Sometimes a communication problem is as simple as a student not understanding the words that are being used. The problem could be lack of sufficient vocabulary or the understanding of certain idiomatic phrases. It could also be a symptom of a hearing problem. Students who suffer from these types of communication issues tend to have difficulty keeping up with the conversations of their peers.
The interpretation of nonverbal communication -- body language -- is just as important to effective communication as spoken and written language. Students who have trouble interpreting body language often have trouble recognizing social cues, as the latter often takes the form of the former. Students who struggle with interpretation -- either type -- often display high levels of frustration and anger, and helping these students develop these skills can also help them improve their social skills.
In order to communicate effectively, children must be able to initiate conversation and maintain it until its end. Children with poor communication skills often cannot initiate conversation because they don't know what to say, how to engage their peer's attention by asking a leading question or display enough interest in what someone else is saying, which could be interpreted as a lack of empathy or rudeness, or some other hormonal problem commonly associated with puberty. Furthermore, as S.D. Powell asserts in his article "Emotional Development Issues in Middle School," because these children are going through so much, we must respond thoughtfully when we witness such behavior, and not simply react.
Though a communication skill problem can appear to be a social skill problem, sometimes it's the other way around. Children who lack empathy or who are generally uninterested in what others have to say might have exceptional vocabulary and skills of interpretation, but might for some other reason not apply those skills. However, just as the side effect of communication skills is a bolstering of social skills, when children improve their social skills, they often improve their communication skills as well.
According to Thomas Armstrong and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the onset of puberty is not a reason for students to enter a mode of education that resembles high school more than it does elementary school. Armstrong argues that adolescents have developmental needs that require just as much attention as their academic needs. Because these students are experiencing so many different changes in their bodies, singling out a communication problem as opposed to an emotional/developmental problem can be nearly impossible, and requires the evaluation by a licensed professional.