The discussion is inspired by the publication earlier this year of GL Assessment’s Lost for Words research, which revealed teachers’ concerns about pupils’ deteriorating speech and language issues since Covid-19 lockdowns. The research finds that:
- Almost half of the surveyed primary teachers estimate that 20% of their pupils have speech and language issues; more than a third believe this figure to be as high as 40%.
- Nearly half of the surveyed primary teachers warn that it is easy to mistake speech and language issues for maths and literacy problems.
- Almost 9 in 10 primary school teachers think speech and language skills have worsened since 2020.
At the same time, it is estimated that 10% of children will be affected by long-term and persistent SLCN (Public Health England, 2020) and that around 4 in 10 of those will go through school unidentified (Communication Trust, 2014).
And the Listening to unheard children report (Speech and Language UK, 2023) estimated that 1.9 million children (1 in 5) are behind with their talking and/or understanding of words. It found that children who struggle to talk and understand words are six times more likely to be behind in English and 11 times more likely to be behind in maths at age 11.
This makes early identification and intervention crucial, and this work begins in the early years and primary school.
In this webinar we will focus on how primary schools can boost oracy skills for all pupils, including those with SLCN, offering discussion around whole-school approaches as well as practical ideas and tips for in the classroom and for pupils of all ages – from reception to year 6.
The webinar will feature a case study from a primary school doing excellent work in this area as well as expert input from the National Literacy Trust, GL Assessment and Speech and Language UK.
The webinar will include an audience Q&A and the session will also be available to watch on catch-up.
This webinar has been planned and produced in partnership with our friends at GL Assessment, which has launched a digital version of its WellComm speech and language toolkits (see below).
About our partner
GL Assessment, part of Renaissance, is a leading provider of formative assessments to schools and school groups in the UK and in more than 100 countries worldwide. It provides assessments that help to reveal students’ potential, track their progress and identify any barriers to learning.
WellComm allows users to assess for speech, language and communication issues and provide interventions that can be immediately used with children. It is used by early years settings, primary schools, speech and language therapists, and health visitors, and it is also widely used as an early identification tool to identify and support children with SLCN across local authorities.
Digital versions of WellComm Early Years (from six months to six years) and WellComm Primary (six to 11-year-olds) are now available alongside the existing paper editions. Practitioners work through a guided observation with a child on a tablet or laptop. Targeted activities, 150 in total, are presented automatically to help address the specific issues uncovered. These activities can be shared digitally with parents and carers.
Visit www.gl-assessment.co.uk/go/wellcomm-digital
The expert panel
The webinar will be hosted by Pete Henshaw, the editor of Headteacher Update. Our panel of experts, including guests from two primary schools, will be confirmed shortly.
This webinar will answer key questions
- What do speech, language and communication skills refer to? What is oracy and why is it important?
- When it comes to speech, language and oracy skills, what are primary teachers seeing in their classrooms since Covid? What did the Lost for Words research uncover?
- What barriers do speech, language and oracy issues create to wider learning and engagement in the classroom?
- To what extent do these needs go unidentified – and how can we identify them early on? What signs should teachers be looking for?
- What does an effective whole-school approach to developing speech, language and oracy skills look like?
- When teaching oracy skills in the classroom, what approaches work well? We will discuss tried and tested ideas for the teaching of these skills.
- How can we best work with families to ensure pupils’ speaking and oracy skills are supported at home as well as at school?
- What kind of quick-win, immediate interventions can we put in place for pupils who are really struggling?
- Discussion of examples from our case study primary school.
- Question & answer: We will leave time for audience questions at the end of the webinar.
References
- Communication Trust: Talk of the Town: Evaluation report, 2014.
- Public Health England: Best start in speech, language, and communication: Supporting evidence, 2020.
- Speech and Language UK: Listening to unheard children: A shocking rise in speech and language challenges, 2023.