01539 272034 SouthLakes.SLT@gmail.com

Tag: Preschool Age

  • ‘What Did You Say?’ Top Tips for Communicating When Your Child’s Speech is Unclear

    ‘What Did You Say?’ Top Tips for Communicating When Your Child’s Speech is Unclear

    Top tips from South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy to support your child’s communication when their speech is unclear.

    1. Get Face-to-Face

    Whenever possible, get eye level with your child when communicating so they can see your mouth moving and how you are forming sounds. Being eye level also helps you and your child see all the clues about what is being communicated that we give through facial expressions and body language.

    2. Eliminate Background Noise

    Turn the radio off in the car and the TV off at home when you are speaking with your child. Children are most successful communicators when they are not competing with background noises and this will give you the best chance of correctly hearing your child’s message.

    3. Encourage Gestures

    If your child’s speech is unclear, encourage them to use gestures and other natural speech signs when talking to give listeners more clues about the message they are communicating. Makaton is another way to support young communicators.

    4. Offer Choices

    When possible, offer a young child two choices so they can communicate which they want. This gives you a better chance of understanding what they say since you already know the message possibilities.

    5. Ask Your Child to Tell You in a Different Way

    If you are struggling to understand your child’s message, ask younger children to show you or take you to what they are talking about when possible. Older children may be able to describe the target word if you prompt them by asking ‘What is it used for? or ‘Where do you find it?’. This could give you the clues you need to figure out their message.

    6. Give the Conversation Context

    If your child’s speech is unclear, ask specific questions such as ‘What was your favourite lesson today?’ or ‘Who did you play with at break time?’ instead of open ended questions such as ‘What did you do at school today?’. The more context you can give the conversation, the better chance you have at figuring out your child’s message.

    7. Instead of Correcting, Model

    If your child mispronounces a word, repeat the word back clearly using the correct
    pronunciation. For example, if your child says “Look, a gog!”, You could say, “Wow, that is a big dog!” while emphasizing the mispronounced sound.

    8. Admit when you Don’t Understand

    If your child has tried several ways to communicate their message and you cannot understand, let them know. Try to be reassuring and let them know that you are sorry that you cannot understand what they are saying.

    9. Keep a ‘Translation List’

    If there are particular words your child regularly says that people find difficult to understand, keep a list of the target words and how your child pronounces them. Share this list with your child’s teacher and family members to help your child be more easily understood by the people in their life.

    10. Get Specialist Support

    A 2021 study on speech intelligibility in children sampled children’s intelligibility at the single- and multiword levels. The study measured how well unfamiliar adults understood children at different ages without contextual clues; parents should expect to understand an even higher percentage of their child’s speech. The study found the following speech intelligibility norms:1

    • 25% intelligible by 3 years of age
    • 50% intelligible by 4 years of age
    • 75% intelligible by 5 years of age
    • 90% intelligible by 7 years of age

    If your child’s speech is difficult to understand and not meeting these intelligibility thresholds, consider seeking specialist support from a speech and language therapist; and if you have concerns for your child’s hearing, consider having their hearing tested.

    If you would like more information about children’s speech and language, please get in touch, and sign up to our newsletter if you would like new posts sent directly to your inbox.

    1. Hustad et al (2021 October 04) Speech Development Between 30 and 119 Months in Typical Children I: Intelligibility Growth Curves for Single-Word and Multiword Productions ASHAWire ↩︎
  • Back to School

    Back to School

    For children with speech, language, and/or feeding needs, a new school year can bring unique opportunities and challenges. There are some things you can do to help your child feel confident, prepared and supported as they return to school.

    Supporting Children with Speech and Language Needs

    1. Establish a Routine

    Children thrive on predictability. Establish a school day routine with consistent wake-up and go to bed times and structure school mornings so your child can predict what and when things happen before leaving for school (e.g., getting dressed, eating breakfast and brushing teeth). Some children may benefit from a wall calendar that shows the day of the week, and for children using Now / Next boards or other visual schedules, make it clear what days are school days so your child knows what is happening each day.

    2. Practice Self-Advocacy Phrases

    Practicing language such as “I need help”, “I am hungry / thirsty,” or “Where do I go?” can help your child feel more confident advocating for themselves at school. If your child’s speech is difficult to understand, help them communicate in other ways when needed such as describing or showing what they are trying to say; and if your child uses Makaton or other sign language system, make sure you show your child’s teacher the signs and their meaning. Whenever possible, provide pictures of your child’s sign vocabulary to be kept in the classroom. 

    For children who use pictures to communicate, be sure to provide the classroom teacher and teaching assistant with a copy of the pictures you use at home and explain how your child uses the pictures. There will be new picture vocabulary that you child will need at school, so talk to your child’s teacher about what pictures they think may be relevant in school that you have not yet used at home.

    3. Expand School-Related Vocabulary and Activities

    Introduce words your child might hear at school such as, “schedule,” “assembly,” “school hall,” “recess,” etc. and model how to use this new vocabulary in real-life. Looking at books together that tell stories about children at school and have pictures of classrooms and school settings is a good way to support your child to learn school-related vocabulary.

    4. Practice Social Communication and Play

    Practice social situations like asking for help, taking turns, or joining a group during free play or at recess. If your child is shy or has difficulty navigating social scenarios, simple scripts like “Can I play?” or “My turn” can help your child build confidence when meeting new friends. For children who use pictures and/or sign language to communicate, introduce social pictures and signs at home and practice using them in situations your child may encounter at school.

    Supporting Children with Feeding Challenges

    1. School Dinner and Lunchbox ‘Dress Rehearsals’

    Borrow a dinner tray and/or plate from school and let your child practice eating some meals from it at home. If your child will be bringing a packed lunch to school, let them practice eating from their actual lunchbox at home. This includes using the same containers they will bring to school. This way your child gets used to a new mealtime routine and you can see which containers, if any, are difficult for your child to open or close.

    2. Stick to Familiar Foods

    Avoid experimenting with new foods at the start of the school year; the sight, smell and sound of having a mealtime with peers can be overwhelming for some children. Pack safe, preferred foods your child is most likely to eat in a busy, sometimes overstimulating environment.

    3. Involve Your Child in Meal Preparation

    Let your child help pack their lunch and choose containers so they know what to expect when they sit down to eat. 

    4. Talk about Lunchtime Expectations

    Explain school mealtime rules: sitting in one spot, limited time to eat, and not always having an adult to help immediately. Practice these at home, so your child knows what to expect when they sit down to eat at school. 

    5. Help School Understand Your Child’s Mealtime Challenges

    Talk with the school’s mealtime supervisors to make sure they understand your child’s feeding challenges and how to support your child at mealtimes. It is important that mealtimes be pressure free and that your child find mealtimes at school enjoyable which may mean they don’t always make a healthy choice or finish what is on their plate.


    For more information about supporting children with communication and/or feeding difficulties, please see South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy’s Information & Resources page or get in touch; and sign up to our newsletter if you would like new posts sent directly to your inbox.