The Language Kit for Primary Schools

Talking Together

Jenny Dundas, Jane Hutchinson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351705608
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Bildung
• Subtopic: Bildung Allgemein

The Language Kit for Primary Schools is a comprehensive toolkit for teachers, SENCOs and teaching assistants who deliver group interventions in order to support language and communication in schools. Key features of the kit include: suggested strategies with clear guidelines to help practitioners to support spoken language difficulties; detailed instructions describing how to run and deliver language groups to maximize effectiveness; and, two intervention programmes including session plans, structured activities and photocopiable handouts, ensuring that everything necessary to run the group is in one place. Programmes are: a ten week programme for use with Key Stage 1 pupils. This may also be used with Foundation Stage children; a ten week programme for use with Key Stage 2 pupils. This may also be used with Key Stage 3 students; suggestions for simplifying or extending every activity, enabling the practitioner to differentiate and meet the needs of everyone in the group; an additional resource bank and activity ideas to allow further development of language groups. Written in a clear and concise style by a Speech and Language Therapist and a Specialist teacher of Speech, Language and Communication, this resource will allow practitioners to give pupils the best possible language support.

Key Stage 1 Language Group Sessions

Key Stage 1 ~ Session 1 Ten language group session plans, each including the instructions and photocopiable resources for all activities

	Introduction Explain that language groups involve playing ‘talking’ and ‘listening’ games. Teach ‘good listening’ skills using a puppet and listening cue cards as described in ‘How to run and deliver language groups’ section. Talk about the group rules, eg turn taking. Go through the visual timetable to explain what will be covered during the session. Requirements: puppet, listening cue cards, visual timetable
	Activity: Not a Sound Activity: Find the Fox
	Close session Ask the children individually to recall an activity from the group. Model the correct sentence, stressing the past tense if necessary. Ask each child to line up individually by using one of the dismissal activities described in ‘How to run and deliver language groups’ section.

Not a Sound

Equipment: Noise-making items (eg a set of keys, jingle bells, ocean drum, ball bearings in a tin drum, etc)

Description: Explain that the game involves listening (stress the word). Reinforce ‘good listening’ rules. Pass the item around the group, and ask each child to shake the item to make a noise. Next pass the item around the group without the item making any noise at all. Explain and stress that the children will need to listen for any noise.

Notes: The purpose of this game is to demonstrate and label the act of listening. Many children, when asked to listen, do not fully understand what this entails. Teaching good listening skills and following it up with an activity that underlines the act of listening helps the child to develop this essential skill.

Find the Fox

Equipment: Laminated pictures of foxes, sticky tac

Descriptio\n: Arrange pictures of the fox around the room. Explain that this is a talking game, not a pointing game. Sitting on hands can be incorporated into the game! Demonstrate the activity by finding a picture of a fox and modelling a sentence to describe the position, eg ‘My fox is on the door above the handle.’ Ask a child to find the fox and say where it is. Support the child by modelling the correct preposition, vocabulary, etc in a sentence.

Easier… Concentrate on one preposition only, eg position all the pictures above an object. This allows the description to be heard repeatedly which reinforces the modelling. Harder… Position the pictures in such a manner that more challenging sentences are required. Use a variety of prepositions, eg in between, in the middle of, above, below, in the bottom corner, etc.

Notes: This activity provides an opportunity to practise expressive language at the sentence level. Discourage the use of empty language, eg ‘It’s over there’ or ‘It’s on the thingy’. Also, encourage specific vocabulary and discourage the use of generalisations, eg if the picture is on a stool, expect the word ‘stool’ and not ‘chair’. Expect the child to give the answer in a full, complete sentence, eg Child: ‘on there’ LA: ‘The fox is on the computer screen.’ Avoid giving a word directly. A forced alternative may be used, eg ‘Is it a cupboard or a bookcase?’

Key Stage 1 ~ Session 2

	Introduction Ask the group to recall the previous session. Prompt if necessary: ‘We played "talking and listening" games’. Review ‘good listening’ skills using a puppet and listening cue cards. Talk through the visual timetable to explain what will be covered during the session. Requirements: puppet, listening cue cards, visual timetable
	Activity: Hazard Highway Learning break: Burst the Bubbles Activity: What Can You Feel?
	Close session Ask the children individually to r...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Strategies
• How to run and deliver language groups
• Key Stage 1: Language group sessions
• Key Stage 2: Language group sessions
• Visual timetable pictures
• Language Resource Bank
• Glossary and description of terms used in this guide