Great dinner conversation with one of my improv classmates who is a speech therapist at a public school in San Francisco:

Elementary school aged kids are sent to her because they fail their tests.

Kinder-gardeners also are also sent to her when they are unable to speak sentences with more than 3 words.

The number of children in need is rapidly rising. Why?

There are of course a lot of reasons, but the biggest one she said is increased screen time and decreased social time.

It's not that they "don't have the ability."

They just haven't practiced

- speaking

- expressing themselves

- looking others in the eye

- forming connections etc

enough.

Since children learn from and mimic adults, the solutions start with us.

"Talent" is 99% practice.