Resources
When we find a good resource we want to tell everyone about it!
Language for Learning aims to offer really practical strategies to support children and young people in their early years or mainstream setting.
We are keen to share new resources, reviews of old favourites and your feedback on any resources you have used and liked. If you would like to send us some feedback, please email us using our contact page.
FEATURE - STORY SPINNERS
We have extended our range of resources to support story telling this year to include this brilliant set of spinners.
If you're struggling for inspiration or don't know what happens next, these spinners are a simple and innovative answer that will enthuse every young story teller. The set includes who, what, where, when, why and characteristics.
Take a look at our range of resources in our online shop or download our 'Story Telling' flyer
Resources 2013
Our new online shop was opened in February 2013 making shopping with us far easier. You will find our full range of books and resources to support children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
You can get a taste of what's available in our Resources 2013 catalogue, now available for download.
We've got new resources including some brilliant ideas for developing story telling skills and understanding the meaning of question words.
Look out for the new Come Alive story resources, a large version of the popular Writer's Directory, a brilliant set of Feelings and Emotions activity cards and a set of Questioning board games. We will feature all of our new resources over the coming year.
Apps for iPad and iPhone Users
Calling all iPad and iPhone users!
Check out Mark Ashley's website for SLCN friendly Apps
Come Alive Stories
Written by independent literacy consultant Jane Bunting, this new range of Come Alive Stories provides story cards, activity ideas and games to bring popular stories to life.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt - this new pack will encourage children to talk, play, read and write as they explore the story. The pack includes eight double-sided story cards, the front of each card depicts a scene from the story whilst the reverse offers talking points and related activity suggestions for small groups. Ideal for exploring focused areas of the story and story sequencing activities.
The 32-page guide is bursting with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt activities to use across the curriculum. It includes a wealth of related ideas including role play, making puppets, photo stories, sending a bear home and finding a way to help the family safely across the river. Ideal for two players, the ‘Find the bear’ board game encourages children to use language as precisely as possible. A Resources CD-ROM offers a range of printable materials to support and extend the learning including a collection of colour photos with images of brown bears and polar bears in their natural habitats plus a range of bear hunt landscapes.
Come Alive Stories - We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Handa's Surprise can be ordered from our online shop or download an order form.
Language for Learning in the Secondary School
Our new secondary book, Language for Learning in the Secondary School was published in 2011. The book employs the same easy-to-use format as the best-selling Primary version but has been adapted to meet the specific needs of secondary school teachers. The book provides an introduction to SLCN at secondary level and the Language for Learning Model of Speech, Language and Communication Skills with the addition of 'thinking skills'. A range of identification tools and tips for observation and assessment at secondary level make up the following chapter. We then turn to a whole school approach, identifying roles and responsibilities for the entire school staff, parents and young people; creating a language friendly environment and ideas for working across departments. Opportunities and challenges are explored within subject areas with direct links to strategies to help subject teachers plan effectively. The final chapter is packed full of practical strategies to support students develop a range of speech, language and communication skills.
Order a copy of Language for Learning in the Secondary School from our online shop or download an order form.
'This book has been a very useful tool for our school. I am now able to offer strategies for all subjects in school. Thank you!' Chel Corbett, Hanley Swan High School, Worcestershire.
'This resource has been brilliant to support teachers to understand SLCN and implications in the classroom. It has given us a common language to discuss communication challenges. It has also helped us to set targets in the light of the new OFSTED framework and select appropriate key strategies quickly and easily.' Tina Meagher, Head Therapist, St Catherine's School.
Show Me DVD and Primary Resource Bundle
Our Show Me DVD is designed to help practitioners to enhance their teaching practice to support children with speech, language and communication needs at a universal level. The DVD shows you how to put a range of Language for Learning strategies into practice. To make life easier we've bundled together some of the key resources demonstrated so that you are able to change your practice straight away.
The primary bundle includes the DVD, DVD handbook and the following resources:
What is it Poster;
KS 1 & 2 Word Association Cards;
Instant Task Management Board;
My Workboard and Cards;
Active Listening Cards;
KS 1 & 2 Seeking Clarification Cards.
Visit our shop for more information.
We have a free copy of the Show Me DVD for all Worcestershire schools and early years settings. Collect your DVD when you attend a Language for Learning or Worcestershire SLCN Pathway training session or through the Every Child a Talker programme.
Talkabout Posters
Language for Learning has promoted the Talkabout resources for a long time. Alex Kelly is a brilliant presenter and has visited Worcestershire to train school staff on many occasions. There is a whole range of new Talkabout resources this year, including a version for primary aged children, an assessment tool, a game and small group activity cards. These large A3 colourful posters are the perfect compliment to the Talkabout range and make explicit those tricky rules of social interaction.
The posters provide visual stimulus to support work on social skills covering:
•Talkabout Talking – How do we communicate?; the way we talk; starting a conversation; ending conversations; listening.
•Talkabout Assertiveness – Assertiveness; making suggestions; apologising; disagreeing; refusing; express your feelings.
•Talkabout Friendship – Giving compliments; coping with anger; peer pressure; coping with peer pressure; coping with jealousy.
Visit our shop to see the whole Talkabout range of resources.
Talk about... Series
These are some of our very own 'home-grown' resources! Developed by Yellow Door in conjunction with Worcestershire NHS Speech and Language Therapists Jacqui Woodcock and Liz Spooner these beautiful photo cards are perfect for vocabulary development. They are organised into everyday categories and on the back of each photograph are a list of activitity ideas. The packs also include a CD Rom so that you can print your resources as you need them or use the ready made sorting activities on the whiteboard. Genius!
Our particular favourite has to be the 'How we feel' pack. The photographs convey a range of emotions perfectly and because they use a plain background and the same four children throughout pupils can really focus on the facial expressions without getting distracted.
Talk about... series is available from our online shop.
The Communication Trust
The Communication Trust has produced an extensive range of resource materials - for practitioners and for parents, including a range of resources, posters and literature developed as part of Hello, the national year of communication. These resources are all available to order or to download on The Communication Trust's website.