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Supporting the understanding of language
- 1-5 Years
- 5-11 Years
- SEND
- Speech, language and communication
Children learn to understand words before they use them. Understanding language needs skills like listening, remembering and problem solving. Parents, carers and professionals can help children to develop their understanding of language.
Parents and carers can use this information at home to support their child. Education staff can also use this information with children in their school or setting.
Please try these ideas and advice before making a referral to the Speech and Language Therapy Service.
Explore the topics on this page:
How children learn to understand what they hear
How children learn to understand what they hear
Children learn to understand the language that they hear before they can use this language to communicate with others. As children develop, the range of words that they understand will increase. They will also be able to follow longer and more complex sentences.
Understanding what other people say and mean is a complex process. It involves skills such as:
- attention and listening
- understanding vocabulary
- verbal reasoning
- problem solving
- working memory
Sometimes speech and language therapists refer to this area as ‘understanding’ or ‘receptive language’. Both terms mean how a child understands words, sentences and questions.
Strategies to support understanding of language
- Reduce background noise from the TV or radio as this can impact listening and understanding.
- Gain the child's attention by using their name or another way to check they are listening before you give an instruction.
- Simplify what you say to the child. Use less words, emphasise the words you do say and speak slower.
- Use gestures or signs to support your spoken language. Pointing, signing or gesturing helps to show what you mean.
- Use visuals such as objects, photographs, pictures or symbols to show what you mean.
- Be consistent with the words you use. Using the same vocabulary helps children to understand.
- Model words through regular every day chat and conversations. Do this in play, during your daily routine or when sharing a book.
- Explain what words mean. This helps children to develop their understanding. Link it back to a word or topic they are already familiar with.
- Use real objects and experiences to explain new words and ideas. For example, you could use warm water and ice to talk about things that are hot and cold.
- Repeat words as often as possible and in different scenarios. The more a child hears a word or idea, the more likely they are to understand it.
- Name specific items rather than using ‘empty’ language. For example, say “put the cup on the table” instead of “put that over there”.
- Give instructions in the correct order, such as the order you want things to be done.
- Chunk information up, by breaking instructions and information into small manageable steps.
- Provide the child thinking time, by giving 10 seconds before speaking again. This encourages the child to think about what they are going to say and increases the number of responses.
- Encourage the child to ask for clarification or for you to repeat yourself if they don't understand. Create an environment where asking for help is a positive.
Last reviewed: 24 November, 2025
