It’s that time of year! Getting labels ready, orientation emails, new WhatsApp groups with your child’s class/grade. Starting school is always bittersweet as that means the summer is winding down. If you have a toddler, it may be their first time starting a separation program. Or it may be your child’s first time starting preschool!
The adjustment period varies for each child. My daughter was mostly OK walking into her new school as a toddler but when she came home, all her emotional energy would pour out in the first days. My son, who has gone to daycare and camp recently with his older sister, has a hard time at drop-off and would need a shoulder to cry on before he adjusted to the day. Sometimes the transition is harder on the parent than the child!
You may think that not mentioning anything until the big day is the way to go, but we know children crave routine and anticipation of what’s to come may help. You want to balance that with not talking about it too much, especially if your child is more anxious. There are healthy ways to prepare your little one and give them the language to use in school. Here are several ideas that you can use to support your early communicator’s journey to the start of something new.
- Read Books or Watch an Age-Appropriate Show about starting preschool or the first day of school. Modify the words in the story to their age and experience. For example, if you have a “Sesame Street” lover, there is likely an episode relating to starting school that you can watch with your toddler. I have been reading “Daniel’s First Day” with my 2-year-old who likes Daniel Tiger but I have been simplifying the text more than when I read it with my 4-year-old.
- Show Them Pictures From Their Day. Many early childhood programs share photos from the day with parents. Find five minutes to sit with your little one and go through pictures, talking about what they did or who is in the picture. It may be hard to know your child’s classmates’ names at first but even just sharing this experience with them can make the transition feel safer. If your child is having a really hard time with the transition, your child’s teacher may have some good suggestions of bringing a “piece of home” with them, such as leaving a family picture for your child at school.
- Connect With Your Child’s Teachers. You may have an orientation or back to school night in which you get to look around your toddler’s classroom or speak to the teachers. Take the opportunity to share the important information that you would want your child’s teacher to know. Is there a word they say a lot that isn’t super clear? Do they do better with a specific strategy (e.g., like giving choices) to verbalize what they want? Are they easily frustrated when there is a communication breakdown? Is this their first time napping outside the home? Teachers are amazing hard-working caretakers and while they are managing a lot during the day, little bits of information related to your child can make the start a bit smoother for all.
Parents—you can advocate for your child as they are still learning to do so! That can look like encouraging your child’s speech and language development at home. Think about focusing on words that they use frequently throughout the day (e.g., foods, toys, interests, names). A 2-year-old is expected to have between 50-300 words and combination of two-word phrases. For more of a breakdown on these norms, read Bridget Hillsberg’s online article “How Many Words Should My Child Have?”
Speech intelligibility is defined as how clearly one’s speech is understood by the listener. A 2- or 3-year-old’s speech is not expected to be fully understood by others. Coplan & Gleason (1998), found that parents reported that unfamiliar listeners understood 50% of what their 2-year-old had to say, 75% of what their 3-year-old had to say, and 100% of what their 4-year-old had to say. Newer norms by Hustad et. al (2021) found the older study to be off by about a year; however the context was different in that the unfamiliar listener had no context. As speech-language pathologists (SLPs), we look at a variety of factors in considering if your child will benefit from speech therapy. Expressive language and speech intelligibility are two of those many factors.
If you have questions or concerns related to your toddler’s speech and language skills now that they are in a program (or starting one soon), it is not too late to consult with a SLP. Feel free to reach out and I would be happy to help guide you in the right direction.
Johanna Stadtmauer is a speech-language pathologist and feeding therapist, specializing in early speech and language acquisition including motor speech delays, late talkers and early literacy. She has her own private practice, Ready Stadt Speech, where she travels to children’s homes, schools and daycares to provide speech, language and feeding therapy around Bergen County. She also coaches families (virtually and in-person) on how to best support their toddler’s feeding and/or communication journey. Email [email protected] for a free 15-minute consultation or check out her Instagram handle @ReadyStadtSpeech for more helpful tips.
