We've provided a resource pack for teachers to support children in mainstream primary schools with language difficulties.
Please note that all the resource files below are in PDF format.
Introduction - please read this first
There are seven documents that comprise this resource pack. They're for teachers who are working with speech and language therapists (SLTs) to support children in mainstream primary schools who have language difficulties with no known cause (primary language impairment).
1 - Introduction to the Language Support Model
The language support model is a package of information, suggestions, meetings and advice designed to foster collaboration amongst teachers and speech and language therapists (SLTs) in working together to support children with language learning difficulties.
2 - Creating a Communication Friendly Classroom
It can be hard for some children to cope with the language of the classroom. The Language Support Model suggests ways of making the language children hear easier for them to understand, as detailed in this document.
3 - Monitoring Comprehension
In order to help a child comprehend talk in class, and monitor their own comprehension, two aspects are important making sure that the talk heard by a child is clear and focused and making sure that a child knows how to listen, and asks when he or she does not understand.
4 - Principles of Vocabulary Development
By the age of seven, children have about 4000 words they can use, and they understand many, many more. There is no way we could teach all of these! What we are aiming to do is to give children strategies they can use when learning new words.
5 - Principles of Grammar Development
Some children need help to develop spoken grammar. The SLT will analyse their speech and decide which grammar features to work on. Thereafter, they need lots of practice in using the grammar features in appropriate contexts.
6 - Principles of Oral Narrative Development
Some children with language problems have difficulty in understanding the language of narratives or stories. Narrative plays an important part both in everyday social talk and within the school curriculum.
7 - Development of the Language Support Mode
The support model has been developed for children with primary language impairment, and has not been tried out with children with other types of speech. language or communication difficulty. It is designed to be used by teachers and SLTs working in partnership.