Plan/do

If your assessments show a significant delay in language skills, an immediate referral to the Speech and Language Therapy Service may be needed.  Please refer to the Outside agencies section of this toolkit for more details.

Once the specific area of language causing concern has been identified some support can be put in place in the setting and if needed in a group or individually.  

If attention has been identified as a concern:

• Ensure you provide activities with a clear end point and encourage the child to complete the activity before moving on

• Encourage the child to sit on the carpet for increased time Encourage the child to stay at an activity for an increased time. 

• Praise any achievements reporting specifically what you are pleased about.

If understanding has been identified as a concern:

• Simplify language as much as possible, e.g. instead of ‘Johnny can you come over here with the rest of the children and sit down’ say ‘Johnny, sit down’ and point to the carpet.

• Always use the child’s name to gain attention first before giving an instruction

• Share books with the child and model simple language by naming pictures and ask questions such as ‘Where’s the …?’

• Use posting games with pictures of items….. ‘Post the car’ etc, Choose a small number of common words to concentrate on and teach them e.g. pictures of family, friends and common items. Use pictures of items for the child to choose from.

If vocabulary has been identified as a concern:

• Encourage any vocalisations

• Repeat the sounds that the child makes 

• Provide a commentary on what the child is doing during play Give the child a choice – do you want milk or water?  
• Encourage the child to point and then repeat the choice ‘You want milk’ 
• Identify a group of words to concentrate on 
• Provide the child with plenty of opportunities to hear the word in different contexts

If speech sounds have been identified as a concern:

• Practice the individual sounds incidentally during play with the child

• Take advice from the Speech and Language Therapist in this area.

 If a more refined, individualised intervention is needed:

• It may be useful to have some short individual sessions with the child to improve language skills

• A box of short focussed activities that address the areas causing concern may be useful

• A table and chair could be used to encourage attention

• Children benefit from a structured routine for the 5-10 minutes session so it becomes predictable

• Adults need to use a mixture of modelling, prompting and reassuring to teach the necessary skills.

Please see the Communication Trust website for a database of evidence-based strategies for improving language and communication.