlabel
1.Engagement,
listeningand
attention
*earlya
Thechild...
a
Thechild...
b
Thechild...
c
Thechild...
d
thechild..
indicatesawarenessof
sensorystimuliinthe
learningenvironment
showsconsistentpatternsof
attendingto
stimuli/personnel/activities
intheimmediate
environment
engagesinanactivity
requiringjointattention
withoneormore
attendsto
stimuli,keepseye
gazeandtracks
adult’sgazeto
visuallyattendto
anobjectjointly.
imitatesactions
andsounds.
attendsforlonger
tointerestingor
familiarstimuli
including:actions,
gestures,toneof
voice,
conversationsand
storiesreadaloud,
andjoinsinwith
rhymes,songsand
games.
takespartin
conversation
usingappropriate
eye-contactwhile
attendingtobody
language,gestures
andtoneofvoice
andusesthese
cueswithcontext
tounderstand
new
words/phrases.
listenstofactual
accounts.
listenstonew
informationonan
unshared
experience
includingfiction
andnon-fictionof
increasing
complexity.listens
toandappreciates
otherlanguages.
2.and3.
Social
conventionsand
awarenessof
others
showsawarenessofand/or
usestone,bodylanguage,
gestures,pace,vocalisations
andvolumetoimpact
communication.
demonstratesverbal/nonverbalturn-takingwitha
communicativepartner.
initiatesverbal/non-verbal
communicationwitha
familiaradult/peers.
engagesinandenjoysa
meaningfulverbal/nonverbalexchangewitha
communicativepartner.
respondstoand
seeksadult
attentionand
recognises,
respondstoand
saysownname.
respondsto
stimuliusing
voice,soundsand
gesturesand
exchangesasmile
andusesfacial
expressions,
sounds,gestures,
signsorspeechto
communicate.
takespartin
imitativeandturntakinggames,
rhymesandsongs.
speaksaudibly
andcoherentlyat
appropriate
volume,
interactingovera
shortnumberof
turnswith
individualsand
beginningto
communicate
readilywith
othersinclass.
initiates
communication
withfamiliaradult
sharespersonal
anecdotesand
respondsto
conversationon
anunshared
experience.
greetsand
responds
appropriatelyto
greetingsand
discussiontopics
showingsome
appreciationof
listener’sneeds.
initiatesandtakes
turnsin
conversationwith
peers,small
groupsand
familiaradults.
initiates
conversationson
anunshared
experience.
respondsto
questionsbut
omitssome
informationand
beginstomake
indirectrequests.
switchesstyleof
speakingtosuit
audience.
takespartinsmall
groupdiscussions
onafamiliartopic
showingawareness
oflistener-speaker
rulesandisableto
listthese.
Understanding
4.Sentence
structureand
grammar
usessingle-word
utterancesand
combinesthese
with
vocalisations.
usesmulti-word
utterancesand
shortcommon
phrasesanduses
basicsentences
whenimitatingor
chorusingwith
someone.
5.and6.
Acquisitionand
useofvocabulary
showsrecognitionof
personaland/or
standardisedobjectsof
reference.
attendsandrespondsto
increasedvocabularyin
texts*.
recognisespeople
andobjectsand
usesappropriate
gesturestorefer
toanobject,
linkingactions
withobjects.
usessinglewords
andcommon
phrasesand
understands
common
pronounsand
prepositions.
beginstodescribe
propertiesof
familiarobjects
and,withhelp,
useswordsand
phrasesfroma
storywhen
retellingit.
usescomplete
basicsentences
andspeaks
audiblyandwith
cleararticulation
asappropriateto
developmental
stage.
usessomebasic
connectivesto
begintojoinshort
sentences.
completesfamiliar
rhymesand
repeatsshort
rhymes.
usesawiderrange
ofsinglewords
andshort,simple
sentences.
requestsobjects
andrecurrenceor
changeinactivity,
usesquestion
words
appropriatelyand
usesgreetings,
farewells,and
protests.
understands
vocabularyand
phrasesfroma
useslengthier
sentenceswith
correctwordorder
forthemostpart,
basicconnectives
andusesplurals
andsimple
pronouns.mostly
placestheverbin
thecorrectplacein
thesentence.
infersthemeaning
ofanewwordby
usinggesturesand
contextandinfers
themeaningof
storiesof
increasingdepth
fromcontext.
useswordsor
phrasestoreferto
feelings.
useswordsand
phrasesacquired
fromstoriesand
factualaccountsin
contextsbeyond
7.Demonstration
ofunderstanding
respondstoverbalandnonverbalcuesrelatedto
familiarcommunicative
routines.
consistentlyrespondsto
familiarfactualquestions.
recognisesand
respondstoown
nameandother
familiarwords.
rangeofstories
andfactual
accountsanduses
thesewordsand
phrases
appropriatelyin
context
followsone-step
respondsto
instructionsand
familiarquestions
shows
andfollowsone-
understandingina totwostep
varietyofcontexts instructions.
byattemptingto
imitatewhatthey shows
haveseenand
understandingof
heard.
familiarstory
content,
charactersand
vocabulary,andof
factualaccounts
andstep-by-step
processes.
thatinwhichthey
wereoriginally
acquired.
listenstofiction
andnon-fictionof
increasing
complexityand
beginstoinfer
meaningfrom
context.
canfollowthree
stepinstructions
andrespond
appropriatelyto
phrasesused
regularlyinthe
school
environment
ExploringandUsing
8.and9.Requests indicatespreferredobjects
andquestions
and/oractivitiesandrefuses
non-preferreditems.
requestsrepetitionand/or
moreofand/orchangeof
objectsorevents.
makesarequestand/or
expressesaneed,verballyor
non-verbally
10.Categorisation 11.Retellingand
elaborating
participatesintheverbal/
non-verbalsharingofa
familiarorpersonalstory,
activityorevent
usesspeech,
soundsand/or
gesturetoshow
preferences,
makechoicesand
makerequests.
clearlyindicates
preferredobjects
andrefusesnon
preferreditems.
verballyand/or
non-verbally
respondstoa
familiarquestion.
attendsto
familiartoysand
objects.
withhelp,uses
voice,sound,
gestureandprops
tojointheadult
insingingsongs,
recitingrhymes,
retellingstories,
providing
accounts,
initiating
communications
makessimple
choicesand
requestsandasks
simplequestions.
requestsobjects
andevents
verballyand
makesclearselfdirectedchoices,
requesting
repetition,change
ofobjectsor
events.
withsupport,
engageswithan
unfamiliaradultto
giveorrequest
informationor
recallanevent.
asksandresponds
tofamiliar
questions.
asksquestionsto
clarifyothers’
thoughtsor
actions,andtogain
newinformation
andgethelp.
usescomplete
sentencesto
expresspersonal
needsandasksand
respondsto
speculative
questionsleading
todrawing
inferences.
namesfamiliar
toysandobjects.
categorises
familiarobjectsin
theenvironment.
categorisesarange
ofobjects.
withhelp,sharesa
familiaror
personalstory,
activityorevent
usingsingleor
multiplewords.
exchanges
informationona
shared
experience.
withhelp,
identifiesmain
charactersand
sequencesmain
pointsina
narrative.
retellsthemain
pointsofan
unsharedeventor
conversationusing
aclearstructureto
anaudienceof
peers.
createsashort
story,identifying
maincharacters
andeventsand
andpresenting
objectsandnews.
12.Playfuland
creativeuseof
language
listensand
attendsto
familiarrhymes
andsongs.
constructsastory
drawingon
experiencesand
orallynarratesto
agroupwith
support.
givesanaccount
fromdirect
experience
sequencingupto
threekeyevents.
tellsmainpointsof
theirownnews.
retellsafamiliar
storysequencing
keyevents.
explainsafactual
accountfrom
directexperience
toagroup,
introducesatopic,
outlinesand
describes
processes.
listenstoandjoins respondsto
useslanguage
inwithrhymes,
poetry,rhymes
playfullyand
songsand
andsongsthrough creativelyin
languagegames.
gesture,action
providing
andprops.
alternativeendings
forrhymeswhile
distinguishes
maintainingthe
betweenandhas rhyme.
funwithnonsense wordsandreal
inpretendplay,
words.
useslanguagefrom
experiencesand
inpretendplay,
texts**tocreate
useslanguageto
elaborative
createsimple
imaginary
imaginary
scenarios.
scenarioswith
peersandadults.
13.Information
giving,
explanationand
justification
communicatestoexpress
feelingsverballyornonverbally
expressesinterestsand
opinionsthrougharangeof
verbalornon-verbal
communicationmethods
choosesobjects
ofreferenceto
show
understanding
andtoshare
meaning,and
extendsmeaning
bylinkingobjects
ofreference.
14.Description,
predictionand
reflection
showssignsofanticipating
nextstepsinafamiliar
activitywhenpresented
withastimulus.
predictsoutcomesfora
familiarorunfamiliarstory
oreventchoosingfroma
rangeofpossibleoutcomes.
choosesobjects
ofreferenceto
indicateactivities
completed,
indicateswhat
theywouldliketo
donextandwhat
materialswillbe
needed.
tellswhattheyare
doingandnames
anddescribes
familiarpeople,
toysandactivities.
providesa
descriptionor
explanationabout
avisibleobjector
person.
whenretellinga
familiarstorywith
adultsupport,
useslanguage
removedfromthe
currentcontextto
explain,describe
problemsand
suggestpossible
solutions.
sayswhattheyare identifiesa
doingandnames problemand
anddescribes
beginstouse
familiarpeople.
languageto
expressown
recalls/describes
thoughtsandto
somethingthey
showawareness
havecompletedin ofothers’
classtoother
thoughts.
membersofthe
group.
**‘text’toincludeallproductsoflanguageuse:oral,gesture,sign,written,braille,visual,tactile,electronicanddigital.
names,explains
anddescribes
familiarobjects,
people,events,
conceptsand
subjectsgiving
mainpointsor
functions.
useslanguage
suitedtotopicto
explainhowto
play,construct,
conductaprocess,
playagameortoy.
givesbrief
explanationsand
justificationsfor
theiropinionsor
responsesshowing
theirindividuality
andvoice.
whentellinga
familiarstory,
interprets
behavioursand
speculatesabout
characters’
motives.