Is there anything we can do at home to help DD improve her speaking and listening skills at school? Year 3.

[Pernickety]

I've just come back from parents' evening and my DD is happy at school and doing well in almost everything but lags behind in speaking and listening skills.

I feel like it is easy to help her at home with any other aspect of her schooling but I don't know what I could do to help her improve speaking and listening at school, since she speaks and listens perfectly well at home. It's obviously groups in which DD is not able to express herself.

She already goes to drama which does help her with her performance condifence a little but not enough to have an impact on her speaking out in the classroom in front of her peers.

Any suggestions?

Is her teacher suggesting she has a confidence problem or is it expressive? We learn to talk and use language through listening, the two are connected. Did she have any speech or language delays?

Confidence problems. No, she didn't have any speech delays nor has any problems expressing herself at home or with close family and friends.

A good activity that I use as a tutor, is to both have a blank sheet of paper and then you draw something on yours that she cannot see. You then have to describe it to her and he has to try and draw the same picture, it should aid her listening skills. You can then focus on her speaking by asking her to do the same and attempt to draw her picture based on her instructions. To your daughter it will appear to be a bit of fun, but it is a very intense activity that requires good communication and good listening.

How about choosing a book of funny poems (Michael Rosen type poems) and chill out together, taking turns to read them out load.

When one person has read their poem, the other can ask questions about it - this will make sure she comprehends the words she is reading. It will also make her listen whilst you're reading so that knows what questions she'd like to ask.

Thank you for these ideas. Both good ideas.

Anymore?

Dinner table talk in mixed company is very useful