Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community:
Emerging Literacy: Linking Social Competence to Learning
Appendix B
| Contents
| Preface
| Introduction
| Module 1
| Module 2
| Module 3
| Module 4 | |
Strategies for Supporting Children with Speech or Language Delays or Disorders*
Possible Warning Signs
When a young child's language skills do not improve over time, he or she may have a specific problem that needs to be addressed by professionals who work in conjunction with the child's family and Head Start staff. There may be a physical abnormality in the teeth, palate, or vocal cords; a hearing problem; or a speech disorder such as lisping. The following are signs of possible speech or language delays or disorders:
- By age two, the child is not talking at all.
- After age three, the child's speech cannot be understood.
- After age three, the child leaves off many beginning consonants
(for example, og instead of dog).
- The child uses mostly vowel sounds.
- The child is embarrassed and disturbed by his or her speech.
- The child's voice is a monotone, too loud or too soft, or very
difficult to understand, suggesting that there may be a hearing loss.
- The child sounds as if he or she is talking through the nose or
suffering from a cold.
If a child exhibits any of these signs, he or she may need to be evaluated by a speech pathologist. Head Start staff can share their observations with families and obtain their written permission to make a referral for a complete language development evaluation. As with any assessment of a child's abilities, the setting, instruments, techniques, and interpretation of results should be culturally appropriate. For more information, see Appendix B: Culturally Appropriate Assessment in the Head Start Training Guide Individualizing: A Plan for Success. See the Training Guide for the Head Start Learning Community, Well Child Health Care for more information on speech and language screening.
Suggested StrategiesHead Start staff and families can use the following strategies to help children whose oral language skills are at an earlier stage than most children of the same age: (These strategies can also be helpful for young children who are strengthening their language skills.)
Start with simple words and phrases. This will help children gain the receptive language skills that are the foundation for the expressive language that comes later.
Use the real names for objects. For example, say blanket not bankie.
Repeat key words, concepts, and rules of grammar again and again over a short period of time. For example, a teacher may say to a child who is eating an apple, Your apple is red. It's a red apple. Does your red apple taste sweet? Most children need to hear the same word thousands of times before they can speak it.
Emphasize a word or phrase by putting it at the beginning or end of a sentence. This helps a child pay attention to the word or phrase. For example, you could say, The button is shiny. The pie pan is shiny. The necklace is shiny.
Use contrasts to highlight words a child is learning to use appropriately. For example, to model the use of in and out, you can play a game with hula hoops placed on the floor--Cameron is in the hoop. Nina is in the hoop. Tracey is in the hoop. Lori is out of the hoop.
Respond to a child's communication as quickly as possible. For example, Donnie points to the torn page in his book and says, Book broken. While Donnie is still paying attention to the book, his grandmother responds immediately, Yes, the page is torn. There is a torn page in the book. Then she invites Donnie to help her tape the page. If she had repaired the book without responding, Donnie might have moved on to another activity. By the time she responded, he may not have made the connection between what he said and what she said.
Speak in short sentences. As a child's language skills improve, gradually increase the length and complexity of the sentences you speak.
Talk at a slower rate than you normally do. This gives children enough time to hear what you say and how you say it and try to figure out what it means.
Pause between phrases and sentences. Your pauses give a child time to make sense of what you say and to think of a response.
Use specific names for items as children's language skills grow. This helps children learn how to generalize. For example, say Would you like some oatmeal? rather than Would you like some cereal?
Use daily events and activities to model and reinforce language use. The daily life of a home or classroom offers many opportunities for children to practice using language. Adults can listen and respond in ways that guide children's language learning.
For more information and materials on speech and language screening, see the Training Guide for the Head Start Learning Community, Well Child Health Care, or contact the following organizations:
American Speech-Language Hearing Association10801 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: 800-638-8255 or 301-897-8682
The Hanen Centre
252 Bloor Street West
Suite 3-390
Toronto, ONT M5S IV5 Canada
Phone: 416-921-1073
Fax: 416-921-1225
E-mail: info@hanen.org
Web Site: http://www.hanen.org/carconn.html
* Based on Sue Schwartz, Ph.D., and Joan E. Heller Miller, Ed.M., The New Language of Toys: Teaching Communication Skills to Children with Special Needs, a Guide for Parents and Teachers (Rockville, Md.: Woodbine House, 1996), 21, 33-37; and Elaine Weitzman, Learning Language and Loving It: A Guide to Promoting Children's Social and Language Development in Early Childhood Settings (Toronto: The Hanen Centre, 1992), 198-200.
Copyright © 1999 Head Start Publications Management Center. All rights reserved.
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