Communicating with a child is one of the most pleasurable and rewarding experiences for both parent and child. Children learn by absorbing information through daily interactions and experiences with other children, adults, and the world.

How Should I Communicate With My Child?

As children enter their school years, they become increasingly independent, spending much of their days outside the home in school and with peers. Talking with your child is essential to bonding with him or her, so share ideas, opinions, and information. Here are a few suggestions to aid communication with your child:

• Make time during the day or evening to hear about your child's activities; be sure he or sure knows you are actively interested and listening carefully.
• Remember to talk with and listen to your child, not at him or her.
• Ask questions that go beyond "yes" or "no" answers to prompt more developed conversation.
• Take advantage of time during car trips or standing in line at the supermarket to talk with your child.
• Provide activities that offer opportunities to improve communication skills, such as attending or engaging in sporting and school events, talking about current events, and reading stories to your child that are slightly above his competency level.

Typical Vocabulary and Communication Patterns

As your child progresses in school, both his or her comprehension and usage of language will become more sophisticated. Usually, children will understand more vocabulary words and concepts than they may be able to express. Your child should be able to engage in narrative discourse and share ideas and opinions in clear speech.

What Should I Do if I Suspect a Problem?

You should have ongoing communication with your child's teacher about overall language skills and progress. Children with language comprehension and usage problems are at risk for increased academic difficulties.

If your child has a specific communication difficulty, such as persistent stuttering or a lisp, he or she should be referred to the school speech-language pathologist (an expert who evaluates and treats speech and language disorders). You should routinely communicate with the therapist regarding the therapy goals, language activities to practice at home, and your child's progress.

If your child's teacher suspects a language-based learning disability, comprehensive testing will be necessary. This can include a hearing test, psychoeducational assessment (standardized testing to evaluate your child's learning style as well as cognitive processes), and speech-language evaluation.

Typical Communication Problems

Problems in communication skills may include:

• hearing difficulties
• difficulty with attention or following complex directions in the classroom
• difficulty retaining information
• poor vocabulary acquisition
• difficulties with grammar and syntax
• difficulties with organization of expressive language or with narrative discourse
• difficulties with academic achievement, reading, and writing
• unclear speech
• persistent stuttering or a lisp
• voice-quality abnormalities, such as a strained, hoarse quality (may require a medical examination by an otolaryngologist - an ear, nose, and throat specialist)

Medical professionals, such as speech pathologists, therapists, or your child's doctor, can help your child overcome these communication problems.

Reviewed by: Barbara Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: January 2005
Originally reviewed by: Steve Dowshen, MD