Primary - Speech, Language and Communication
Age 6 - 11
The importance of receptive and expressive language skills continues to be apparent in the primary sector. A difficulty in these areas can impact significantly on reading, spelling and writing.
For some pupils the process of language development is not as straightforward. Pupils may have co-occurring difficulties, such as, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), which has no known cause. Further guidance on language difficulties is available at: Speech, Language and Communication Needs SEN resource file
Developing phonological awareness is a prerequisite for reading and writing. Through oral language the pupil will develop an awareness of words, syllables, rhymes, and phonemes and increase his / her chance of success in learning to read and write.
Receptive Language Skills - Understanding Language
A receptive language disorder is where a pupil struggles to understand and process the messages, he / she receives from others. This can impact a pupil’s ability to access the curriculum. This difficulty is sometimes referred to as a “language comprehension” difficulty.
| Indicators of listening difficulties and their impacts | Recommendations for Reasonable Adjustments |
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The pupil may have a difficulty following instructions:
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The pupil may be distracted by other environmental sounds:
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He / she may appear unsure of the specific question being asked
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| The pupil may not respond correctly to instructions or questions |
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| The pupil may have a difficulty maintaining focus and concentration during instructions |
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| He / she may appear to forget instructions frequently and as a result work is often incorrect |
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| He / she may find learning new vocabulary difficult |
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Expressive Language Skills - Using Language
Pupils who struggle with expressive language have difficulty expressing themselves when they speak. This may be due to a difficulty with communication rather than with an underlying speech disorder, however it requires ongoing monitoring.
Developing spoken language plays a key role in the development of written language and vocabulary development. Difficulties with expressive language will translate to difficulties with written expression.
| Indicators of speaking difficulties and their impacts | Recommendations for Reasonable Adjustments |
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| The pupil may mispronounce words which may cause the pupil to feel embarrassed in front of other peers |
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He / she may refuse to engage in discussion or withdraws from group discussions May ‘switch off’ and appear to not pay attention during these activities May appear disruptive or start to distract other pupils |
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| He / she may find it difficult to learn new vocabulary and use it appropriately in sentences |
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| The pupil may be unwilling to answer questions or share opinions aloud |
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| The pupil may appear slow to respond to a question |
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Vocabulary Development
For many pupils, their vocabulary develops gradually, enabling these pupils to communicate fluently and expressively. Possessing a limited vocabulary impacts on a pupil’s self-esteem and on their reading comprehension and written expression. The impact of these difficulties become even more apparent in Key Stage 1 and 2. It is of key importance therefore that vocabulary development is prioritised and planned for, as the development of word meaning (semantic knowledge) will in turn aid reading development.
Vocabulary Instruction
It is important that new vocabulary should be introduced explicitly in a clear and detailed manner. Modelled, guided and shared reading enables interaction between the pupils and teacher, provides opportunities to introduce pupils to unfamiliar words and allows the pupils to experiment with them. It is important that pupils have repeated exposure to new vocabulary that has been modelled in a variety of contexts.
It is important that the specific vocabulary required for curricular topics or a text that is being read, is taught as this will help pupils understand its meaning. Read and Write contains a vocabulary tool, where a word list can be created and personalised for the pupil. Vocabulary can be incorporated into a Clicker 8 grid to provide a multisensory, alternative way of learning these words, while also manipulating them into sentences.
Shared reading provides opportunities for pre-reading discussion. It is an opportunity to introduce any new vocabulary within the text and discuss its meaning. It also provides an opportunity to discuss and explore authorial techniques and choice of vocabulary.
Teach pupils how to spell new vocabulary as it improves their likelihood of remembering the pronunciation and meaning of words and helps develop confidence using unfamiliar words in their own writing.
Language Development Through Reading
As pupils progress from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 they should be Introduced to a wide range of challenging texts to expose them to new vocabulary. The pupil may not be able to read the text independently, eBooks and class novels can support weak decoding skills so the pupil can enjoy age-appropriate text at the level he / she can comprehend.
All teachers in Northern Ireland have access to the Literacy Service - Initial Contact Support Portal. It is a resource that has been designed to help bolster your in-school support for pupils with literacy needs. Teachers who have not been added to this site and would like to access it, please complete the registration form at the following link - Literacy Service: Initial Contact Support Portal - Staff Details Form
Inference skills can be developed through listening activities, to help the pupil by-pass decoding difficulties. Teachers can model the use of inference, by answering questions aloud and talking through their thinking processes.
Pupils’ language skills can be developed through discussion of the text. Reciprocal Reading will provide a pupil with an opportunity to explore and discuss a text within the security of a small group. Use open-ended questions, such as “who, what, where, when, why, how” to extend thinking and increase opportunities for vocabulary instruction. Shared Reading will help the pupil apply strategies in authentic reading experiences.
Making connections between text and pupils’ life experiences (autobiographical memory) creates opportunities for meaningful discussion and establishes links in long-term memory.
Speaking and Listening
In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 any pupil with a specific language difficulty may lose confidence engaging in conversation. The pupil can become more self-aware and reluctant to engage. It is important to create a classroom culture that promotes dialogue by encouraging pupils to ask questions and emphasises respectful listening.
Provide opportunities for pupils to articulate their ideas before they begin to write. Pupils with working memory difficulties will benefit from using a voice recorder to record their ideas so they can access them as often as they need.
Collaborative learning provides an opportunity for developing speaking and listening skills, but effective collaboration requires support and practice. It is most effective when structured opportunities are provided for pupils to participate in carefully designed tasks.
Teachers can model the process of effective communication during collaborative tasks, with peers gradually taking on the role of modelling this for each other.
Phonology
A significant minority of pupils may continue to present with phonological difficulties in Key Stage 1 and 2. They may still struggle to establish all phoneme / grapheme correspondences beyond the initial consonant sounds, and in particular, experience significant difficulties with the vowel sounds, particularly long vowel sounds. Vowel sounds can be more easily learned in words with an end rhyme, for example, ‘coat, boat, float’. It is important that this learning is facilitated through ‘onset and rime’ patterns that are consistent in sound and spelling, for example, ‘red, fed, led, bed’ and not ‘red, said, bread’. Teachers, therefore, need to teach phonics at orthographic levels as well as the alphabetic level to ensure that all pupils can develop a phonics strategy that works for them, given their strengths and difficulties. It is important to check if pupils are secure in the letter names and sounds, as this knowledge may not have developed securely in the Foundation Stage. If not, they can be effectively taught using various resources, for example, the Alphabet Arc or phoneme / grapheme flashcards, to establish the link between letters and sounds:
Teacher Guidance: Alphabet Arc Activities
By Key Stage 1 many pupils will have learned implicitly about patterns and sequences and the rules and regularities in print from their reading experience. Pupils with literacy difficulties / dyslexia have an implicit learning deficit and intentional teaching is vital. For some pupils this difficulty can still be apparent in Key Stage 2. To ensure that all pupils can read fluently and spell correctly, it is essential to teach phonics at orthographic levels as well as the alphabetic level. Orthographic knowledge is essential for automatic sight word recognition spelling recall. Teaching phoneme / grapheme correspondence ‘only’ ignores the other important levels of sounds in English phonology, such as rhyme, syllables, and whole words.
Assistive Technology
- Multisensory material – sand tray, whiteboards
- Voice Recorders
- Audio Books
- eBooks
Signposting for Free Professional Learning Modules
The following professional learning modules may be helpful for additional information regarding the strategies recommended in this chapter. They are provided by the Literacy Service and are available through the Children and Young People's Services Professional Learning Programme, which is hosted on the EA website. The access code to the courses is updated each year and shared with your Principal in September:
Bibliography and References
Bilton & Duff, (2021) ‘Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2’, Guidance Report, EEF
Bilton & Tollotson, ‘Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1’, Guidance Report, EEF
Catts, H.W, Mcilraith, A., Bridges, M.S. and Nielsen, D.C. (2017): Developmental dyslexia. Reading and Writing. 30 (3): 613-29
Goswami, U. (2019): A neural oscillations perspective on phonological development and phonological processing in developmental dyslexia. Linguistic Compass13 (5)
Lavan, G. & Talcott, J. B (2021). BROOK’S WHAT WORKS FOR LITERACY DIFFICULTIES. Accessed 16/3/22 https://www.theschoolpsychologyservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-CSP-6th-Ed.pdf
Resource File for Children with SEN
Oxford Language Report, (2018) Why Closing the Word Gap Matters, OUP