When children tell stories, they do much more than share what happened during their day. They practice organizing thoughts, remembering details, using vocabulary, and explaining ideas clearly. These abilities are known as narrative language skills. They help children understand stories, describe experiences, and communicate information in a way that makes sense to others. Storytelling also…
Have you ever asked your child a question and watched them struggle to find the right word? They may pause, repeat themselves, or say “that thing” instead of naming something they know. For example, your child might recognize a giraffe in a picture but struggle to remember its name. They may describe it as “the…
You ask your child what happened at school, and the answer jumps from lunch to recess and then back to something that happened that morning. Or you finish reading a book together, but when you ask what happened in the story, your child has trouble explaining it. This can be frustrating for both children and…
Children do not learn every speech sound at once. Early speech often includes substitutions, missing sounds, and words adults may find hard to understand. Many of these mistakes are a normal part of development. As children get older, however, their speech should gradually become clearer. Certain sounds and speech patterns should also become easier to…
Communication is about more than knowing words or speaking clearly. Children also need to know how to use language with other people. They need to take turns, stay on topic, read social cues, and adjust what they say based on the situation. These abilities are known as pragmatic language skills for children. When children struggle…
Every child deserves a way to communicate. For some children, spoken words do not develop as expected. Others can speak but may have trouble using speech to share their needs, thoughts, or feelings. In these cases, AAC for children may provide another way to communicate. AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. It includes many…
