Our tip of the week is joint attention.
Joint attention is the capacity to focus together with another (e.g. a parent) on something in the world, like an apple or a game. For typically developing children, it starts at about 9 months of age.
Banter Speech & LanguageBanter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the PreLit early literacy preparation program by MultiLit, the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification.
David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP). David is a part-time Associate Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney’s Graduate School of Health. David sits on Speech Pathology Australia’s Ethics Board and Professional Standards Advisory Committee, and is a Board Member of SPELD NSW.
68 FREE resources and tips to help your child improve their social skills by understanding what others are thinking and feeling
Some children have difficulties understanding others’ feelings and perspectives. They may have trouble fitting in and making friends, e.g. in the classroom, the school playground, at birthday parties, in team sports, and in other social situations. This can be very worrying for parents.
In this article, we explain how children typically learn to think about others’ thoughts, feelings, wants and motives. We also want to provide you with lots of practical tips and free resources for helping your child to understand others’ thoughts – especially if your child is struggling socially.
1. Understanding others by developing a “Theory of Mind”
To understand that other people have their own thoughts, wants, motives and feelings is also called having a “Theory of Mind” (ToM). Janet Wilde Astington defines Theory of Mind as:
…our understanding of people as mental beings, each with his or her own mental states.”
We use Theory of Mind to explain our own behaviour to others (e.g by telling them what we think and want). We also interpret other people’s speech and behaviour by considering their thoughts and wants.
2. When and in what sequence does Theory of Mind usually start to develop?
Soon after birth, babies start to copy their parents’ facial expressions. At some point, toddlers and pre-schoolers realise they are separate from others. They then develop the skills to pin feelings and thoughts to themselves and others. Some researchers think that the foundations for Theory of Mind are:
- Joint attention, itself built on early-developing skills like shifting gaze between people and objects, showing, following gaze, following points, and pointing;
- Imitation; and
- Play. Activities like pretend play and story-acting play a role in helping children develop Theory of Mind.
The typical sequence of development, using the wonderfully Plain English Hanen terminology, is:
- Wanting/liking: Learning that other people want and like different things. This leads to an understanding that people have feelings and do things when they get (or don’t get) what they want, and that you can change how people feel by giving them or saying what they want.
- Thinking: People think different things. People will do or feel things based on what they think. You can change what or how people think.
- Seeing leads to knowing: People don’t always see what you see. People will do or say things based on what they see. You can help people see the same things by giving them extra information.
- Hidden feelings: People don’t always mean what they say. What to do when people hide their feelings (e.g. joke, tease, lie). Learning how to hide your feelings.
- False beliefs: People believe what they think is true. People do/think things based on what they think is true. You can make people believe things that are true or not true.
3. Some important Theory of Mind milestones
The typical developmental milestones are as follows:
- Joint attention and imitation: before 12 months of age.
- Wanting and Thinking (First Order ToM): between 4-5 years of age, children develop the ability to think about what someone else is thinking or feeling.
- Seeing leads to knowing (Second Order ToM): by around 7 years of age, children start to think about what others are thinking or feeling about what someone else is thinking or feeling.
- Hidden feelings and false beliefs (Higher Order ToM): between around 8 and 12 years of age, children start to recognise others’ lies, sarcasm, figurative language, idioms and “multiple embeddings”, e.g. “He thinks that she hopes that she believes they love the gift”.
4. Some people have Theory of Mind Gaps
ToM gaps are most associated with young children and with people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). But other people have ToM gaps, too e.g. some people with:
- social language disorders;
- deafness;
- ADHD;
- traumatic brain injuries;
- Parkinson’s Disease;
- dementia;
- behaviour problems; and
- mental illnesses.
5. How is Theory of Mind assessed?
There are a few formal assessments, such as the Theory of Mind-Inventory 2. But assessments of Theory of Mind usually involve detailed observations of the person and caregivers.
Testing for Traditional ToM focuses on a person’s understanding of what another person thinks, knows, believes or intends to do. In the most common test, you show a child two dolls: Sally and Anne. You then tell the child this story:
Sally has a basket and a marble. Anne has a box. Sally puts the marble in her basket. Then she leaves the room. While she is away, Anne takes the marble from the basket and puts it in her box. Sally comes back.”
You then ask the child where Sally will look for the marble. The child passes the test if she says that Sally will look in her basket (where she put the marble).
The child fails the test if she says Sally will look in Anne’s box (where the child knows the marble is actually located). Sally doesn’t know Anne moved the marble. To pass the test, the child must understand that Sally’s thoughts are different from her own. She must then use this knowledge to predict the behaviour of someone else based on this understanding.
6. How can you help your child to develop their Theory of Mind ? Free everyday and play tips and book resources
(a) Every day activities/play
- Wanting/Liking: going shopping, buying lollies and ice creams, packing for a holiday, dressing up different dolls/action figures, going to the library to choose different books. Choosing things to eat at dinner time. Playing with “mixed up jigsaws” (two puzzles with the pieces mixed up). Cooking or baking a cake. Choosing presents for family members from a department store catalogue (e.g. What does Dad like?).
- Thinking: Superheroes/villains, princesses/witches, astronauts/aliens, pirates/soldiers, e.g. “Where do you think we should go?”. When characters “fight” – “What could we do?”. “I Spy With My Little Eye!” Follow my eyes – “What am I thinking about?”. Early categories: “I’m thinking of something that drives on the road. What am I thinking about?”, “I’m thinking of an animal that is big and has a trunk. What animal am I thinking about?”
- Seeing leads to knowing: Hide and search for objects, e.g. “You’re getting warmer!” (closer to the object). Talking about what happened somewhere else, e.g. school. Getting your child to teach you something they know how to do and you don’t, e.g. how to search for a video on YouTube or play Minecraft. Describing what you can see when apart, e.g. with phones or (even better) Walkie Talkies! Playing “Guess Who?”, “I Spy” or “Headbandz”.
- Hidden feelings and false beliefs: Imaginative play. Help characters play “tricks” on each other. Have your hero feel scared, but act anyway. Learning to lose games and be a good sport. Have a joke of the day (get one of those terrible Jumbo books of Jokes). Talk out loud about your mistakes. Plan a surprise birthday party.
(b) Books to read together
The Hanen Centre has published a terrific list of books you can read with your children to help them to learn Theory of Mind skills. To help families (especially those without ready access to a public library), we have tracked down YouTube links for most of the books.
We’ve found that some of our clients with ASD, for example, prefer to watch the book being read on a screen. However, we recommend using the books as a way of having a conversation with your child, using some of the techniques we’ve summarised here.
| Book name and author | Theory of Mind Skill | YouTube Link |
| Red and Blue, I Like You – Sarah Albee | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/mUb8X5Atj5c |
| Mortimer – Robert Munsch | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/NNsGLAm46Go |
| It’s a George Thing – David Bedford | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/TKtIshl_jRQ |
| It’s Not Easy Being A Bunny – Marilyn Sadler | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/TKqI5pMjorw |
| Green Eggs and Ham – Dr. Seuss | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/TJFRUz-8A1A |
| Little Pea – Amy Krouse Rosenthal | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/aDBBBuZL7no |
| Big Sarah’s Little Boots – Paulette Bourgeois | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/TjRVoAVLWVk |
| Handa’s Surprise – Eileen Browne | Understanding wanting/liking Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/P2VGY5_iz78 |
| George and Martha – James Marshall | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/_qM2DdWm4k0 |
| That’s Not My…. – Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells | Understanding wanting/liking | …Lion: https://youtu.be/ImOaKklxQzk |
| Yummy Yucky – Leslie Patricelli | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/pFXAsVReaE8 |
| Just Shopping with Mom – Mercer Mayer | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/3aEu8ck-4uk |
| Dog Blue – Polly Dunbar | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/XUEKClegkYU |
| Pinkalicous – Victoria and Elizabeth Kann | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/pGy4PdAMYpM |
| Red Is Best – Kathy Stinson | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/BO9pm4_NrdI |
| My Friend Is Sad – Mo Willems | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/0QcfVOcTUL4 |
| Don’t Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late – Mo Willems (and others in the pigeon series) | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/1Uh4LVYvRLc |
| Are You Ready To Play Outside? – Mo Willems | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/2_7dsm3j-nE |
| Just Me In The Tub – Gina and Mercer Mayer | Understanding wanting/liking | https://youtu.be/NIPlk1lSCpk |
| Snack Time for Confetti – Kali Stileman | Understanding wanting/liking | |
| Duck and Goose – Tad Hills | Understanding thinking | https://youtu.be/mLTTZHL6wlM |
| If I Were You – Richard Hamilton | Understanding thinking | https://youtu.be/ujieMNpZ-rk |
| Blind Men and the Elephant – Karen Backstein | Understanding thinking | https://youtu.be/O9l1uiaxoGI |
| Runaway Teddy Bear – Ginnie Hofman | Understanding thinking | |
| Elephant and Piggie books – Mo Willems | Understanding thinking | We are in a book: https://youtu.be/Wxmcg_9etOE Should I share my ice cream? https://youtu.be/sEbNDcvfV_4 See others above |
| There’s A Sea In My Bedroom – Margaret Wild | Understanding thinking | https://youtu.be/WUrqjX_y2gc |
| One Frog Too Many – Mercer Mayer | Understanding thinking | Wordless book https://youtu.be/rB9m_PkfB-E (narrated and improvised by a child) |
| It Looked Like Spilt Milk – Charles G. Shaw | Understanding thinking | https://youtu.be/qH3kxps0bJ0 |
| Olivia – Ian Falconer | Understanding thinking | https://youtu.be/fWNXmelCpjQ |
| I Just Forgot – Mercer Mayer | Understanding thinking | https://youtu.be/vtiJXg–D6M |
| The Monster At The End Of This Book – Jon Stone | Understanding thinking | https://youtu.be/QvbXgAbU4gI |
| Pig Picnic – Patricia Hubbell | Understanding thinking Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | |
| A Monster Wrote Me A Letter – Nick Bland | Understanding thinking Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/UG0cm2Yv1Ck |
| Little Quack’s Hide and Seek – Lauren Thompson | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/fR43uWaRiPs |
| What the Ladybird Heard – Julia Donaldson | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/Eu9mPX7DuLA |
| The Bear Snores On – Karma Wilson | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/pCkRtyXq-fg |
| The Gruffalo’s Child – Julia Donaldson | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/_JI1r5O-lH0 |
| Seven Blind Mice – Ed Young | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/sta9xdOvSBU |
| Cheeky Monkey – Curtis Jobling | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | |
| The Artist Who Stole Bits of the World – Bo Zaunders | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | |
| Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/Nn5Sl7zbQMI |
| Can You See What I See? (series) – Walter Wick | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/tcaDVWRn8U0 |
| Rosie’s Walk – Pat Hutchins | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/DjC2Db40dXA |
| Look Look Look – Tana Hoban | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | |
| Goodnight Gorilla – Peggy Rathmann | Understanding seeing leads to knowing Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/1Kl8S61bCn4 |
| Pizza Pat – Rita Golden Gelman | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/uYXRygplFsY |
| My Truck Is Stuck – Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/ZrNROE3-1kQ |
| Suddenly – Colin McNaughton | Understanding seeing leads to knowing | https://youtu.be/zJIZ2sAeVhE |
| Little Red Riding Hood | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/Xcy1P_YuhcQ |
| Goldilocks and the Three Bears | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/AOXqZw9kj-I |
| My Lucky Day – Keiko Kasza | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/CtoDBe1Jhwo |
| Are You My Mother – P.D. Eastman | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/WH_SK0Jvq8M |
| The Pigeon books – Mo Willems | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | The Pigeon wants a Puppy: https://youtu.be/LHgxiJtQe3g The Duckling gets a Cookie: https://youtu.be/PEKrpzt9Mnw |
| The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/ZsAY3Xj5ir8 |
| Love Splat – Rob Scotton | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/b-FpHBiwuHg |
| The Patterson Puppies (series) – Leslie Patricelli | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | |
| A Lion In The Meado – Margaret Mahy | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/PffrDNoHKos |
| Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons – Eric Litwin | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/ljf3rZXe4IY |
| The Frances Books (series) – Russell and Lillian Hoban | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | Bread and Jam for Frances: https://youtu.be/KZhCqQNoopE A Bargain for Frances: https://youtu.be/dYKnchZm0is |
| Moo Hoo – Candace Ryan | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/RurLoHKO7tg |
| Henny Penny – Paul Galdrone | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/5gAL7f1Qjjk |
| Very Lonely Firefly – Eric Carle | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/_XrPyF4Mpl4 |
| Mmm….Cookies – Robert Munsch | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/sQFKXuSjg6A |
| Scaredy Squirrel – Melanie Watt | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/cC4LDGxtpmw |
| Duck Soup – Jackie Urbanovic | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/Bi5pwAiS1XA |
| Sir Charlie Stinky Socks (series) – Christina Stephenson | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Big Adventure: https://youtu.be/AZU9l4_38qM |
| Olive The Other Reindeer – J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh | Understanding hidden feelings and false beliefs | https://youtu.be/9_r68U4D9N0 |
For all of the books in one handy list, check out our Books to develop Theory of Mind Skills YouTube Playlist.
(c) Therapy
- Wanting and Thinking (First Order ToM): The main therapy goal is to help the child recognise others’ emotions. There are some good DVDs and computer games that do this, e.g. The Transporters, Mind Reading and the free Let’s Face It!. Many of these programs are designed for people with ASD. Picture books can also help, e.g. the books of Jan Thomas (e.g. Doghouse), and Eileen Browne (e.g. Handa’s Surprise), and those listed above.
- Seeing leads to Knowing. Hidden Feelings, False Beliefs (Second Order and Higher ToM): Therapy goals include helping the child to think about what someone is thinking or feeling about someone else. Goals also include developing higher level language skills to understand what others’ mean when they are not speaking literally. Explicit teaching of figurative language, including metaphors, idioms and sarcasm can help. Think-alouds – where the teacher or speech pathologist models their own thinking about a situation and the people in it – can be used to teach ToM skills to students to track their own comprehension as they view pictures or read. The STAMP Treatment and Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum are designed to help children to regulate their behaviour and become social problem solvers.
7. Clinical Bottom line
Theory of Mind is not a simple or single idea. ToM gaps are common for people with ASD. But they affect others too, and can cause big social problems. We hope that parents find some of the ideas and resources listed in this article useful for helping their children to improve their understanding of others.
Related articles/links:
- “Why should I let my late-talker play with other kids?” Because play promotes learning: here’s why and how
- Parents: teach categories to your kids to ignite language development
- Reading with – not to – your pre-schoolers: how to do it better (and why)
- Books to develop Theory of Mind skills YouTube Playlist
Principal sources:
Westby, C. & Robinson, L. (2014). A Developmental Perspective for Promoting Theory of Mind. Topics in Language Disorders, 34(4), 362-382.
Hanen e-Seminar: Teaching Tuning In: Practical Strategies to Promote Theory of Mind for Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum, Tamara Stein, The Hanen Centre.
Special thanks: We would like to thank our superstar administrative assistant and student speech pathologist, Cherie Finocchiaro for tracking down the YouTube links to each of the books listed in Part 6 of this article.
Image: https://tinyurl.com/y6fqwrgb
Can I? Would you? If it wouldn’t be too much trouble…Why our kids need to learn to ask for things indirectly
If a toddler screams “Give!” or “Give me!”, most adults won’t blink an eye. But if a four-year-old does it, we wince and wait for the parents to chide the child.
“Please. Mark. Say ‘Can you please give me the car?'”
Why?
Between the ages of 36 to 42 months, most typically developing kids start to replace direct requests (like “Give me!”) with indirect requests (like “Can I have..?” or “Would you please…?”).
No one knows for sure why we do this – it’s certainly not the most efficient way to ask for things. But so-called “indirect speech” has been studied by linguists, philosophers and speech pathologists for decades (e.g. Grice, 1975; Lakoff, 1973).
In the 1980s and 1990s, researchers like Brown and Levinson and Clark developed a “theory of politeness” to explain indirect requests. In simple terms, they argued that a speaker’s request for attention or a favour is a ‘social threat’ to the listener’s reputation and authority, which the speaker therefore “softens” with politeness.
Speakers can soften requests to protect listeners from feeling threatened or challenged in several ways:
- Blunt, but polite: “Please help me.”
- Positively polite: “Could you please help me?”
- Negatively polite: “I’m really sorry to bother you, and I wouldn’t usually ask, but do you think it would be possible to help me with this?”
- Fairly indirect: “You are so good at this. I wish someone could have told me that doing it the way you do would help me.”
- Very indirect: “Oh I can’t believe it. I’m probably never going to figure this out.”
In each case, the speaker is asking the listener to help out with a task. How directly (or indirectly) we ask a listener to help us seems to depend on lots of factors including the size and inconvenience of the favour, the power balance between the listener and speaker, the urgency of the request, and the relationship between the listener and speaker (e.g. you are more likely to use direct requests to ask your sister for a small favour than to ask your boss a big favour).*
Why does this all matter?
Some kids – including some children with developmental language disorders or social language difficulties – don’t know how to ask for things indirectly. They demand things directly or simply snatch at what they want.
Adult strangers, teachers and even parents are hard-wired to interpret direct requests from 4-year-olds and older kids as rude or insolent: as an affront to good manners. Needless to say, this can lead to these kids being labelled as naughty and immature. Inappropriate direct requests from a 4+ year-old (e.g. “Give me ice-cream!”) can also be embarrassing for families and loved ones who have to endure the judgment of adult strangers in public places.
When and how to help your child
Most kids pick up indirect request-making skills by around 3 1/2 years of age by watching others. But some kids (especially kids with communication difficulties) need some help.
If you are concerned about your child’s ability to ask for things appropriately, give your local speech pathologist a call! For parents and others working with these kids, we have published a simple DIY resource, designed to give kids lots of structured practice at making “Can I?” requests. You can check it out at our sister site, Speechies in Business, here.
Related articles:
- Does my child have a language disorder? 6 questions speech pathologists should ask before assessment
- More verb-charged books to ignite your child’s language development
- “Can I?” questions pack
- Speaking for themselves: why I choose ambitious goals to help young children put words together
Main source: Lee, J. & Pinker, S. (2010). Rationales for Indirect Speech: The Theory of the Strategic Speaker. Psychological Review, 117(3), 785-807.
* In recent years, Steven Pinker and colleagues have put forward another theory – the theory of the “strategic speaker” – to explain why adults use indirect “off-the-record” speech not to be polite, but to manage situations where it would be inappropriate or risky to speak directly, e.g. when blackmailing or threatening an employee, seeking donations, flirting with someone you shouldn’t be flirting with, bribing a waiter to jump the queue, or sweet-talking a police officer into tearing up a speeding ticket.
I know I’m biased, but these quirks of human communication are interesting stuff!
Image: https://tinyurl.com/y7n39pfy
Banter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the PreLit early literacy preparation program by MultiLit, the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification. David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP). Banter Speech & Language
Get out there! Being social and kind to others makes kids happier, better-liked, and less likely to be bullied
We all want our kids to be happy, well-behaved and well-liked by peers. But, sometimes – despite our best hopes – they struggle. And few things in life are as stressful as seeing your child suffer as they withdraw from their friends and avoid activities they used to enjoy.
So what can we do as parents to help our kids to be happy?
Kristin Loyous and colleagues studied this question back in 2012. After reviewing peer-reviewed research, they observed that:
- happiness, being social and popular were compatible goals: they often occur together; and
- students who are well-liked also tend to be helpful, cooperative and emotionally well-adjusted.
Based on these observations, the researchers conducted an experiment involving 19 classes of 9-11 year-olds in Canada:
- one group were asked to perform three small acts of kindness a week for four weeks; and
- a second group were asked to visit three places per week for four weeks.
At the end of the study, students in both groups were happier. But the students who performed acts of kindness experienced greater increases in their acceptance by their peers than the students who simply visited places.
Why being kind and social matters
Being well-liked by classmates makes kids more likely to participate actively in academic and social activities at school, and less likely to be bullied. Encouraging pro-social activities may therefore have ripple effects for the community beyond increasing happiness and popularity of the kids involved.
Clinical bottom line and practical example
To help kids to be happy and well-adjusted, consider increasing the number of times per week they are expected to engage in pro-social activities. It doesn’t take much time or effort to apply the research outlined above.
For example, in my household, we (the parents!) have decided to set minimum targets for each of our boys, namely to:
- do small acts of good for others three times a week (e.g. giving mum a hug, sharing a toy with a sibling without squabbling, or completing chores without being asked); and
- get out of the house, and do more social activities three times a week (e.g. visiting grandparents, playing team sports, or going for a long walk or bike ride as a family or with others).
To track progress, the boys will keep a simple diary summarising how they’ve met the targets.
(As an aside, there’s nothing to stop many of us parents from applying these tips to our own social lives! It might be time for us to put down our smart phones, turn off the Netflix, and sign up to our local trivia competition with fellow time-poor parents!)
We hope these tips help your kids and your families become happier! Let us know how you get on!
Principal source: Layous, K., Nelson, S.K., Oberle, E., Schonert-Rechl, K.A. & , Lyubomirsky, S. (2012). Kindness Counts: Prompting Social Behaviour in Preadolescents Boosts Peer Acceptance and Well-Being. PLOS One, 7(2), e51380
Image: https://tinyurl.com/male9lu
Banter Speech & LanguageBanter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the PreLit early literacy preparation program by MultiLit, the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification.
David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP).
“He has no idea about others’ feelings!” Theory of Mind gaps: FAQs and treatment resources
Is your child ready for school? What Kindergarten teachers say
Around this time of the year, many parents of 4-5 year olds are pulling their (sometimes scant) hair out trying to decide whether their children should start school next year. Experts of all stripes claim to be able to tell whether a child is ready. But here’s an idea: why not ask those actually dealing with young kids in their first year at school? In other words:
the Kindergarten teachers!
Tanya Serry and her colleagues did just that. They sent surveys to 250 Kindergarten* teachers in Melbourne, Australia, asking them to identify factors contributing to a successful transition to school.
153 teachers responded. So what did they say?
A. Brain and self-care readiness
Kindergarten teachers wanted children on day one of school to:
- be toilet trained;
- be able to dress themselves (except tying shoelaces);
- care for personal belongings;
- eat snacks and lunch independently;
- pay attention and concentrate (though there was no consensus on for how long);
- count from 1 to 10;
- know the alphabet;
- know their names and how to write their names; and
- share and take turns.
B. Social readiness
No real surprises here. Kindergarten teachers surveyed wanted children to:
- be able to share and take turns with other kids;
- play with others;
- engage with both children and adults;
- be able to separate from Mum and Dad confidently; and
- have some resilience.
C. Speech and language readiness
Kindergarten teachers preferred children to be able to:
- communicate in words;
- speak clearly;
- express their needs; and
- listen to and follow instructions.
D. Physical readiness
Kindergarten teachers were most concerned about fine motor skills, particularly being able to use scissors and a pencil.
E. Learning readiness
Kindergarten teachers wanted children to be capable of:
- engaging in learning;
- persistence;
- work;
- having a go; and
- making choices.
F. Age readiness?
Interestingly, a majority of the kindergarten teachers who responded to the survey suggested that children need to be older than 5 years to start school.
G. Other things that help
Many teachers thought that previous pre-school experiences, formal orientation programs, good school staff and positive parent attitudes also contributed to a successful first year.
Clinical bottom line
The study had some limitations – for example, only 61.2% of Kindergarten teachers who received the survey responded. But the key themes are broadly consistent with previous research and make sense.
Starting “big school” is a big deal and parents are right to feel some trepidation about making the call. We’ve known for decades that a child’s first year at school can affect their later school success (e.g. Luster & McAdoo, 1996).
“School readiness” includes anything that affects a child’s readiness to learn. It isn’t just one set of skills. The Kindergarten teachers who filled in this survey thought kids are more likely to succeed in their first year if they have sufficient emotional, self-care, social, language and motor skills, and maturity, and can fit into school routines.
Principal source: Serry, T., Imms, C., Froude, E., Joffe, B., Heine, C., Merrigan, C. (2014). Preparatory teachers’ perceptions of school readiness: a survey of Victorian teachers. The Australian Educational Researcher. 41: 109-124.
* Explanatory note: In Victoria, the first year of primary school is called “Prep”. In New South Wales, we call this first year “Kindergarten”. Confusingly, Victoria refers to what we in New South Wales call “Pre-school” as “Kindergarten”. As a Victorian by birth, managing a clinic based in New South Wales, I have taken it upon myself to “translate” the Victorian references into terms my Sydney clients and their families will understand. For international and interstate readers, I lament our Nation’s inability to use the same terms to mean the same things and apologise on its behalf.
Related articles:
- Is your child ready for school? Focusing on what matters most
- Beyond school readiness: 7 signs that your Kindergarten, Year 1 or Year 2 child may have a language delay
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Banter Speech & LanguageBanter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification.
David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP).