3 Signs a Child May Be Struggling With Oral Language (And What Teachers Can Do About It)

Why Oral Language Matters

Long before children learn to read and write, they learn to communicate through oral language.

Oral language includes listening, understanding, vocabulary development, storytelling, conversation skills, and the ability to express ideas, thoughts, and feelings. These skills form the foundation for literacy, learning, relationships, and wellbeing.

Research consistently shows that oral language development is a strong predictor of later literacy achievement. A recent meta-analysis of 72 longitudinal studies involving more than 23,000 children found that preschool vocabulary and grammar significantly predicted later reading comprehension and word reading outcomes (Jago et al., 2025).

Children with strong oral language skills are more likely to develop reading comprehension successfully, while children with language weaknesses are at greater risk of later literacy difficulties (Lervåg et al., 2018).

The challenge for educators is that oral language difficulties are often less visible than reading or writing difficulties. Identifying concerns early can make a significant difference.

3 Signs a Child May Be Struggling With Oral Language (And What Teachers Can Do About It)

Sign 1: They Have Difficulty Expressing Their Ideas

Many children occasionally struggle to find the right words. However, persistent difficulty expressing thoughts, retelling events, explaining ideas, or participating in conversations may indicate an oral language challenge.

You may notice a child:

• Using very short or simple sentences

• Frequently responding with "I don't know"

• Struggling to describe experiences

• Finding it difficult to tell stories in sequence

• Having trouble explaining their thinking

Children with expressive language difficulties often understand more than they can communicate.

What Educators Can Do

Research suggests that rich, responsive conversations are among the most effective ways to support language development.

Try:

• Open-ended questioning

• Shared storytelling

• Dramatic and imaginative play

• Small-group discussions

• Explicit vocabulary teaching

• Extending children's responses through sustained conversations

These approaches help expand vocabulary, sentence complexity, and confidence in communication.

Sign 2: They Struggle to Follow Instructions

A Child May Be Struggling With Oral Language if they find it hard to follow instructions. Oral language is not only about speaking. It also includes understanding and processing language.

Children experiencing receptive language difficulties may:

• Need instructions repeated frequently

• Miss key information during discussions

• Appear disengaged or distracted

• Struggle to follow multi-step instructions

• Have difficulty understanding classroom routines

Sometimes these behaviours are mistaken for inattention when the underlying issue is language comprehension.

What Educators Can Do

Support comprehension by:

• Breaking instructions into smaller steps

• Using visual supports

• Modelling tasks before expecting children to complete them

• Checking for understanding

• Providing additional processing time

Research shows that combining spoken language with visual and contextual support can improve understanding and participation for children experiencing language difficulties.

Sign 3: They Participate Less in Conversations

Children who struggle with oral language often participate less in classroom discussions, group learning experiences, and peer interactions.

You may notice:

• Reluctance to contribute during mat time

• Limited participation in group discussions

• Avoidance of peer conversations

• Reduced confidence when speaking

• Minimal responses to questions

This can create a cycle where children have fewer opportunities to practise language, further limiting language growth.

What Educators Can Do

Create low-pressure opportunities for communication through:

• Partner talk activities

• Turn-taking games

• Small-group conversations

• Collaborative play experiences

• Structured discussion prompts

• Intentional language modelling

The goal is to build both language skills and communication confidence.

What Does the Research Say About Oral Language Intervention?

The encouraging news is that oral language can be improved through intentional teaching.

The Education Endowment Foundation's evidence review found that oral language interventions produce an average of six months' additional learning progress, with particularly strong effects in the early years and primary settings.

Research on the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) found that children receiving targeted language support made additional progress in oral language development compared with peers who did not receive the intervention. Follow-up studies also found gains in language and word reading outcomes.

Studies consistently show that supporting oral language development strengthens:

• Vocabulary knowledge

• Listening comprehension

• Reading comprehension

• Literacy development

• Classroom participation

• Academic achievement

Creating a Language-Rich Learning Environment

Supporting oral language development is not about adding one more programme to an already busy day.

It is about creating environments where meaningful talk happens frequently and intentionally.

Effective language-rich environments often include:

• High-quality conversations

• Shared book reading

• Explicit vocabulary instruction

• Rich storytelling opportunities

• Responsive teacher-child interactions

• Play-based learning experiences

• Strong partnerships with whānau

Research suggests these everyday interactions can have a powerful cumulative impact on children's language and literacy development.

Why Early Identification Matters

Oral language difficulties rarely disappear on their own.

Research shows that early language skills are closely connected to later reading comprehension, learning, and educational success. Identifying concerns early allows educators to provide targeted support before difficulties become more significant barriers to learning.

For kaiako and teachers, recognising the signs is often the first step towards making a lasting difference.

Strengthening Oral Language Through Professional Learning

Supporting oral language development requires more than good intentions. It requires educators to understand how language develops, how to identify concerns early, and how to create environments that foster communication and learning.

Professional learning can help educators strengthen their understanding of:

• Oral language development

• Language-rich teaching practices

• Assessment and observation

• Literacy foundations

• Evidence-informed interventions

• Responsive teaching strategies

By strengthening educator capability, we create more opportunities for tamariki to develop the communication skills that underpin lifelong learning success.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oral Language

What is oral language?

Oral language refers to the ability to listen, understand, speak, communicate ideas, and engage in conversations with others.

What are signs of oral language difficulties?

Common signs include difficulty expressing ideas, difficulty following instructions, and limited participation in conversations.

Why is oral language important?

Oral language supports literacy development, reading comprehension, learning, social relationships, and wellbeing.

How can teachers support oral language development?

Teachers can support oral language through rich conversations, storytelling, explicit vocabulary instruction, shared reading, and language-rich learning environments.

References

Education Endowment Foundation. (2025). Communication and language approaches. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/toolkit/communication-and-language-approaches

Education Endowment Foundation. (2025). Oral language interventions. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/oral-language-interventions

Jago, L. S., Monaghan, P., Alcock, K., & Cain, K. (2025). The effect of preschool vocabulary and grammar on early reading comprehension and word reading: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 100680.

Lervåg, A., Hulme, C., & Melby-Lervåg, M. (2018). Unpicking the developmental relationship between oral language skills and reading comprehension: It's simple, but complex. Child Development, 89(5), 1821–1838.

Nuffield Early Language Intervention. (2025). Evidence and development. https://www.teachneli.org/intervention/evidence-and-development/