Posted on July 18th, 2025. 

Kindergarten is an especially significant time, as our children undergo important developmental changes, particularly in their communication skills. From expressing new thoughts with clarity to comprehending complex instructions, these skills are crucial indicators of how well they are beginning to interact with the world around them. 

But where do we start in assessing our child's communication abilities? With a basic understanding of developmental milestones and observation techniques, we can obtain helpful information about their expressive and receptive language skills.  

Key Communication Milestones 

To assess your child's communication skills, it is fundamental to understand the communication milestones that kindergarteners typically reach. Particularly, children at this age make significant strides in both expressive and receptive language abilities. In terms of expressive language, kindergarteners usually start forming complete sentences with around 5 to 6 words. This ability helps them express thoughts, desires, and feelings more clearly. 

You might notice your child using conjunctions like ‘and’ or ‘because’ to link ideas, signaling their increasing ability to narrate events or explain reasoning. They begin to use a variety of sentence types too, such as questions and commands, showing an understanding of different communicative functions. 

At this stage, children also expand their vocabulary significantly, incorporating more descriptive words that allow them to articulate emotions, actions, and characteristics better. You may hear them correctly using past, present, and future tenses, although some errors in tense usage are entirely normal, indicating ongoing language development. In addition, they begin to tell simple stories with a beginning, middle, and end, which is a vital milestone as it shows their ability to organize thoughts independently. 

Receptive language skills are just as important when assessing kindergartener communication skills, as these skills enable children to understand and process the information they receive. By kindergarten, a child generally follows multi-step directions even when tasks are unfamiliar, for example, "Get your folder and line up by the door." Such abilities demonstrate their growing capacity to sequence information and remember instructions. 

Kids also start understanding more complex sentence structures. For example, they can follow stories or verbal explanations involving time sequences (before/after, etc.) as well as causal and conditional relationships (such as if/then). When engaged in conversations, they can answer questions about stories they hear and events they experience, showing comprehension and recall. 

Notably, they begin to understand increasingly abstract language, including comparative terms like "bigger/smaller" or "heavier/lighter," reflecting their ability to conceptualize and categorize. Finally, they recognize a broader range of questions, including "who," "what," "where," "when," and the more complex "why" and "how" questions, which are key indicators of advanced receptive development. 

Evaluating Speech Sound Production and Articulation 

An equally important aspect to assess in your kindergartner’s communication skills is speech sound production, which encompasses articulation and phonology skills. By this age, children typically achieve a high level of intelligibility in their speech, making it easier for others to understand them. This clarity is achieved through the ability to produce almost all sounds correctly.   

For example, most kindergarteners can articulate 'p,' 'b,' 'd,' 'm,' 'n,' 'h,' 'w,' 't,' 'k,' 'g,' 'ng,' 'f,' 'y,' 'v,' 's,' 'z,' 'sh,' 'ch,' 'j,' and 'l' with ease, as these are sounds generally mastered by the age of four. When we discuss articulation, it involves how sounds are physically produced using the lips, tongue, teeth, and vocal tract, and it is pivotal as it directly impacts how well others can comprehend a child’s verbal speech production. 

It's not just about the accuracy of sounds, it’s about how those sounds combine to form understandable and consistent single words as well as sentences in conversation. Therefore, clear articulation helps to build self-confidence in children as it minimizes communication breakdowns. Moreover, well-developed articulation skills enable children to engage more freely and effectively in conversations with peers and adults, thus facilitating smoother social interactions. 

If you're concerned about your child's articulation, there are various indicators that might suggest potential concerns. Consistent mispronunciations that persist despite corrections can serve as a red flag. For example, if your kindergartener replaces sounds consistently—such as using ‘t’ for ‘k’ (such as “tool” for “cool”)— it may warrant further evaluation. Additionally, while sounds like 'th' aren't completely mastered until a bit later, persistent challenges with earlier developing sounds like 'k,' 'g,' or 'f' or completely eliminating sounds such as initial or final consonants could suggest a need for extra support. Furthermore, sound distortions such as an 's' that sounds "slushy" are not normal and warrant further evaluation.

As you embark on assessing your child’s articulation abilities in everyday conversation, you can follow these practical tips, which can greatly support your observation process: First, during casual conversation, pay close attention to any sounds that are consistently substituted, omitted, or distorted. Regularly encourage your child to speak in full sentences and closely listen for clarity and articulation consistency. Notice if familiar family members can understand your child without needing frequent clarifications. By the time a child is 3 years old, the clarity of their speech should be roughly 75% intelligible, and then by the following year, their speech should be almost 100% intelligible.

It’s always advantageous to engage in activities that naturally prompt speaking, like reading storybooks together or discussing their day at school, and then note how your child formulates words. During these activities, avoid overcorrecting in a way that may discourage their participation; instead, demonstrate correct pronunciation through recasting or repeating what was said but with the corrected form. If you're comfortable, recording short video clips of your child speaking can offer a valuable reference over time to track development or identify persistent challenges.  

The Role of Social Communication and Pragmatics 

An essential component of communication development in kindergarteners is social communication, often referred to as pragmatics, which encompasses the ways in which children use language in social contexts. It goes beyond the mere acquisition of words and grammar, emphasizing the ability to use language effectively in more dynamic, interpersonal situations. 

At this age, children begin to master the critical subtleties of communication, which include eye contact, turn-taking, and the understanding of social cues. For many parents, observing how children initiate and maintain conversations can provide valuable insights into their social communication prowess. 

This stage is particularly important, not just for forming friendships, but also for laying the groundwork for teamwork and collaboration—skills that are underscored by standards like the National Standard Common Core State Standards and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). These standards emphasize interpersonal communication skills as fundamental to student success across various learning domains. 

Consider how a child’s ability to use eye contact contributes to their social communication. It helps them follow along and interpret the emotions and intentions of others, facilitating more meaningful interactions. Eye contact plays a fundamental role in conversations, serving as a signal of interest and understanding. In addition, good eye contact allows the child to hone in on facial expressions and even body language, subtleties that can easily change the meaning of what's being communicated. 

At the kindergarten stage, children are increasingly able to understand gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice, which often means responding appropriately in conversation—a testament to an expanding set of pragmatic skills. Parents should observe whether their child can adapt their language and behavior in different social settings and with various communication partners.

Through such observances, parents can gauge their child’s proficiency in decoding and utilizing social information accurately, which is imperative for comprehending the nuances involved in effective communication. While some of these skills develop naturally with time and exposure, others might require focused practice or professional support to ensure a strong foundation is established for future communication successes. 

Related: Fun Summer Activities for Better Speech and Language Skills 

Looking for Expert Help? 

Should you have concerns or wish to explore further pathways to support your child's communication skills, consider reaching out for professional guidance. At Tryumph Speech Therapy, we offer a free discovery call designed to provide an opportunity for you to learn more about the possibilities available. 

This call, lasting 15 to 20 minutes, serves as a pathway to understanding milestones for speech and language development and addressing any questions you might have regarding your child’s unique journey. We're here to walk alongside you, answering any questions and providing insights tailored to your child's needs. 

Whether seeking reassurance about typical development or considering the benefits of skilled therapy, we can help you decide if our services align with your goals and expectations. 

Schedule your free discovery call now! 

Call us directly at (512) 898-9858 or email [email protected] for more information.