Talking Tots, the brainchild of two speech and language therapists, is a programme to build vocabulary and aural memory – as well as helping children develop social skills such as turn-taking and co-operation.
Katrina Yolland went first on the course as a parent. ‘My son had speech problems, though I knew he didn’t have problems understanding. He was in the process of getting help from a therapist, but I wanted to do something further with him.’
She and her son joined a Talking Tots group, which is run by franchisees around the country. ‘He was quite shy but it really brought him out of himself’ she says. ‘It gave him confidence speaking in a group.’
Activities included passing a ball, along with the repetition of sounds and later words and names, and a welcome song.
When the course was suggested by staff at Bournemouth Park Primary School and Nursery where Ms Yolland worked, she was keen. She says, ‘We have a lot of children with speech and language delay. Some have English as an additional language and SEN. Some of them go quiet in a large group.
‘It was quite amazing, the transformation of the children who were shy and reluctant to talk. We took them into a different room in a smaller group of about 10 to do the course and they were just so much more confident.
‘They clap on syllables when saying children’s names, which helps them break down words when reading. Children who had been mute can say words and point at pictures, starting to build their words into sentences. For the SEN children, who can’t express themselves at all, taking turns to pass the ball is really helping their speaking and listening skills and they can use more sounds.’
Staff already played games to aid learning each other’s names, but this course accelerated the process, as well as giving them lots of ideas for activities.
‘Our results have improved a lot; most of them are below average when they start, but in a year, about half are above average,’ Ms Yolland says.
She adds, ‘Plus the children are always really keen to do it.’
