Are you worried about your preschooler or kindergartener? Maybe there have been signs that something is just not quite right with her communication skills, or her preschool teacher has mentioned she isn’t reaching typical communication milestones just yet. You’ve maybe even heard that it is “just a phase” or that your child will “catch up” with the other kids her age. While every child is an individual and will make progress at his or her own unique pace, it is also important to listen to those gut feelings and inner voices you have that something might be causing this delay. Continue reading →
Since the day (or even before) your child was born you likely have had questions tumbling through your mind about everything from diaper choices to healthy growth and development. Your elementary age child has grown beyond those first steps, but still has many communication milestones to reach. If you are concerned that your child isn’t on track for these, there are several questions you must ask. Continue reading →
As the time approaches when many children are headed back to another year of school, many parents are left wondering if their children are ready for what lies ahead. Communication milestones is one term used to describe an intricate weaving of skills and tools that are acquired. These skills include those involving reading, writing, speech, language, use of voice, and more. Communication milestones for children in the older elementary years can be more subtle in nature, but they are nonetheless extremely important.
Communication Milestones in 4th – 6th Grades
Most children have established a foundation of communication by the time they enter kindergarten, and the early elementary years are spent building on those, especially in areas such as reading and writing, as well as more complicated conversations. The older elementary years are no less important than these early years, but their progress might not seem as noticeable. It is during this time when the skills continue to increase at a steady pace, often all the way through high school (and hopefully beyond).
When it comes to communication milestones for older elementary students, look to see that your child is developing in these various areas, both in and out of school. Continue reading →
The other day here at the Speech Buddies Blog we reviewed the communication milestones for preschoolers and kindergarteners. While it is true that the first five years of a child’s life are a time of tremendous brain growth and development, it doesn’t mean that the communication milestones for the early elementary years are any less important. In fact, these years mark times of increased independent learning and reliance on the communication skills developed by the time your child is ready for first grade. But what are the milestones in the early elementary years that kids should develop to prepare them for middle school and beyond?
It’s important to review what makes up “communication” as a general set of skills and tools. The three main parts are the voice, speech, and the language (including written, spoken, singing, and more). The combination of these areas, along with articulation, voice, and fluency, form your child’s set of communication milestones. Continue reading →
Preparing for kindergarten is about more than getting that first pair of gym shoes or new box of crayons. There are several communication developmental milestones that preschoolers and those kids entering kindergarten should reach in order to make those early education years as smooth as possible. Communication is comprised of three general tools:
Voice – the actual vocal sounds made when air moves from the lungs
Speech – talking by using coordination between muscles, the jaws, lips, and other parts of the oral region
Language – a common set of rules that let you express your ideas and feelings, and that can occur through writing, sign language, singing, speech, and non-verbal communication Continue reading →
