Monthly Archive for May, 2010

Understanding Words and Sentences

Published on May 26, 2010 in slt difficulties. Closed

In order for children to use speech it is critical that they first understand what is being said to them. Most children begin to understand gestures and words before they turn one; they rapidly learn the meaning of a large number of words and then can follow simple instructions.

However for some children this process does not happen smoothly or naturally. They have difficulties understanding spoken language and this can affect their ability to follow instructions, join in conversations, and learn new skills. It can also lead to longer-lasting problems with attention and listening skills, poor behaviour, and difficulties reading and writing at school.

Below is a quick guide to the language a child should understand at each stage of development:

12 Months

  • Can tell the difference between different sounds
  • Responds to ‘no’
  • Understands some single words e.g. Daddy, car, eyes, phone, key
  • Begins to respond to requests e.g. “Give it to Mummy”
  • Begins to respond to questions e.g. “More juice?”

18 Months

  • Can identify a range of common objects
  • Understands simple directions with or without cues e.g. “Push the bus!”

2 Years

  • Understands several pronouns, e.g. me, my, your
  • Understands concepts of quantity, e.g. one, some, all
  • Understands action words, e.g. eat, sleep, etc.

2 Years 6 Months

  • Begins to understand basic prepositions, e.g. in, on
  • Can identify objects by function
  • Understands some attributes, e.g. big, broken

3 Years

  • Understands harder descriptive concepts, e.g. empty, same
  • Begins to understand the names of some colours
  • Understands simple ‘who, what, where’ questions

4 Years

  • Understands more complex directions, e.g. two-part instructions
  • Understands harder prepositions e.g. between, next to
  • Begins to understand ‘why’ questions and how to make inferences
  • Understands most of what is said, including stories and simple questions about themselves

5 Years

  • Understands concepts of timing, e.g. first, last, next
  • Understands more complex concepts of quantity and size, e.g. heavier than, bigger than

There are some general tips that can help children to understand what is being said:

  • Keep sentences short and simple
  • Say your child’s name before giving them an instruction to help them focus on what you are saying
  • Use pointing and gestures alongside your words
  • Talk about what your child is playing with and things that are happening around them
  • When playing with them be face-to-face and down on their level, to encourage eye contact and to see what they are looking at
  • Encourage your child to listen to everyday sounds, such as the doorbell or a lorry outside, or use instruments to encourage them to listen
  • Allow time for your child to think about what you have said before saying it again if they haven’t fully understood you
  • Rephrase and shorten an instruction using gesture if they didn’t understand you the first time

At times a child may appear to understand when they really don’t. They may use a lot of language, repeat nursery rhymes and imitate adults. This does not necessarily mean that they understand what is being said – that needs to be checked separately.

Using Language

Published on May 13, 2010 in slt difficulties. Closed

It is assumed that a child will learn to speak clearly and in sentences by themselves if they are placed in certain environments – where they are spoken to and can play with other children, at home and in their child care surroundings. Although for many children this is true, for some this does not happen. They may not progress from babbling, or move from using single words to pointing  things out.

At a higher level some children struggle to learn the grammar that adults use in sentences, which means they are unable to construct stories and retell events that they have experienced in a clear way. Any difficulties in using spoken language will affect the child’s ability to use written language in school. It can lead to frustration at not being able to express themselves clearly and therefore go on to affect behaviour and relationships, even with their peer group.

Some children are slower to talk than others simply because they have difficulties understanding words and sentences, and this needs to be ruled out before working directly on spoken language alone.

Some tips to help young children include:

  • Give your child alternatives e.g. “Would you like milk or juice?”
  • Play with your child at their eye level (on the floor if necessary) and follow their lead, commenting in short phrases about what they are doing, e.g. “Teddy is falling over”
  • When your child has shown an interest in something new, name it for them
  • Nursery rhymes are an excellent way of encouraging your child to talk. Leave a pause before the last word to see if they fill in the word
  • If your child says one word, repeat what they have said and add another word e.g. your child says “dog”, reply by saying “Yes, big dog” or “dog walking”
  • Encourage your child to play with children of their own age, such as at nursery/playgroup
  • Give your child the opportunity to talk – leave pauses for them to name objects, comment, ask questions etc.
  • Try to avoid yes/no questions, instead ask open ended questions e.g. “What are you doing?” instead of “Are you playing with the cars?”

For older children with difficulties learning grammar simply say to them the sentence they said to you and ask them if it sounded right. Talk about different words and how they change when the sentence is about the past, present or future.

Learning to Play

Published on May 13, 2010 in slt difficulties. Closed

Some people think of play as frivolous and childish, something that is unimportant and reserved only for children to occupy their time. However, the opposite is true: play is vital. Children learn so many things through their games, and playing is also vital for learning language and social skills.

Without play a child has limited use of language and few skills in making and maintaining friendships. Rules and negotiation play a large part in children’s play. As with all development there are stages that children go through with their play and it becomes more complex with age. Here are some broad outlines of typical behaviour at certain ages:

6 months
Children explore objects with a limited number of movements – pushing, grasping and tasting them – to see the effect that this has.

1 Year
Children now enjoy sound-making toys like rattles, and hiding/finding objects. They have a greater understanding of how to make objects work. They don’t put as many objects in their mouth at this stage. Peek-a-boo games are tremendous fun and develop their turn-taking skills.

1 year 6 Months
At this stage throwing toys down from the high chair or push chair (casting) is highly entertaining, at least for the little one! It is used as a game or to reject objects. Children begin to relate objects together and pretend with them, e.g. putting a cup on a saucer and stirring an empty cup with a spoon. Experimenting with movements continue and push and pull toys are frequently enjoyed at this age.

2 Years
Pretend play develops further at this age with children copying household activities, such as cleaning, cooking etc.. Although they are fascinated with each other, often at 2 years old children enjoy playing near, rather than directly with, each other. Construction toys and building bricks become a greater part of play as do toys such as model cars and bikes.

3 Years
By 3 years old children join in active make-believe play with other children, acting out a variety of roles and stories. These may involve repeating things seen on television or read in books, or even real-life situations. Toys are more easily shared at this stage as children begin to play with one another rather than alongside others. Objects can easily fulfil a variety of roles in the play now, e.g. a brick can be a cup, car, bag, etc.

4 Years
Complicated make-believe play involving clearly defined roles and dressing up are typically a large part of play at this age. Rules and roles are signalled both explicitly and by the words/dialogue used during playing, e.g. “I am Daddy and you must eat all your food up before you go and play.” Children understand the need for turn-taking and begin to play games with rules, such as board games. Construction play has developed too – now children plan and build objects rather than just putting random pieces together.