Understanding & Supporting Pragmatic Language Development in Children

A child who has difficulty using language appropriately in social situations may have a pragmatic language problem. Parents and teachers can assist in pragmatic language development through games, role playing and modeling.

Taking Turns

• Knowing how to take turns during a conversation is an important pragmatic skill. A child should not talk over another person, or leave long silences.

Body Language

• Appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, posture and distance between speakers can be taught through games.

Settings

• Speech should be adjusted to match the setting, formal or casual; and the speaking partner, adult or child. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommends a child be given a specific task, such as teaching the rules of a game, to practice speaking in different settings.

Topic

• Storytelling, using visuals such as pictures or puppets, can teach a child to stay on topic.

Questions

• The words "who," "what," "when," "where," "why" and "how" should be recognized as the beginning of a question, requiring an answer.