What are teachers' perspectives on the communication skills of children entering their first compulsory year of school in Australia?
| Friday, June 13, 2025 |
| 11:20 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Knowledge Hub | Halls MNO, Ground Level |
Overview
Details
⏲️ 11.20am - 11.30am
⌛ 10-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Intermediate (Some previous learning/working knowledge of topic e.g. treated a few cases)
Presenter
What are teachers' perspectives on the communication skills of children entering their first compulsory year of school in Australia?
11:20 AM - 11:30 AMPresentation summary
The presentation outlines the results of a cross-sectional study that was conducted across Australia. Teachers with recent experience working with foundation level children were recruited via social media for an online national survey. A total of 76 participants nationally completed the survey. Overall, the study identified that teachers perceived children's communication and language skills to have decreased in recent years, and the number of children in the classroom with communication and language difficulties has increased. The study identified that teachers valued classroom observations as a way of identifying communication difficulties. Respondents also highly valued professional development by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to increase their confidence with identifying, assessing and referring children with communication difficulties. Respondents also largely supported a national speech and language checklist that would help to identify language and communication difficulties before children commenced their foundation year of school.
In conclusion, this presentation will demonstrate the important role that SLPs have in helping to support teachers to identify and screen children who may have a communication disorder so that prompt SLP intervention can commence. The presentation also starts a conversation about initiating advocacy around the development of a national speech and language checklist prior to commencing school.
Refrences
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW] (2023). Early childhood and transition to school. Australian Government. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/childcare-and-early-childhood-education
Reilly, S., & McKean, C. (2023). Creating the conditions for robust early language development for all-Part 1: Evidence-informed child language surveillance in the early years. International journal of language & communication disorders. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12929
Serry, T., Imms, C., Froude, E., Joffe, B., Heine, C., & Merrigan, C. (2013, Sep 14). Preparatory teachers’ perceptions of school readiness: a survey of Victorian teachers. Springer, 41, 109–124. DOI 10.1007/s13384-013-0126-8
Williams, P. G., Lerner, M. A., Sells, J., Alderman, S. L., Hashikawa, A., Mendelsohn, A., McFadden, T., Navsaria, D., Peacock, G., & Scholer, S. (2019). School readiness. Pediatrics, 144(2). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-1766
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