As the new school year begins, it's an exciting time for both students and parents. There are new supplies, new friends, and new opportunities. However, it’s also a time where speech and language needs may become more apparent; each year there are new academic and social demands being placed on your child. Therefore, it is an ideal time for all parents, teachers, and professionals to observe and monitor how your child is adjusting to the classroom environment, regardless of if it’s their first school experience or just a new classroom for the year.
In this blog post, we’re going to discuss some common red flags that may indicate that your child has some language concerns that need to be addressed and how to approach these concerns during parent-teacher conferences.
Speech and Language Red Flags to Watch For in the Classroom
It’s important to remember that every child develops at their own pace. While keeping this in mind, there are some indicators that may suggest a need for additional speech and language support. Here are just a few concerns to look for:
Difficulty Following Directions: If your child struggles to understand or follow multi-step directions, it might indicate challenges with receptive language skills. This could manifest as needing frequent repetition, appearing confused, or not completing tasks as expected.
Limited Vocabulary: If your child has a noticeably smaller vocabulary compared to their peers or if they frequently use vague words like "thing" or "stuff" instead of specific terms, it might suggest expressive language difficulties.
Social Communication Challenges: Pay attention if your child has difficulty engaging in conversations, understanding social cues, or making and keeping friends. These could be signs of pragmatic language difficulties.
Struggling with Reading and Writing: Language delays can impact literacy skills. If your child is having trouble with early reading and writing skills, such as letter recognition, rhyming, or understanding stories, this could indicate underlying language concerns.
Difficulty with Storytelling or Sequencing Events: If your child struggles to retell a story in the correct order or has trouble explaining what happened during the day, it could indicate challenges with narrative skills and understanding sequences.
Inconsistent Responses to Questions: If your child frequently gives off-topic or unrelated answers to questions, it may suggest difficulties with understanding the question, retrieving the right information, or processing language accurately.
Difficulty Understanding Abstract Language: If your child struggles with understanding figurative language, idioms, or humor, they might have challenges with higher-level language skills and interpreting non-literal meanings.
Challenges with Classroom Participation: If your child is hesitant to raise their hand, join in discussions, or participate in group activities, this might suggest underlying language difficulties, such as anxiety about their communication abilities or difficulty processing information quickly enough to respond.
Whether you notice these concerns at home, or if your child’s teacher discusses these concerns with you at parent-teacher conferences, we recommend reaching out to a speech language pathologist for an evaluation. Talk Time Speech Therapy Services are here to help! Our skilled therapists can complete an evaluation, which will identify if your child demonstrates delays in any areas of language and what individualized support your child may need.
Discussing Concerns at Parent-Teacher Conferences
If you’ve noticed any of these red flags, parent-teacher conferences are an excellent opportunity to bring them up with your child’s teacher. Here’s how to approach this conversation:
Be Specific: Provide clear examples of what you’ve observed at home. For example, "I've noticed that when I give Johnny a two-step direction, like 'Put on your shoes and grab your backpack,' he often only completes one part of the task."
Ask for Observations: Teachers spend a significant amount of time with your child and can provide valuable insights. Ask if they’ve noticed similar challenges in the classroom and how your child is coping with academic and social demands.
Collaborate on Next Steps: If concerns are shared, discuss what can be done in the classroom to support your child. This might include specific strategies, classroom accommodations, or the possibility of a referral for a speech-language evaluation.
Click here to read about the differences between school-based and private speech therapy services to see if your child may require more support.
How Talk Time Speech Therapy Can Help
If you or your child’s teacher have concerns about their speech and language development, it’s important to seek support sooner rather than later. Early intervention can make a significant difference in your child’s communication skills and academic success.
At Talk Time Speech Therapy, we specialize in helping children overcome speech and language challenges. Whether you're seeing red flags or simply have concerns about your child’s development, we’re here to help. We offer consultations and individualized therapy sessions designed to support your child’s unique needs.
If you’d like to discuss your concerns further or learn more about how we can help, visit our website at Talk Time Speech Therapy to schedule a consultation. Together, we can ensure your child has the tools they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom!