Top-tips to start using Makaton signing in your classroom
As a speech and language therapist and qualified early years teacher, if I were to choose a communication tool that enhanced the learning environment for all children, it would be Makaton. Let me set …
Could poor communication skills be holding students back in maths?
With hundreds of pupils starting school with poor speech and language skills and even more children struggling with basic social skills, there is no wonder we are seeing the impact this has on other a …
‘Building a Bully-Free Classroom’ an interview with Professor Peter.K.Smith
We interview the writer of the new Academy course : Professor Peter K Smith To promote anti-bullying week we’re releasing a free module from our CPD course ‘Building a Bully-Free Classroom’ by world-r …
5 things teachers ask me about Auditory Memory
Difficulties with Auditory memory can have a significant impact on a pupil’s ability to attend and learn at the same rate as the rest of their class. I have worked as a speech and language therapist f …
Listen Up! Advice on hearing, listening and processing auditory information
Learning to listen & listening to learn It’s deaf awareness week, so I wanted to shed some light on how important our listening environment is for learning. Not just for hearing impaired and deaf …
A Guide to Vocabulary Teaching: Part 2
The second part in a series of 3 blogs about vocabulary teaching: the ‘how’ and the ‘who’ How? – how do we begin to teach children the vocabulary needed to engage in all aspects of the curriculum? Who …
The Forgotten Children Scandal – A Review
On the 18th July 2018, the House of Commons Education Committee put together their review of alternative provisions (APs) in the UK and the difficulties around providing education for children not in …
6 easy ways to make your classroom communication friendly
It’s that time of year when everyone is busy prepping their classroom spaces, ready for the new school term. And why not? After all, this is a space that we’ll be spending a lot of time in over the co …
Do you have a child with Auditory Processing Disorder in your class?
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a diagnosis that has been around for a number of years but has gained a large amount of interest over the last 5 years. This post aims to demystify APD, help you …
How do you measure the impact of speech and language therapy?
When “he’s doing really well” just doesn’t cut the mustard. Here’s the thing, without evaluation, it is impossible to know whether an intervention is having a positive impact on learning. It can be te …