Strategies

There is much that can be done in the classroom to help pupils with delayed language development, and these strategies will also benefit the class as a whole. The problems associated with delayed development should be largely overcome by the secondary phase. The strategies suggested will be equally relevant to children with disordered language. However, such children are also likely to need some support from the speech and language therapy service, so that the nature of their difficulties can be investigated and ways of helping them identified. This is a specialised field, and both teacher and pupil should be able to draw on outside expertise. (Speech therapists, who in the past dealt mainly with articulatory problems, now have a much wider role and are able to advise on all aspects of speech and language problems.)

To assist a pupil with delayed or disordered language development:

• improve her/his listening skills by keeping information short and straightforward
• speak clearly and not too quickly
• give the pupil a good role model
• progress the pupil from the listening one-to-one to being able to follow in a small group, them in a class, then as part of the school
• don't expect too much of an inattentive child, but work to increase the length of time s/he can concentrate
• find out how many commands can be understood and remembered, and work to improve this
• use the child as a messenger, even if at first s/he is only taking a written note
• ask questions which need more than a monosyllabic reply
• when grouping children, ensure that all have a chance to contribute
• don't monopolise discussion; it's the pupils who need the practice
• value pupil's contributions and the place of talk in the classroom
• use synonyms to expand vocabulary and to help pupils put the same information in different ways
• encourage the reluctant speaker - s/he may be the one who needs the most practice
• encourage students to listen to, and respect, each other's points of view
• read aloud, whatever the age of the students - it will improve listening skills and enrich their language
• use radio programmes so that pupils have to concentrate on making use of the auditory channel
• expand utterances without appearing to correct them
• do the same with missing sounds, avoiding over-correction as this can make pupils self-conscious
• play memory games
• use the tape-recorder (this is useful for the play-back and also as a record of progress)
• use improvisation, drama
• give a starting point for discussion, e.g. television, outings, photographs, pictures
• make use of rhythm, e.g. tapping or clapping names, phrases, making up question and answer phrases
• increase the child's confidence by encouraging relationships with adults and supporting relationships with other children
• include the child in small group work as often as resources allow
• provide a quiet area in the classroom for talking and listening
• modify your language of instruction until you have clear evidence that the child has understood your verbal utterance (without any gestural or contextual support)
• look for ways to encourage the children to talk more e.g. use the telephone ( real or as a prop)

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