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School Has Been Back for a Few Weeks - What Are You Noticing About Your Child's Communication?
Author: Isabella Knight M.S. CCC-SLP (Check Out Her Staff Page Here)
The first few weeks of school come with new teachers, classmates, and expectations. Children and families are starting to get comfortable in their routines. The communication challenges that may have been attributed to a “new school year adjustment” are starting to become more prevalent and maybe slightly concerning for parents.
In school, children are required to listen, follow directions, understand new vocabulary, explain their ideas, ask for help, and interact with peers throughout the day. With all of these requirements adding up, there are five communication struggles that may become more noticeable as time goes on.
1. Following Directions Is Still Difficult
Schools use directions all day long. A child has to listen, understand the language, remember the information, and complete the steps in the correct order. You may notice your child needs directions repeated, completes only part of what was asked, or frequently seems unsure of what to do next. Once classroom routines are familiar, continued difficulty following directions may be worth monitoring.
2. Telling You About Their Day Is Hard
You want to know what is happening during a majority of your child’s school day and it may be disheartening if they come home and cannot recap their day! If you are asking specific questions such as, “What did you do during science?” or “Tell me something funny that happened today?” and then your child is not able to tell you in a way that makes sense, you may be wondering, what is going on? Why can I not follow the story? This difficulty may not just be happening at home, but organizing thoughts, explaining events, or answering questions may also show up when your child is asked to retell stories or explain answers in class.
3. Homework Is Showing Language Difficulties
When it comes to homework, you may notice that it is becoming increasingly difficult for your child to complete the assignments with accuracy. Maybe your child understands a story but has difficulty summarizing what they read, organizing a response, explaining how they solved a problem, or figuring out exactly what a question is asking. You may also notice frequent word-finding difficulties, vague words such as “thing” or “stuff,” or trouble remembering new vocabulary. This can lead to trouble with academic performance.
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4. Other People Have Trouble Understanding Their Speech
Teachers and classmates need to understand your child when they answer questions, participate in group activities, and socialize. Families are very familiar with the way their child speaks, so speech sound difficulties may become more noticeable when a child begins communicating with more people and those conversation partners are looking to you to interpret. If your child frequently has to repeat themselves, avoids difficult words, or becomes frustrated when others cannot understand them, their speech may be worth looking into.
5. Social Communication Is Becoming More Noticeable
Children are expected to start conversations, take turns, stay on topic, understand what other people mean, and adjust the way they communicate depending on the situation. At this point in the school year, kids are starting to make friends and participate in group activities. You may notice your child has difficulty joining conversations, misunderstandings with peers, or trouble asking for help.
What Should You Do If You’re Noticing a Pattern?
Sometimes communication difficulties are more noticeable at school because children are expected to communicate with more people and manage more complex language. Start by talking with your child’s teacher and asking for specific examples of challenges they face throughout the day. A teacher mentioning a concern does not automatically mean your child has a speech or language disorder. However, if the same difficulties continue showing up and are affecting school participation, learning, or social interactions, it may be helpful to speak with a speech-language pathologist.