If you're a Foundation, Prep, or Kindergarten teacher in Australia, you know that speech and language development varies dramatically among your students. Some arrive chattering confidently, while others struggle to express their needs or answer simple questions. Recent studies show that 1 in 4 Australian primary school students start school with a speech or language delay. Knowing how to scaffold language development during everyday classroom activities can make all the difference.
This guide provides practical, evidence-based strategies for supporting speech delayed students in Foundation classrooms—all aligned with the Australian Curriculum.
Recognising Speech and Language Delay in Your Classroom
Speech and language delay means a child's language development is progressing more slowly than expected for their age. Common signs in Foundation students include:
- Limited vocabulary (fewer than 200 words by age 3-4)
- Difficulty following two-step instructions
- Struggles answering "wh-" questions (who, what, where, when, why)
- Using gestures more than words
- Sentences shorter than expected for age
Both the Australian Curriculum (Foundation/Prep) and NSW Syllabus (Early Stage 1/Kindergarten) expect early years students to develop crucial language skills including interacting with others (AC9EFLY02 / ENe-1A), sharing thoughts and responding to stories (AC9EFLE02 / ENe-6B), building vocabulary in familiar contexts (AC9EFLA08), and using comprehension strategies (AC9EFLY05 / ENe-10C).
5 Evidence-Based Strategies That Work
1. Use Shared Book Reading as Your Most Powerful Tool
Research consistently shows that shared book reading—when adults read with children and engage them through questions and comments—is one of the most effective tools for language development. A 2020 Australian study found that dialogic reading interventions significantly improved vocabulary and comprehension in children with language delays.
How to do it:
Move beyond simply reading the words on the page. During story time or guided reading, pause to:
- Comment on what you see: "Look at the big, fluffy dog running through the park!"
- Ask open-ended questions: "What do you think will happen next?"
- Make real-life connections: "Remember when we visited the zoo? This book shows a zoo too!"
- Point out story elements: "The girl has a problem—she lost her teddy."
For teachers who feel uncertain about what to say, tools like BookBuddies can help. These reusable stickers, designed by a paediatric speech pathologist, adhere to any classroom library book and provide developmentally-aligned prompts for comments, questions, and activities based on language milestones. While currently organised by ages, we acknowledge that all children are different, and so the ages displayed should be used as a guide. If your students are answering wh- (e.g. who, what, when, where, why) and how questions and telling stories, or these skills are beginning to emerge, then the 4-5 year pack is right for you. This pack aligns with Foundation expectations and covers phonological awareness, questioning, commenting, story understanding, and real-life connections.
2. Create a Language-Rich Environment
Your classroom environment plays a crucial role in supporting speech delayed students. Every visual and label becomes a teaching opportunity.
Quick environmental wins:
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Label everything: Use word labels with images on storage, furniture, and classroom areas. Organised book boxes and tubs help create accessible literacy centres where students can independently browse books.
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Create dedicated literacy spaces: Use a classroom rug to define your reading area. Alphabet placement mats provide constant visual reinforcement of letter names and sounds while giving students their own space during group time.
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Display visual schedules: Picture-based daily schedules help students with limited language understand and anticipate routines.
3. Model, Expand, and Extend Language
One of the most powerful techniques costs nothing—it's simply how you respond to students' communication attempts.
Three key techniques:
Modelling: Show correct language without explicitly correcting. Child: "doggy runned." Teacher: "Yes, the dog ran really fast!"
Expanding: Add one or two words to what the child says. Child: "Ball." Teacher: "Big red ball!"
Extending: Add new information. Child: "I see cat." Teacher: "You see a fluffy orange cat. I wonder where it's going?"
Use these throughout the day—during morning circle, play time, transitions, and especially during book reading.
4. Differentiate Your Questioning
Not all questions are equal when supporting speech delayed students. Start where students are successful and gradually increase complexity.
Question progression:
- Level 1: Choice questions - "Do you want the blue book or the red book?"
- Level 2: Yes/no questions - "Is the bear sleeping?"
- Level 3: Where/what questions - "What is in the picture?"
- Level 4: Who questions - "Who is holding the cat?"
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Level 5: When questions - "When do you go to sleep?"
- Level 6: Why/how questions - "Why do you think she's sad?"
During guided reading, you might ask typically developing students complex "why" questions while asking language delayed students "what happened first?" or offering choices.
5. Build Phonological Awareness Through Daily Activities
The Australian Curriculum emphasises phonological awareness as essential for early literacy. Kindergarten students should recognise and generate rhyming words, alliteration patterns, syllables and phonemes.
For language delayed students, make these activities explicit, multisensory, and fun:
- Rhyme during transitions: "We're lining up, hip hip hooray, we're going outside to play today!"
- Syllable clapping: Clap out syllables in students' names during roll call
- Sound sorting: Use sensory materials to sort objects by initial sounds
- Initial sound activities: During shared reading, identify beginning sounds together
Integrate Support Into Daily Routines
The beauty of these strategies is they fit seamlessly into existing Foundation routines:
Morning Circle: Practice greetings, discuss weather, preview the day. Provide sentence starters and visual supports for speech delayed students.
Literacy Centres: Set up book browsing as one rotation. Students access books from labeled tubs and practice independently.
Guided Reading: Use modelling, expanding, and extending techniques. Ask different question levels based on each student's needs. Consider adding BookBuddies stickers to your library books so EA's working 1:1 or in small groups can use language-building prompts even when you're with other groups.
Play-Based Learning: Narrate what you see ("Zara, you're building a tall tower!"), model language for interactions, and facilitate peer conversations.
Transitions: Use songs, rhymes, and movement activities to build phonological awareness while managing classroom flow.
When to Seek Additional Support
While many speech delayed students progress with quality classroom support, some need specialist intervention. Consider referring if:
- Difficulty understanding simple instructions despite visual supports
- Frustration leading to behavioural concerns
- Peers are significantly more advanced in all language areas
In Australia, families can access speech pathology through school-based services, community health centres, private clinics, or NDIS funding for eligible children.
Building Your Support Toolkit
You don't need a huge budget to support speech delayed students effectively. A few key resources make implementation easier:
- Organised book storage for independent access to appropriate reading materials
- Comfortable gathering space like a classroom rug for language-rich activities
- Diverse book collection including wordless books, pattern books, and rhyming books
- Visual supports throughout the classroom
- Evidence-based tools like BookBuddies that provide speech pathology-designed prompts
The Bottom Line
Supporting speech delayed students doesn't require you to become a speech pathologist—it requires intentional language-rich interactions throughout your day. The books you're already reading, the routines you've already established, and the relationships you're already building provide the perfect foundation. Sometimes it's just about knowing exactly what to say and when to say it.
By using these evidence-based strategies consistently, you can make a profound difference in your students' language development while meeting Australian Curriculum outcomes for all learners in your Foundation classroom.
Further Resources:
- Australian Speech Pathology Association: speechpathologyaustralia.org.au
- Australian Curriculum - English Foundation: australiancurriculum.edu.au
- Raising Children Network: raisingchildren.net.au
This post provides general information about supporting speech delayed students. It is not a substitute for professional speech pathology assessment. If you have concerns about a student, consult your school's support staff or recommend families seek assessment from a qualified speech pathologist.