Children may have difficulty understanding spoken language both at home and in the class.
Things to look for;
- Difficulty following instructions, they may appear to understand but carry out either half the instruction or not at all. They may become angry if questioned why they didn’t do what you asked (processing and sequencing instructions may be difficult to follow especially if given quickly)
- When you or others are talking or sharing stories they may rarely ask questions or comment and appear disinterested or distracted (Children may withdraw or tune out if they don’t understand)
- They may consistently misunderstand what you have asked or said and respond with an unrelated answer or by repeating what you have said. (Children with difficulties may struggle to connect words and ideas to find meaning)
- They may be a few seconds behind other children when following instructions. (They may watch other children in the classroom to help them understand what is expected of them)
- They may be able to read the words of a page but demonstrate limited understanding of what the words mean (They can decode the letters into words but not get the gist of the story)
- They may have difficulty remembering things.
- When talking they may have developed strategies for when they are finding something difficult e.g. may change the topic or to end the conversation to try and hide that they’ve not understood.
