The Importance of Expressive Language.
Have you ever asked your child what happened at school and heard, “I don’t know”? Or read a bedtime story and noticed they struggle to tell it back to you in their own words? These moments are more than just everyday parenting challenges — they’re valuable clues about your child’s expressive language development, and they’re deeply connected to how they’ll succeed in reading and writing later on.
🌟 What is Expressive Language?
Expressive language is how your child uses words, sentences, gestures, and writing to communicate their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. It’s the ability to put together a story, answer a question clearly, or describe something in detail — and it’s one of the most important foundations for learning.
One of the best indicators of strong expressive language skills is your child’s ability to retell a story. This involves:
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Recalling key events
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Describing characters and settings
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Using correct sequencing (first, then, next, finally)
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Including details and emotions
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Speaking in full sentences
🧠When a child can retell a story well, it shows they understand how language is structured — and that’s a major predictor of later literacy success.
đź“– Reading to Your Child: A Daily Habit That Builds Brains
You’ve probably heard that reading to your child every day is important — but why does it matter so much?
✔️ Daily reading builds vocabulary.
Children need to hear words many times in different contexts to truly understand them. Books expose kids to rich language they don’t hear in everyday conversation.
✔️ It supports comprehension and written expression.
When kids are read to regularly, they learn how stories are told — how to start, build tension, resolve problems, and wrap things up. These storytelling structures directly support how they write stories later on.
✔️ It sparks meaningful conversations.
Reading gives you a chance to talk about characters’ feelings, solve problems together, and make predictions — all of which strengthen expressive language and thinking skills.
🗣️ The Link Between Expressive Language and Literacy
Research shows that children with strong expressive language skills are more likely to:
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Succeed in reading comprehension
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Write more clearly and creatively
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Perform better in school
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Develop stronger confidence in social settings
In contrast, children who struggle to express themselves often face challenges with reading, writing, and classroom participation. That’s why early support makes such a big difference.
👩‍⚕️ How We Can Help
At Perth Speech Therapy, we support children to:
🔹 Build expressive language through play and conversation
🔹 Learn how to sequence and retell stories with confidence
🔹 Expand their vocabulary and sentence structures
🔹 Strengthen the skills that set them up for reading and writing success
Whether your child is a late talker, struggles to describe things clearly, or finds story retelling difficult, our speech pathologists are here to guide their development with fun, effective strategies.
đź’¬ What You Can Do at Home
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Read to your child every single day. Even 10 minutes counts!
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Ask open-ended questions about stories: “Why do you think he did that?” “What happened next?”
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Encourage story retelling with toys, drawings, or puppets
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Model storytelling yourself — share what happened in your day in order: “First I went to the shops, then I got lunch, and finally I came home.”
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Celebrate your child’s attempts — even if they’re short or jumbled, they’re learning!
✨ Let’s Build a Strong Communicator Together
Helping your child become a confident storyteller isn’t just about school readiness — it’s about setting them up for a lifetime of learning, connection, and success.
If you’re concerned about your child’s expressive language, story retelling, or vocabulary, don’t wait. Our team at Perth Speech Therapy offers early intervention support that makes a real difference.
đź“© Contact us today to book an assessment or learn more.