Ah, back to school! It’s a time of new beginnings and a fresh start. We’ve been celebrating this time at our clinic, reading books about school, discussing school-based vocabulary (teachers, notebooks, backpacks, crayons, etc.), and even reviewing our ABCs and 123s. This is just the beginning of some ways children use language at school. So how does language development affect a child’s success in school? While this list could go on for a long time, today we’re going to focus on a few key areas: 1) language processing, 2) expressive language, and 3) social communication.

1) Language processing

Children are expected to take in a lot of information in a classroom. From the moment they arrive, there is a routine to follow… they need to know where they should put their backpacks, where they should sit, when and where they should turn in their homework, and what they should do once they sit down, to name a few things. An observant child might be able to follow the flow of what their peers are doing, but they will also need to listen and follow their teacher’s directions, which can be complex at a school-age level. This is where language processing comes into play.

2) Expressive language

Expressive language is everywhere in school… it is not just in speaking! Written communication is an important form of expressive language, and it becomes more critical for children to have proficiency as they progress in school. Children need to be able to speak and write to a variety of audiences, providing factual information, telling personal stories, and summarizing key points, to name a few areas. Thoughts need to be complete, with a solid understanding of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary terms.

3) Social communication

Social communication at school is complex and ever-changing. How a child communicates on the playground is very different from how they are expected to communicate in a classroom. There might be times of the day when children work in groups or other times when they are expected to work independently. So much of our daily communication is nonverbal, meaning the child is expected to “read the room” and respond accordingly.

So what does all of this mean? We know that children who have underlying language difficulties may struggle in the classroom regardless of their intellectual capabilities. At our clinic, we keep this idea in mind year-round, working with clients and their parents to help boost school readiness and language skills in functional ways that apply to the school years and beyond. We strive for each of our clients to be successful in language, learning, and life, and we look forward to hopefully serving your family soon! We hope this school year is the best one ever!