Common speech and language challenges for school-aged children
Communication skills are vital to children learning new skills, making friends and feeling confident at school. Although many display delayed speech from an early age, problems may not become apparent until your child starts school and learning. Teachers are often the first to recognise individuals who need support, especially once they have started engaging in lessons where listening, speaking and understanding become part of learning, not only academically but socially.
Here we discuss some of the most common speech and language difficulties your child will encounter at school, so that you can be aware and seek support should you need it:
Articulation problems
Simply put, articulation refers to how well a child pronounces speech sounds. A child may persist with ‘baby sounds’ past the age at which you would expect them to have been developed. This can include substitutions (“wabbit” for rabbit), omissions (“ca” instead of “cat”) or distortions (speech sounds jumbled up and unclear to understand).
Teachers may notice articulation problems when your child reads aloud in class, gives presentations, or participates in group work. They may notice other children asking your child to repeat themselves, or avoiding speaking in front of the class. Left unsupported, your child may begin to lack confidence or struggle to keep up in lessons when called upon to speak out loud – despite understanding the information.
Language processing disorders
Language processing refers to how we take in information that we hear, organise our thoughts and reply clearly. If your child has language processing difficulty, they may have trouble following instructions with multiple steps, understanding longer or complex sentences and remembering information they have heard.
It can become noticeable at school when your child starts to learn through listening to teachers. They may seem not to be listening or understanding, but in reality, they have difficulty processing the language. Teachers may also notice that your child takes longer to answer questions or that their answers may be partial. Your child may struggle to retell a story or express their ideas.
Language processing disorders can affect your child’s reading comprehension and writing. They can slow down their progress at school if not caught early.
Social communication problems
Also known as pragmatic language, social communication involves knowing when and how to use language. Social language skills include: taking turns in conversation, listening, adjusting to body language and tone of voice, staying on topic, reading between the lines and understanding context.
Children with social communication problems may find it hard to join in group activities, take jokes or sarcasm personally, dominate conversation without realising people are no longer listening or listen but do not respond appropriately.
Teachers may notice your child is doing well academically but may not have many friends or may be getting into bullying situations due to social difficulties. These problems may be noticed at school during group activities, at playtime or when your child has to work with others.
Difficulty listening in class
Most of us take listening for granted. However, for some children, listening can be a challenge. Your child’s hearing may be fine, but they may have difficulty processing auditory information or paying attention in the presence of background noise.
They may need you to repeat instructions several times, miss key information during a conversation, and you might notice them looking around a lot when someone is speaking to them. Your child’s teacher may notice they thrive in one-to-one lessons but don’t seem to absorb information well during whole-class teaching.
Similar to language processing difficulties, classroom listening difficulties can have a big impact on your child’s learning across all subjects.
Teachers usually notice these issues first
Your child’s teacher will spend a large amount of time in social, learning and listening environments with your child. Classrooms are where children spend most of their day listening to instructions and interacting with their peers. The pattern of communication difficulties may not be obvious to you at home. But during lessons and school activities, teachers can pick up on these difficulties.
The earlier your child is identified for support, the quicker they can access it. Working with teachers and parents means your child will get the support they need, rather than being labelled ‘naughty’ or ‘not trying’.
Therapists who specialise in speech therapy for schools are experts in identifying these difficulties and finding strategies to support children in an educational setting. By working with teachers, they can help develop the skills your child needs to access the curriculum fully.
Find support near you
Speech and language problems in school-aged children are far more common than you think. And teachers will usually notice these signs before you, due to the communication demands of a school day.Articulation disorders, language processing difficulties, social communication problems and listening difficulties can all impact your child’s learning and interactions with their peers if they don’t receive support.
Early identification and support are key to helping your child develop the skills they need to access learning and begin thriving socially. If you’re looking for speech therapy in Kensington and Chelsea to support your child at school, get in touch with London Speech Therapy. We help children develop the communication skills they need to access the curriculum, understand classroom instructions, and feel confident communicating with their teachers and peers.
