Strategic Speech Solutions
For Teachers & Education Professionals
Speech and Language in the Classroom
What Teachers Notice First
This guide is for informational purposes. It is not a substitute for a professional speech-language evaluation. The observations described below are patterns worth noticing — they are not diagnoses. You know your students. This guide is designed to help you connect what you already see every day to the speech and language factors that may be part of the picture.
Classroom Behaviors That May Have a Speech-Language Connection
Teachers often notice patterns that do not quite fit into a single category. These observations are valuable — they are often the earliest signals that a child may benefit from a speech-language evaluation.
1
Difficulty being understood by classmates and other adults
What you might see: Other students frequently ask this child to repeat themselves. The message gets lost during group work. The child may be understood by you but not by substitute teachers or visitors.
What it may connect to: Speech sound errors that persist beyond the expected developmental window. By kindergarten, most children are intelligible to unfamiliar listeners the majority of the time.
2
Avoids reading aloud, answering questions, or volunteering
What you might see: The child rarely raises their hand. When called on, they give the shortest possible answer or say “I don’t know” even when you suspect they know the material.
What it may connect to: Children who are aware of their own speech or language differences sometimes avoid situations where those differences might be noticed. This can look like shyness, low motivation, or defiance.
3
Spelling errors that seem random or inconsistent
What you might see: Errors do not follow a predictable pattern. Words are spelled the way the child pronounces them (for example, “wabbit” for “rabbit”).
What it may connect to: Phonological awareness — the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in words — underlies both speech clarity and spelling. A speech-language evaluation can assess phonological processing skills.
4
Difficulty following multi-step directions
What you might see: The child starts a task but misses steps. They look around to see what other students are doing. They frequently ask you to repeat directions.
What it may connect to: Receptive language processing — the ability to understand and hold spoken information in working memory. This is different from not listening or not paying attention.
5
Understands material but struggles to explain it
What you might see: The child performs well on multiple-choice tasks but struggles with open-ended responses. They can point to the right answer but cannot articulate why.
What it may connect to: An expressive language gap — the difference between what a child comprehends and what they can verbally produce.
6
Uses simple or immature sentence structures compared to peers
What you might see: Spoken sentences are shorter and less complex than classmates’. The child may leave out connecting words or rely on simple structures.
What it may connect to: Expressive language delay or disorder. Grammar and sentence structure continue to develop through the school years.
7
Difficulty with storytelling, sequencing, or retelling events
What you might see: Narratives jump around, leave out key details, or are hard for the listener to follow. The child may start in the middle or skip the setup.
What it may connect to: Narrative language skills — the ability to organize and sequence information — are a key part of language development that directly affects both spoken and written communication.
8
Repeats sounds, words, or phrases, or seems to “get stuck”
What you might see: The child repeats first sounds (“b-b-b-because”), stretches sounds out, or freezes mid-sentence with visible effort. They may blink, look away, or use filler words.
What it may connect to: Fluency concerns, commonly called stuttering. If you notice these patterns, especially if the child shows awareness or frustration, a referral is appropriate.
9
Difficulty with peer interactions or social communication
What you might see: The child interrupts, talks at length without noticing listener cues, has difficulty taking turns, or misses sarcasm and figurative language.
What it may connect to: Pragmatic language — the social use of language. This includes conversational rules, interpreting nonverbal cues, and adjusting language for different audiences.
10
Written work is significantly below spoken ability (or vice versa)
What you might see: The child is articulate in conversation but produces written work that is disorganized or sparse. Or the child writes competently but struggles to express ideas verbally.
What it may connect to: A disconnect between spoken and written language may reflect expressive language challenges, phonological processing difficulties, or word retrieval issues.
• • •
Speech Sounds Expected by Grade Level
These are general expectations based on current research (Crowe & McLeod, 2020). Individual variation is normal, and bilingual or multilingual students may show different patterns that reflect their language experience rather than a disorder.
| Grade Level |
What to Expect |
| Kindergarten (ages 5–6) |
Most speech sounds should be clear, including /s/, /z/, /l/, /sh/, /ch/. The /r/ sound may still be developing. Occasional errors on /r/ and “th” are common at this age. |
| 1st Grade (ages 6–7) |
Most children produce /r/ accurately by this age, including in blends and vocalic positions. Voiceless “th” may still be developing. Noticeably unclear speech is worth exploring. |
| 2nd Grade (ages 7–8) |
Essentially all speech sounds, including “th,” should be produced accurately. Persistent errors at this age are less likely to self-correct and evaluation is recommended. |
| 3rd Grade+ (ages 8+) |
Any persistent speech sound errors are not developmental — they are patterns that have become habitual. Older children often respond well to therapy. A referral is appropriate at any age. |
A note on accent and dialect: Speech sound differences related to a child’s home language, regional accent, or cultural dialect are not speech disorders. A speech-language pathologist can help distinguish between a difference and a disorder when there is uncertainty.
• • •
Speech, Language, and Communication: What Is the Difference?
Speech
The physical production of sounds. Includes articulation (how sounds are formed), fluency (flow and rhythm), and voice (quality, pitch, volume). A child with a speech difficulty may have excellent vocabulary but be difficult to understand.
Language
The system of understanding and using words, sentences, and meaning. Includes receptive language (understanding), expressive language (putting thoughts into words), vocabulary, grammar, and narrative organization. A child with a language difficulty may speak clearly but struggle to follow directions or organize their ideas.
Communication
The broader picture, including speech and language plus pragmatics (social rules), nonverbal communication, and adjusting language for context. A child with a communication difficulty may have clear speech and adequate vocabulary but struggle with the social use of language.
Why this matters for you: When you describe your observations, being specific — “She has trouble being understood” (speech) vs. “She has trouble explaining her ideas” (language) vs. “She has trouble with peer conversations” (communication) — helps everyone respond more effectively.
• • •
Talking to Parents About What You Have Noticed
Your observations matter — you spend more time with this child in academic and social contexts than almost any other adult in their life. Here are three frameworks for starting the conversation.
1 The Observation-Based Approach
“I have been noticing that [child’s name] sometimes has difficulty [specific observation]. This is something I wanted to share with you because it is coming up in the classroom. A speech-language pathologist can evaluate whether support in this area might be helpful. It does not necessarily mean there is a problem — it is a way to get a clearer picture.”
Why this works: It is grounded in what you have actually observed, it is specific, and it normalizes the evaluation process.
2 The Strengths-First Approach
“[Child’s name] is doing really well with [specific strength]. One area where I have noticed some difficulty is [specific observation]. This is something that a speech-language evaluation can help us understand better. Many children benefit from a little targeted support, and catching it now often means quicker progress.”
Why this works: It leads with what the child does well, which helps the parent hear the concern without feeling their child is being defined by a deficit.
3 The Collaborative Approach
“I want to make sure we are giving [child’s name] every opportunity to succeed in the classroom. I have noticed [specific observation], and I think it would be helpful to understand more about what is going on. Would you be open to having a speech-language pathologist do an evaluation?”
Why this works: It positions the parent and teacher as a team, and it opens the door without pressure.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Describe what you see, not what you think it means. “I have noticed he is hard to understand when he reads aloud” is more useful and less alarming than “I think he has a speech problem.”
- Normalize the process. Many children receive speech-language evaluations, and many result in short-term support that makes a meaningful difference.
- Follow your school’s communication policies. Discussions about individual students should follow your existing guidelines.
- You do not need to have the answer. Your role is to notice and share. The speech-language pathologist’s role is to evaluate and recommend.
• • •
When to Suggest a Family Look Into an Evaluation
If one or more of these apply to a student, mentioning a speech-language evaluation to the family is a reasonable and supportive step.
- The child is consistently difficult for classmates or unfamiliar adults to understand
- Speech sound errors persist that seem behind compared to same-age peers
- The child avoids speaking in class, reading aloud, or participating verbally
- Spelling or reading difficulties seem connected to how the child hears or produces sounds
- The child has difficulty following age-appropriate spoken directions
- There is a noticeable gap between what the child understands and what they can express
- Frustration, withdrawal, or behavioral changes during communication-heavy activities
- Narrative and storytelling skills are noticeably below grade-level expectations
- Difficulty with the social aspects of communication (turn-taking, reading cues)
- Fluency patterns (repetitions, prolongations, blocks) are present, especially with awareness
You do not need to check every box. Even one concern, observed consistently over time, is enough to warrant mentioning it to the family. You are not diagnosing — you are sharing an observation that could lead to meaningful support.
• • •
What a Speech-Language Evaluation Involves
The evaluation typically includes:
- A conversation with the parents about the child’s history and current concerns
- Standardized assessments measuring speech sounds, language comprehension, language expression, and other areas
- Informal observation in conversation and structured activities
- A written report with findings and recommendations
How long it takes: Most evaluations are completed in one to two sessions, typically 60–90 minutes total.
What it does not involve: An evaluation is not a label. It is information. The goal is to understand what is happening and whether targeted support would be beneficial.
About telehealth: Evaluations and ongoing therapy can be conducted via telehealth. For families juggling schedules and transportation, telehealth removes a significant barrier. Research suggests that telehealth speech therapy can be as effective as in-person services for many school-age children.
• • •
About Strategic Speech Solutions
Strategic Speech Solutions is a telehealth speech-language pathology practice serving children and adults across New York and New Jersey. We work with school-age children on speech sounds, language development, fluency, and social communication.
- Free speech screenings — a brief, no-cost consultation for families
- No waitlist — families can typically begin within days of contact
- Flexible scheduling including evening appointments
- Parent participation in every children’s session
- One consistent clinician throughout the course of treatment
- Telehealth delivery — sessions from the child’s home, no transportation needed
We are happy to serve as a resource for your school community, whether or not families choose to work with our practice.
This guide was developed by a certified speech-language pathologist (M.S., CCC-SLP). Speech sound acquisition data referenced from Crowe & McLeod (2020), “Children’s English Consonant Acquisition in the United States: A Review,” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. This resource is provided at no cost and without obligation.