Understanding language – Schools
Young children must learn to understand spoken language in order to develop their use of language. Often young children’s understanding of language is better than their spoken language. As children’s communication skills develop, their vocabulary comprehension develops rapidly and they can understand a wide range of nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
Strategies
- Use natural gesture, pictures, videos, and demonstrations to help with understanding, retention and recall of information.
- Be prepared to repeat or rephrase messages.
- Avoid using ambiguous language and non-literal language e.g. idioms.
- Ensure that the child does not have to listen and write at the same time
- Slow down your delivery and use pauses.
Reception
Understanding Language
- Understand longer 2 part spoken instructions eg: Touch your nose, then your ear
- Understand ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions
- Understand that words can be put into groups or categories, and give examples from each category
- Understand a range of words to describe the idea of time, shape, texture, size and know in which context to use them
- Name objects, characters and animals from a description
- Use words more specifically to make meaning clearer. Children at this age will ask if they are unsure
Year 1 - 2
Understanding Language
- Know the key points they need to focus on in order to answer a question or follow an instruction
- Begin to ignore less important information
- Be aware of when a message is not clear and ask for an explanation
- Understands complex 2 to 3 part instructions. eg. Finish the question you are on, then put your book on the pile and get your PE bag
Year 3 - 4
Understanding Language
- Comprehension skills are becoming more sophisticated
- Children understand inferred meaning as well as information that is explicitly presented
- Listen to information, work out which elements are key and make relevant, related comments
- Identify clearly when they haven’t understood and be specific about what additional information they need
- Can use clues in text or stories to make predictions
Year 5 - 6
Understanding Language
- They can also notice and may comment on not only what is said but how it is said
- Begin to appreciate sarcasm when it’s obvious
- Understand different question types
- Open questions – “Can you tell me all about your visit to the museum?”
- Closed questions – “Did you enjoy your trip to the museum?”
- Rhetorical questions – “Wasn’t that a lovely trip to the museum?”
- Understand and enjoy simple jokes and recognise simple idioms, but can’t really explain why they’re funny or what they mean
Year 7 - 9
Understanding Language
- Can follow complex directions e.g. get the rectangular box that’s on the bottom shelf of the stationery cupboard
- Understands common, simple ‘sayings’ in context e.g. I couldn’t keep a straight face
- Starting to get someone else’s point of view when discussing
- Understands factual information. Still finds it harder to understand inferred information e.g. what is said: ‘It’s getting noisy in here….’ what is implied: ‘You need to be quiet’
- Starting to understand sarcasm when exaggerated e.g. You’re such a talented singer
Year 10+
Understanding Language
- Process large amounts of new and complex spoken information
- Use language to solve more complex problems
- Understand longer and more complex instructions, which don’t follow the word order of the sentence e.g. ‘Before you collect your instruments complete the worksheet and file it in your folder’
- Build an argument to persuade and respond to views different to their own
- Infer and deduce information
- Understand figurative language
- Fully understand sarcasm and is able to use it well e.g. “I’m so happy to see you”
- Knows when and why they don’t understand; asks for help in a specific way e.g. can you explain that to me again? I got the beginning but I don’t understand the last steps
- They are likely to still be challenged by some instruction words e.g. modify, generate, consider, evaluate