Issue 2, Page 4-5: Case Notes: Speech and Language Development

When it comes to speech and language development, it can be difficult to know what to look for, and what steps to take in your investigations. Sarah Wall uses three case studies from a Kent school to explain the steps needed to inform decisions about support in the classroom.

Speech, language and communication needs are the most common type of primary SEN in primary schools making up 29% of the total (DfE school census data 2012). However, it is not always easy to identify when a child is having difficulties with their speech and language development. If a pupil’s speech is difficult to understand you may consider they have a speech difficulty, however not all speech sounds are well established by the time a child starts school. So how do you determine if your pupil is having difficulties or is performing at an age appropriate level?

Speech, language and communication needs are the most common type of primary SEN in primary schools making up 29% of the total (DfE school census data 2012). However, it is not always easy to identify when a child is having difficulties with their speech and language development. If a pupil’s speech is difficult to understand you may consider they have a speech difficulty, however not all speech sounds are well established by the time a child starts school. So how do you determine if your pupil is having difficulties or is performing at an age appropriate level?

When it comes to a pupil’s understanding of language it is even harder to observe a difficulty. If you give a pupil an instruction and they struggle to understand then you may have concerns.

But was it a problem with the pupil’s understanding or was your instruction too long and complex? You may have used unfamiliar vocabulary or the context of what you were saying was unclear. When you give a pupil an instruction and they are able to complete it, the picture is even more confusing. How can you be sure they have understood the words? They may have simply copied the rest of the class, or used visual or contextual cues, or perhaps you were asking them to do something that takes place as part of the everyday classroom routine.

How confident are you that your pupils are doing what they should be for their age in terms of speech and language development? Download our free speech and language development tables from The Link Online to help you decide.

Ben

Ben is in Year 3. Every Monday morning Ben arrives at school and tells you, in great detail, all about his fishing trip on Saturday. Ben often distracts his peers and staff with talk about topics that interest him. He is slow to get on with his work, asking lots of questions about what he has to do, and hardly ever completes a task. You notice that he is immature and likes to hang around the teaching assistant during lessons and break times.

What could you do?

Checking Ben’s understanding of language is essential. His seemingly good spoken language could be masking his difficulties with understanding. He can talk at length, but only about a topic he knows lots about. Use the Language Link screening tool to assess Ben’s understanding. This will provide you with classroom strategies and resources to support Ben and will help you decide if you need to discuss him with a Speech and Language Therapist.

Tom

Tom is in Year 1. He is a shy child and does not offer any comments in class. He answers questions with one word only. He is a slow worker and is reluctant to ask for help. He follows his peers in class and at break time. Tom can complete instructions you give him individually. His parents say he is quite different at home where he is chatty and bosses his little sister around.

What should you do?

Tom could have difficulty understanding language but he may be lacking in confidence. He may be reluctant to make a mistake and look for reassurance, which explains why he is slow to begin a task and follows the lead of his friends. You should check his understanding to be sure. Use the Language Link screening tool to check Tom’s level of understanding.

Cassie

Cassie is in reception class. She is a very sociable girl and has many friends. She is often the first child to put up her hand in class. She is able to follow classroom instructions without difficulty and finishes her work quickly without much help. However Cassie’s speech is very unclear. Staff say they can only make out about a third of her words, and can only work out what she is saying by using the context. They are beginning to ‘tune in’ to her speech and understand more of what she is saying. Cassie’s Mum is not concerned and says she can understand everything Cassie says at home.

What should you do?

By 3 years old a child should be at least 75% intelligible. You should investigate her speech sound production further. Use the speech and language development tables to see which sounds Cassie should be producing. Carry out the Speech Link screen. This will provide recommendations for speech sound work and will help you decide if you need to discuss her with a Speech and Language Therapist.

To find out more about Language Link and Speech Link and to find out what support was put in place for these three pupils visit The Link Online.

Language Link Top Tip

A good way to test understanding is to ask the pupil to do something unusual, e.g. “When you have finished your yoghurt put the pot under the table”.