Childrens communication skills

The problem with these studies and with many of the tests used for young children is that they are based on middle. class standards and so there will always be children from lower and working class families who will 'fail' these tests. There has always been a gap between young children from poorer homes and the better off. There have been various schemes to try and provide support for such children, through book schemes, Sure Start, free nursery hours etc. They have had some success, but the problem remains. It is difficult to know if there will ever be anything which will help.

What is middle class about expecting a child aged 5 to recognise simple shapes and be able to match them, to understand words and concepts like up, down, over under, to know how a book works and to have at some time in their first 5 years held a pen or crayon and done some drawing?

Back in the 1970s, these were the problems my MiL was facing. I think if we stopped patronising and infantilising poorer families by constantly telling them what they cannot be expected to do because they are so poor and deprived and instead raised our expectations for them and encouraged them to have some aspirations, even if it is just to help their children achieve certain milestones before they reach school. we would do more to benefit them and their children than anything else.

Well, amongst many other European countries, it seems to be especially a problem in the UK so I'm inclined to think that our governments must bear some of the blame.

Some other countries - notably in Scandinavia, provide much better support for families, and employment is more flexible. I think some of today's British parents are just exhausted trying to hold it all together - plus there is a relentless focus on buying stuff.

I have read several accounts - both from people using the service and from professionals researching it - of the good work that Sure Start centres do but unfortunately this government has closed down hundreds of them.

yggdrasil My thought exactly! Tory minister complains about children having lack of language skills but carefully forgets that Tory 'austerity' programme closed most of the Sure Start centres which were designed to help less well-provided for children get their learning skills enhanced. Perhaps we should complain about selective memory loss in ministers?

I don't think anyone would deny there were problems in the past but I can't help thinking that using TV and electronic devices to "entertain" children is having an effect on development.

Obviously there was no social media when I was growing up TV was strictly limited, my parents would sit and read with me and I was able to read and write before I started school. My brother wanted a toy garage, so my father showed him how to make his own. Both my parents worked full time and money and time were short.

We also hear of children starting school still wearing nappies - even at the age of 5 I would have been mortified if I had to wear a nappy to school.

Think definitely mobile phones and computers have a lot to answer for. So often whilst in restaurants and cafes I see mum's sitting with their small children, and mum is playing with phone and ignoring the children. But easy to blame technology, when really the parents are responsible. I know most parents are busy these days, so it is really important to actually talk to children when time allows. I think sitting together with books at an early age helps. And I think however busy parents are, some regular child friendly time needs to be set aside.

Its a great pity Sure start was disconinued

Out for coffee and gossip (communication!!) recently with a friend we were horrified to see a couple with a child sitting in the same cafe - each adult on their respective phone, child on a tablet watching a cartoon / film. Not a word was spoken between them and they 'groped' for their drinks they were so fixated on the devices - HURMPH!!!

All three of my boys went to an infant's school fluently bi-lingual. We spoke Welsh at home but were surrounded by monoglot English neighbours (Liverpool). Clearly these parents dont talk or read to their children. It is parents duty to teach their children to speak not government or infant teachers. Some go to school still in nappies, believe me I know because I taught some of them!!!!

This interests me greatly. I have 2 GC. Both have same parentage, attended same nursery and have been thoroughly spoken to, read to and encouraged in every possible sphere. Elder one age 6 is bright as a button and decidedly articulate and clear in everything she says. Younger is 4 and equally bright and never stops chatting about absolutely everything but her chat is jumbled and often difficult to grasp. Speech therapy has been mentioned but being put on the back burner for the moment. Anyone any thoughts, ideas or solutions, please?

The constant use of mobile phones, tablets etc has contributed to the lack of conversation,communication skills both in children and adults.
Children learn to use tablets etc. at a very early age,I was recently travelling on a very crowded train and a little boy sitting behing me, cant have been three years old, he was sitting with his Mum a bit away from his Dad the boy kept shouting," I want my I-pad" he didnt get it, but shouted for it for about fifteeen minutes, until they got off the train,thank goodness!

M0nica have you seen the assessment on which entry to reception is based? One of the examples shows a swimming pool and children playing. The adult asks the child where the children are, answering at the beach is not acceptable. How much moe middle class can you get

What is middle class about expecting a child aged 5 to recognise simple shapes and be able to match them, to understand words and concepts like up, down, over under, to know how a book works and to have at some time in their first 5 years held a pen or crayon and done some drawing?

Pretty much everything, I'd say. Why does a five year old need to know what certain shapes are called? Why can't it just play with shapes with no verbosity attached? I bet most five year olds understand the concepts of the examples given, and many more, IF they have been allowed to play enough during their preschool years.

As for knowing how books work and how to hold a pencil, isn't that what schools are there to teach? It seems we are expecting kids to pule into academic stuff as soon as they go to school? Why? c/f Erika Christakis's book: The Importance of Being Little.

pile, not pule

Not that I'm knocking kids knowing how books work, etc. I'm all for it but, then, I'm all well-educated middle class as well, brought up in a house full of books.

My husband wasn't. There were no books in his parents' house. He discovered his local library when he was about nine years old and never looked back.

Why does only speaking one language mean that.....

Clearly these parents don't talk or read to their children

How on earth do you surmise that mabon1?

A huge jump to conclusions!

I might have misconstrued something you said, mon. The bit about matching shapes. Nevertheless, a child still doesn't need to know what a shape is called to match it to another.

It's not all lazy parenting. Our youngest DGS does not speak clearly & he has just turned 4. Starts school in September. He talks non stop but sometimes it is hard to understand what he is saying & he gets very frustrated if he has to keep repeating it until we get it. It got better once he started Nursery but we have identified the main problem is his sister who talks for him all the time. She is 6 & has mothered him from day 1 & won't let him speak for himself- he gets cross with her too. We are constantly telling her that he has to learn to pronounce words properly & she is not helping him but you know what 6 year old girls are like. They know it all!
He pronounces 'S' as 'D' etc. so although he has a very good vocabulary for his age it is not clear speech. He got a lot better when they gave him extra help at Nursery but still has a way to go. Funnily enough other children seem to understand him perfectly!
It is possible that he may have to have speech therapy but they have suggested waiting until he has had a term at school to see if it improves.

My DGS is nearly three and is struggling with his language...he doesn't really use words and is only just waving goodbye consistently. Yes, his parents use electronic devices sometimes and he has watched too much tv but it goes so much deeper than that. His parents are looking for every excuse as to why he is not progressing like other children and this report will just make them think that he is a product of today's society. I strongly suspect that there is a bigger problem underlying his struggles and they are doing everything not to face it. I do wish this report hadn't come out just yet!

Mcem. Unable to or not interested ? As an only child, during the late 40's and into the 50's with both parents at work when I look at todays children do I feel I missed out on anything. What did we kids have ? We had parents who may not have been wealthy but who gave us their time . Surely worth far more than all the laptops,I pads and the like many indulge their children.

My 10 year old DGD spoke complete gobbledegook until she was well over 3 ican . A cross between what sounded like Chinese and Martian (with a little bit of English thrown in here and there). It was exactly the same as what you have said that her older sister was doing most of her communicating for her. These days she is very articulate and by far one of the brightest in her class, but I found an old video we took when she was little and I wanted to bottle her little voice and open the lid every time I am feeling sad. It was so adorable.

Sorry that should have read "exactly the same as what Craftycat has said".

Also my son couldn't pronounce the "C" sound or the "F" sound until he was at least 4 and used the letter "T" instead.

Tootball and Tritmas !

T/K, D/S etc etc are very common developmental speech anomalies which clear up in time.
There is a difference between speech and underlying language. It's the problem with language that is the major concern. If people don't learn and understand the shared code of words and how they represent objects, people, emotions and concepts it's extremely hard to function effectively in society and can lead to tremendous frustration and tendency to finding more physical rather than verbal ways of dealing with situations.
Talk to small children. Give them time and attention and encourage their language use irrespective of its pronunciation.

Thank you gillybob, that is nice to hear. I am hoping that my anxiety is unfounded but as an ex-teacher, mother of 6 and 7 other GC, I have a little idea of some of the red flags of other developmental problems of which he displays very efficiently! Whatever, he is a gorgeous little boy with the most incredible sense of humour with those he knows well so we'll just get him to be the best person he can be no matter what problems he has.