Childhood language problems on the increase

An increasing number of children seem to be entering school with language-related learning difficulties, a speech pathologist has told a gathering of local teachers.

Education Queensland Speech Language Pathologist Tracey Bennion said teachers were being required to cater for the special needs of these children in classroom programs.

Ms Bennion was speaking at the Global Educators for Contemporary Learning Communities workshop hosted by USQ Fraser Coast last month (October). 

About 80 teachers attended the workshop, which is part of a series of monthly professional development sessions for teachers in the region.

The workshop focused on speech and language difficulties and how teachers could learn to determine appropriate language levels for individual children.

Ms Bennion said that while a small number of children had diagnosable speech language impairments, for many the lack of language stimulation in early life was impacting on their abilities in the classroom. (Language stimulation includes reading stories, playing ‘I spy’, learning nursery rhymes and discussing and negotiating with their parents.)

She said research had shown that the number of words per day that a child heard differed depending on their socio-economic background.

'While the number of ‘instructions’ stayed the same, the use of language to comment, describe and talk about day-to-day happenings could result in a less rich language experience in childhood unless the importance of talking and discussing is understood by families and teachers,' she said.

'The use of picture books and shared reading activities to develop vocabulary, concepts and reasoning skills is presented as an effective means of supporting language development and developing skills that translate directly to speaking and listening within the classroom curriculum.'

USQ Fraser Coast education senior lecturer Dr Patrick O’Brien said Ms Bennion’s session was inspiring to teachers as was so popular that the university plans to run another similar workshop in early 2011.

'She explained that children from lower socio-economic backgrounds don’t get a commentary when they are learning about an object, for instance, a pair of scissors,' Dr O’Brien said.

'Most children will be able to look at a pair of scissors and tell you that they are scissors. The children who have had commentary in their early years will also be able to explain their purpose, that they cut things and that they are sharp. They learn that from explanation, or commentary, as they are growing.

'So teachers need to concentrate on giving the children the commentary they need to expand their language skills.'