Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech therapy for 5-year-olds helps kids communicate more clearly, which is especially important as they enter school. Some signs that a 5-year-old might need speech therapy include trouble speaking in full sentences, participating in conversations, or telling stories that make sense. Other signs include having speech that’s hard to understand, or struggling to follow multi-step directions. Read on to learn more about when speech therapy for kindergarteners might be needed and what to expect in sessions.
Key takeaways
Speech therapy for 5-year-olds can help children understand and use language, speak clearly, communicate socially with others, and manage a stutter. Skills like these are especially important as a child starts school.
Your child might need support with language if they have difficulty using full sentences, telling a story, understanding multi-step directions, or participating in conversations.
Your 5-year-old might need help with articulation if their speech is often hard for others to understand, or they have trouble pronouncing speech sounds other than “th” and /r/.
Speech therapists use games, toys, crafts, and other fun activities during sessions with 5-year-olds. But while it may look like “playing,” every activity is used to target your child’s therapy goals.
Your speech therapist should involve you in sessions and show you how to practice at home. The more your child practices with you the faster they'll make progress.
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Screener for childrenWhat do 5-year-olds receive speech therapy for?
Speech therapy for 5-year-olds can be especially helpful for language development, speech clarity, social communication, and stuttering support.
As a child grows, communication skills become even more important. Your 5-year-old might be gearing up for kindergarten or already in the classroom. They might be learning letters and numbers, trying sports for the first time, making new friends—and they’re likely spending time with a greater variety of people. Here’s a look at how speech therapy can help them communicate more clearly with others.
Language development
Language development refers to two types of language:
Receptive language: The words a child is able to understand
Expressive language: The words, grammar, and nonverbal communication a child can use to communicate what they need
Some kindergarteners have a hard time understanding vocabulary and key concepts. They may struggle to follow multi-step directions easily or understand words in sentences spoken to them. If so, they may have a receptive language delay, and speech therapy would be needed.
Children can also have expressive language delays. “This refers to difficulty using words, phrases, and sentences to clearly express wants and needs,” explains Alexis Irazoque, MS, L/SLP, a speech therapist with Expressable. “If a 5-year-old isn’t speaking in full sentences, isn’t able to tell stories that make sense, or can’t use appropriate grammar, they may need speech therapy.”
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Social communication
Five-year-olds should be able to use social language, called pragmatics. This is their ability to communicate with others and have conversations in a way that’s socially appropriate. Examples of social communication include:
Using body language and eye contact appropriately
Staying on topic in a conversation
Keeping a conversation two-sided, not one-sided
If a kindergartener struggles with social communication, speech therapy can help.
Speech sound disorders
Articulation treatment for speech sound disorders is another reason 5-year-olds may receive speech therapy. It’s normal for children to have some errors as they learn to produce all the sounds in their spoken language. However, as a child grows older, they should be able to say more and more sounds correctly.
“At age 5, about 75% of what your child says should be easily understood by unfamiliar listeners, or people who don’t speak with your child often,” Irazoque says. Speech therapy can help kindergarteners speak more clearly so they’re better understood by others. Enable optional cookies to watch this video.
Stuttering
Five-year-olds may also receive speech therapy for problems with fluency, or the smoothness of their speech (also known as stuttering.) If you notice that your child repeats sounds or words often, or seems to pause like they’re frozen and can’t get any sound out, this may be a sign of stuttering. Speech treatment is likely needed.
How do you know if your 5-year-old needs speech therapy?
It helps to know the key milestones children should be reaching during their fifth year. If your child isn’t on track with some of these milestones, it may be a sign to schedule a speech and language evaluation.
Receptive, expressive, and academic-based language milestones for 5-year-olds
Storytelling: 5-year-olds should be able to tell a story that’s a few sentences long. This can include making up a story or telling someone about their day.
Grammar: Children age 5 should use grammar and sentence structure correctly. Their sentences and vocabulary should sound mature. They should be able to use compound and complex sentences appropriately.
Reading comprehension: After having a book read to them, 5-year-olds should be able to answer simple sentences about what happened in the story.
Rhyming: Kindergarteners should be able to rhyme words. This is essential to building phonological awareness skills—learning the sounds that make up words. “Phonological awareness is important for reading, writing, and overall academic growth,” Irazoque notes.
Learn how language and literacy are connected, and why early speech therapy intervention is important to set your child up for academic success.
Social language milestones for 5-year-olds
A 5-year-old should be able to stay on topic in a conversation.
They should be able to keep a conversation two-sided: answering questions, asking questions, and commenting with another person to keep the conversation flowing.
5-year-olds should be able to introduce themselves to others.
Kindergarteners should be able to verbally work through misunderstandings and problems with kids their same age.
Articulation milestones for 5-year-olds
5-year-olds should be able to produce almost all speech sounds in their words and conversations correctly. Some sounds that might develop closer to age 7 include voiced “th” (as in “this”), “zh” (as in “garage”), voiceless “th” (as in “thanks”), and /r/.
About 75% of a 5-year-old’s speech should be easy to understand by people they don’t speak with often.
Speech fluency milestones for 5-year-olds
5-year-olds should not repeat sounds or words often, such as “I w-w-w-want that.”
They should not appear frozen or pause in conversation as if they can’t get their words out.
A kindergartener’s speech should have a natural fluency and smoothness.
How do you know if your child is ready for kindergarten? Learn the signs that your child might not be ready, and find out how to prepare them to start school.
How to find a speech therapist for your kindergartener
Just like you’d research a new doctor before making an appointment, you should do the same for your child’s speech therapist. It’s always helpful to start by asking friends or family whose children have had speech therapy about their experience.
If you have health insurance, contact your plan to find out about their coverage for speech therapy. Your health plan may have a list of in-network speech therapy providers that you can research.
You can also ask your child’s pediatrician. They likely have a list of speech therapy providers that they recommend. And you may need a pediatrician referral in order to be reimbursed for speech therapy by your health insurance.
Finally, there are several online directories where you can search speech therapists by location and qualifications. One of these directories is from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which is the professional organization for speech-language pathologists.
No matter which way you find a speech therapist for an , make sure to read any online reviews you find! “Remember, you’re in the driver's seat when it comes to the final choice,” Irazoque says. “It should be someone who is licensed and experienced, and who gets along well with your child.”
Find the right speech therapist for your needs
Get startedWhat does speech therapy for a 5-year-old look like?
Speech therapy for 5-year-olds usually looks a lot like playtime. Speech therapists use games, toys, and activities that will motivate a child to participate in speech therapy tasks. Your therapist might help your child practice storytelling by chatting together during a board game. Or, your child may need to say a certain number of speech sounds before completing a step in a craft or taking a turn in a game.
Your speech therapist should learn what your child enjoys and use that during their sessions. “Rest assured, while it may look like ‘just playing,’ your therapist is using every activity to target your child’s speech therapy goals,” Irazoque says.
Your speech therapist should involve you in sessions, talk with you about what you’re seeing at home, and show you how to practice with your child. The more your child practices their speech skills in everyday life, the faster they'll make progress.
Get a sneak peek at speech therapy with these real-life success stories featuring 4- and 5-year-olds we've worked with at Expressable!
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How long does speech therapy last?
One question families often ask is, “How long does speech therapy take?” It would be great if there was just one answer, but the length of therapy is different for each unique person.
However, there are a few things that help determine how long therapy takes. One is the child’s age. The sooner a child begins speech therapy, the sooner they begin making progress. This also decreases the risk that they’ll fall further behind. So if your child is recommended for speech therapy at age 5, it’s best to go ahead and start.
Your child’s diagnosis also affects the length of speech therapy. Sometimes children with a developmental delay catch up quickly with the right support. With diagnoses that involve neurological complications or congenital disorders, therapy may take longer.
How can you help your 5-year-old with their speech?
As your child’s caregiver, you have a big role to play here. Again, the more you help your child practice what they’re learning in speech therapy, the more quickly they’ll grow their skills!
While speech therapy is an essential part of your child’s improvement, so is the practice that happens at home, between sessions. Continuing to work on your child’s goals throughout the week helps reinforce what was learned in therapy. That sets your kiddo up for more success at their next session.
You can easily help your child practice during everyday activities and the time you already spend together.
Best of all, you don’t need any special materials or expertise. When it comes to speech and language, the world is your classroom. You can easily help your child practice during everyday activities and the time you already spend together: riding in the car, eating meals, bathtime, bedtime, playtime, and more! Your speech therapist will explain exactly what to do.
Get matched with a speech therapist
As a parent or caregiver, you’re doing the right thing in learning how to support your 5-year-old’s communication needs. Your speech therapist is there to walk alongside you every step of the way. Find the right speech therapist for your child here.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Yes, speech therapy is effective for 5-year-olds. The sooner a child begins speech therapy, the better the outcomes. Clear communication becomes even more important as a child begins kindergarten. So if speech therapy is recommended for your 5-year-old, it’s best not to wait.
At age 5, some of your child’s speech might still be hard to understand by people who don't know them well. They might still misuse some words, or mispronounce sounds like /r/ or “th.” However, they should be speaking smoothly, in grammatically correct sentences, and be able to carry on a conversation with others. If your 5-year-old struggles with speaking clearly, using a variety of words, telling stories, understanding language, or joining conversations, schedule a speech evaluation.
About 75% of a 5-year-old’s speech should be easy to understand by people they don’t speak with often. Five-year-olds can typically produce almost all speech sounds correctly, although some sounds might develop closer to age 7, including voiced “th” (as in “that”), voiceless “th” (as in “think”), and /r/. If your child’s speech is hard to understand, it’s a good idea to schedule an evaluation. A speech therapist can determine if your child might need support with their articulation skills.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech and occupational therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication, feeding, and developmental skills, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 4,500 5-star reviews from our clients (4.83/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech and occupational therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
