Speech and Language
Speech and Language Support at Warden House
Our school works to support speech, language and communication with support from our NHS link speech & language therapist, Alison Piccinini, as well as specialist teachers. Your child may come into contact with specialist teachers within their classroom or around school. We are also very lucky to have our own dedicated speech, language and communication TA, Mrs Humphreys, who works with children individually and in small groups as needed. The SENCo Assistant, Ms Watson, will have regular meetings with therapists and specialist teachers to discuss our school’s provision.
If you have any concerns about your child’s speech, language or communication skills, please speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance.
If we have discussed a specific concern with you about your child’s speech, language or communication, or you have raised a concern, we will decide together whether to discuss this with our link therapist. You will be kept informed of any plans to support your child.
What does support for speech, language and communication needs look like in class?
We are working hard to make our classrooms communication-friendly so that all pupils benefit from the best SLCN practice (even if they do not receive targeted speech and language interventions).
We are minimising clutter in all rooms
We are ensuring that classrooms have clear, working walls to support the learning process
In addition, all teachers use a range of speech and language modifications, such as
· Allowing time to respond.
· Providing opportunities for learners to feed back or answer questions ‘privately’.
· Keeping instructions simple and breaking-up more complicated requests into bitesize chunks
· Using visual supports such as task boards, check lists, pictorial glossaries, pictures, demonstrations, story boards
· Getting the learner’s attention before asking them a question
· Checking that new learning has been understood.
· Syllable clapping
· Using fill-in-the-gap (cloze) procedures for some written tasks
· Pre-teaching topic vocabulary and using Knowledge Organisers to help pupils use specialist vocabulary correctly
For more information regarding The Balanced System, please see the link below:
What is it? : The Balanced System Pathway
Some useful websites for parents to support Speech and Language:
https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/
https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/tips-talking-your-baby-and-young-child/
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/education
