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Information and Resources for Practitioners

Ages and stages

Covers what you would expect typical interaction, talking, listening and understanding, speech sounds and play and social development to look like at each age

Early Years Practitioner Resources

TALK at home Packs: Every day opportunities for parents to support their child’s speech, language and communication

Talk to me Outdoors activity cards: Two sided cards for use outdoors with children. The cards contain activities on a set theme as well as suggestions to 'step it up' and make it more challenging. Each card also contains some communication facts, a song, a book recommendation and an activity bingo card on the back to complete with the children

Language Wheel Template: Language wheel poster and editable template that can be used as staff prompts for helping to make the most of adult child interactions by extending language in different ways

TALK top tips for parents: A selection of parent friendly advice sheets covering a range of different communication strategies and concerns. Each leaflet covers why you might use this strategy as well as plenty of practical ideas and next steps.

Communication Audits: An audit tool to help all Early Years practitioners working in Halton make their spaces great for communication.

Communication Hotspots: An environmental observation tool for practitioners to help identify areas of provision that are working well for developing young children’s communication as well as areas for development

SEND Early Years Graduated Approach: The 'Strategy Toolkit is a compilation of tried and tested strategies to be used to support children who have a range of needs. The strategies have been provided by specialists in their fields, such as Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Specialist Teachers and Portage Workers. The strategies fall into two categories: 'Strategies for Everday Good Practice' and 'Strategies for SEN Support'. The strategies for SEN Support can be used to help in writing SEN Support Plans and should be reviewed in-line with your setting's own guidelines. Some of them can be turned into SMART targets.

SEND Graduated Approach Toolkit – Language and Communication Strategies for Early Years - The 'Language and Communication Strategy Toolkit' for Early Years' is designed for use by Early Years Practitioners. It is a compilation of tried and tested strategies to be used to support children who have a range of speech, language and communication needs.

Early Years Practitioner Training Guides

Can be used to refresh learning from training or as standalone resources for practitioners wanting to expand their knowledge of early speech, language and communication

EYFS Speech and Language Packs

Produced by ChatterBug the EYFS Packs are designed to be used either 1:1 or in small groups with children for whom you have communication concerns

School Age Resources

Screening and Intervention Tools: An overview of some available tools/resources for screening /identifying and working on school-aged children’s speech, language and communication needs

Communication Audit: A simple checklist from I CAN to help you think about how your environment supports children’s communication

Primary School Checklist: I CAN’S series of top tips for teachers who are supporting a child with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), in the classroom. These are recommended indicators of good practice in supporting all children with SLCN in Primary provision.

Secondary School Checklist: I CAN’S series of top tips for teachers who are supporting a child with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), in the classroom. These are recommended indicators of good practice in supporting all children with SLCN in Secondary provision.

Graduated Approach Strategy Toolkit: The 'Strategy Toolkit is a compilation of tried and tested strategies to be used to support children who have a range of needs. The strategies have been provided by specialists in their fields, such as Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Specialist Teachers and Portage Workers. The strategies fall into two categories: 'Strategies for Everday Good Practice' and 'Strategies for SEN Support'. The strategies for SEN Support can be used to help in writing SEN Support Plans and should be reviewed in-line with your setting's own guidelines. Some of them can be turned into SMART targets.

Useful Resources