School-Age Language

School-Age Language Intervention 

School-age language intervention focuses on supporting children aged 5-18 who experience difficulties with language skills that are crucial for academic success and social interaction. These challenges can manifest in various ways, affecting a child's ability to understand complex instructions, express ideas clearly, read comprehensively, or write effectively. Language disorders in school-age children can impact their performance across all subject areas and their social relationships with peers and adults. 

For example, a child might struggle to understand figurative language, making it difficult to grasp concepts in literature classes. Another student might have trouble organising their thoughts to write a coherent essay or participate effectively in class discussions. Our interventions are tailored to address these specific challenges, helping children develop the language skills necessary for academic achievement and social competence. 

As speech pathologists, we work closely with children, their families, and educators to develop strategies that support language growth. Our approach may include activities to enhance vocabulary, improve sentence structure and grammar, develop narrative skills, and boost reading comprehension. We also focus on pragmatic language skills, helping children understand the social rules of communication, such as turn-taking in conversations or interpreting non-verbal cues. Additionally, we often incorporate strategies to improve executive functioning skills like organisation and time management, which are closely tied to language processing and essential for academic success. 

Useful tip: To support your school-age child's language development at home, engage in regular discussions about their day, encouraging them to use descriptive language and complete sentences. Ask open-ended questions that require more than one-word answers, and gently prompt them to expand on their responses. This practice helps reinforce language skills and promotes more sophisticated communication patterns.