Speech waits for no man...

Speech and language are often confused, but there is a distinction between the two:

· Speech is the verbal expression of language and includes articulation, which is the way sounds and words are formed.

· Language is much broader and refers to the entire system of expressing and receiving information in a way that’s meaningful. Its understanding and being understood through communication which could be verbal, non-verbal or written.

Speech delays and disorders could include stuttering, cluttering or articulation difficulties. These difficulties do not necessarily mean the child has limited understanding but it does mean they cannot easily put things into spoken words for various reasons relating to their disorder.

In all cases it is important to remember it could simply be a phase in the child’s development and they will grow out of it. In the case of articulation difficulties it is very common for young children to pronounce words wrongly but very important that they are corrected. It is fair to say this can be viewed as “cute” or “funny” when the child is young and it could be encouraged by families, but it could be caused by a physical disability such as a cleft palate, oral malformation or hearing loss. Hopefully physical impairments such as these would be picked up by the child’s Health Visitor but we must remember some parents are more reliable at keeping appointments than others and to play devil’s advocate, some Health Visitors are better than others! Some parents may try to sweep problems under the carpet in the hope things will improve with time and may not want to admit their much cherished child is less than perfect. If a hearing loss is not picked up early enough it could have a very negative impact on the child’s development and they will struggle to learn and communicate.

In the case of stuttering, if the problem is still there at the age of 5 it is highly probable that the child will need some support and possibly speech and language therapy and the stutter will be an on-going problem. Therapy may help but there is no actual “cure” for a stutter or for cluttering. Early identification is very important as a child who cannot communicate properly could become withdrawn and lack confidence, therefore impacting on their self-esteem. They may be self-conscious so not contribute to group discussion or work and it is highly likely they would be the subject of teasing and bullying which would only exacerbate the problem. This would hinder their learning and impact on their emotional and social development.

The difficulties with early identification is that many of the traits of the disorders are very similar to the normal phases a child goes through whilst developing their speech and language so problems may not be picked up or thought a concern until the child starts nursery or school. In the case of hearing difficulties this could be way too late for the child as they miss crucial learning windows.

Language and communication could be affected by many many factors some personal and some external as mentioned in my previous assignment. Autistic children will almost always have a speech and language delay and may use little or no spoken words at all. They also will find other forms of communication difficult, such as eye contact and reading body language. Usually autistic children with more severe difficulties are diagnosed and earlier with support put in place. Children with mild difficulties may not be identified quite so easily and therefore may be seen as simply disruptive, naughty children who are punished for their behaviours. Autism also affects social relationships with peers as the child finds it difficult to react appropriately in social situations or show empathy for others. It is therefore vitally important to recognise and support autistic children as early as possible but this is not always easy and depends on the severity of their disability.

Children’s speech, language and communication could be affected by anxiety disorders such as Selective Mutism, extreme shyness or social anxiety. In the case of selective mutism the child may speak freely at home and the problem may only arise once they begin school. Therefore it would be impossible to predict the problem and put any interventions in place until the child is already in the learning environment. The child will be capable of speech and have understanding but will be unable to communicate vocally in certain situations. The disorder may be wrongly confused with shyness or rudeness and would undoubtedly hinder friendships and social development and the anxiety they experience would impact on their emotional wellbeing.

Bilingual children sometimes experience a delay in speech and language development purely because they are processing two different languages at the same time. The child would hopefully be easily identified and appropriate support put in place. Their understanding of language is often fine and the problem is when they come to vocalise it themselves. I personally understand a lot of the French language if it is spoken to me but would struggle to put as much of the language in to a two way conversation.

Trauma or abuse can also affect development. In my last role of Social work Assistant I observed that many neglected children had speech and language delay of varying severity. We have already looked at the impact neglect has on a child’s development in the previous assignment. If a child is ignored and not spoken to they will be unable to develop their speech and language and be unaware of how to communicate effectively. This again should primarily be picked up by the child’s Health Visitor but as I said before, these parents are less likely to keep appointments. School may therefore be the first place any problems are picked up. The child will more often than not have global development delays so the need to identify problems and begin support networks is invaluable to the child. It not only affects how they develop through childhood but will have an impact on them into adulthood. Early identification and intervention can open up more opportunities for the adult if the groundwork is done whilst the child is developing.

So to summarise, with all delays and disorders it is obviously ideal to identify and act as early as possible because it has such huge implications other areas of their lives such as their social and emotional development. The problems that can obstruct early diagnosis and interventions are inability and unwillingness to acknowledge the problem, lack of resources in a school and maybe not knowing what intervention to put in place.

R Frankham

The spark of positive communication

The importance of communication is significant to our everyday lives. It helps us to engage with others, follow instructions, and pick up on some ones mood for example, whether the person is happy, unhappy, angry, and sad with you or others. Communication can help with finding problems and resolving them and people can feel a sense of relief when speaking to another in whatever situation has occurred.

Martin Luther King Jr once said, “ Our Lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” (http://quotations:about.com/cs/inspiratingquotes/a/communication6.htm.) Breakdown in communication or no communication at all can cause problems and a negative environment can manifest.

Having encouraging interaction and positive communication with pupils in education is important for them in learning, gaining skills and building self-esteem. Key features of positive interaction and communication are body language, eye contact, knowing pupils names, teamwork and being consistence. If we enter a room and it is silent and people just stare, we automatically feel exposed and aware of our own movement, which feels awkward, and the environment becomes negative. Classrooms can be colourful with pupils work on the wall and provides a warm and inviting space to learn in, but if the teacher or TAs body language is negative it then can dampen the pupils mood and make them feel on edge.

When I was seven I really enjoyed learning about the Egyptians and our classroom was decorated like a Pharaohs chamber it was just pure magic, my teacher at the time was very smiley and his body language was always welcoming. When he taught everyone in the class we all felt involved because his eye contact reached all of us. This was the one-year I felt very content in my learning and this was down to our teacher and his respect to us as individuals and as a whole. His positive interaction with the pupils allowed us, as seven year olds to feel respected in what we had to say and he allowed us to grow in our own ways with positive and balanced ways of teaching. Within this year our teacher became poorly and was off for about a month and we had a substitute teacher to cover. Obviously as a class we found it hard to adjust to another teachers way of learning and missed our current teacher, but the substitute teacher did not make this easier.

This particular teacher had a very cold manner about her and when we would enter the room (which we all loved because it was our own homemade Pharaohs chamber) she would not acknowledge us and if she did it would be ‘hello class’ which can be impersonal, especially two weeks into teaching us. It is important to know your pupils names as it makes the child feel known and acknowledged, it is a pleasant feeling that someone has bothered to learn your name in the correct manner.

As a child I was quite sensitive and aware of the ripples of change in the school environment. The dramatic change from happy bubbly children who could not wait to say hello to our expressive, jolly teacher turned into a class of nervous, quiet seven year olds who had become one dull, looming cloud in class. Our substitute teacher from day one had made an impact but unfortunately it was not a positive one. The lack of communication between her and us made the environment an uncomfortable place to learn, being referred to as ‘class’ and not by our names made the teacher and pupil relationship very disconnected and for myself I did not feel I could to talk to the teacher if I was worried with work or anything else. When we would work as team in class there was no interaction made from her to encourage our ideas and help us progress them, which is what we needed for us to know we were on the right tracks and doing the tasks correctly. The month this teacher was with us I felt like it was a chore for her, and because she had to cover only for a month, her communication had no importance to her, or body language, eye contact, knowing pupil’s names or consistency.

During that month I did struggle with work and I kept silent about it I worried so much that I was doing it wrong and to scared to say anything. Even though I knew I was in my bright classroom it did not feel the same when this teacher did not have positive interaction or communication with me. Pupils need to feel worthy in class and that they are respected by others. The importance of having a teacher giving me eye contact when I am speaking makes me feel that I am worthy of being listened to, a smile and my name being learnt makes me feel appreciative that a teacher or TA has made time to learn and make the lesson welcoming. When you feel comfortable in class with teachers or TAs a trust does start to grow and an understanding emerges along with boundaries.

E Phillips

The image represents our learners - sometimes they can feel switched on and electrified - other times empty. We must strive to light the charge.

Believe in them, believe in you!

The key features of positive interaction or communication with pupils are knowing pupils names or what they like to be called, this shows you care about the individual and that you respect and value them. It is important the teaching assistant has positive body language and you are approachable such as how you stand, facial expressions and eye contact.

Speaking firmly but calmly and being consistent in what you say shows pupils expected behaviour and makes everyone aware of boundaries, rules and consequences. Always follow through with what you say as pupils will pick up on this and may lose confidence in your teaching for example rewards or punishments. It is important to remember there may be a reason behind behaviours of pupils, by knowing your pupils and how they react or triggers to behaviours you can monitor, record or report if necessary.

By treating all pupils the same, including and giving everyone a chance shows respect and that you value their contributions and efforts. “B.F Skinner believed that children learn best through positive experiences. This is relevant for learning experiences as it is for behaviour. For example, a child who is praised for working well at a particular task will want to work at it again. Skinner called this positive reinforcement”. (Burnham)

By listening ensures pupils will feel comfortable talking to you and try to resolve any issues or problems, always remember when a situation is over it is over. It is important all pupils get the best from lessons, by praising good behaviour and sometimes ignoring bad will allow you to continue teaching and deal with the behaviour when everyone else is working.

Rewarding, encouraging and motivating pupils will promote positive behaviour. Making lessons more interactive and fun with humour can be a good tool.

“Pupils who have more opportunity to communicate with others are more able to develop their skills and confidence and extend their vocabulary” (Burnham). Providing lots of praise and encouragement will motivate pupils and acknowledge their work and positive behaviour.

“Demonstrate you support the care, learning and development”. (Burnham)
It is important to provide support and help and to encourage independence, this will help make the pupil feel secure and settled.

“Lev Vygotsky believed that children need adults to support them in their learning in order to extend their ‘Zone of Proximal Development’, which means where their learning might extend. He said that children cannot learn as much without adults and others helping them”. (Burnham)
By listening ensures pupils will feel comfortable talking to you about learning and personal issues such as bullying, problems, home life. If you don’t, a pupil may not come to you again.

“Children are more likely to want to be in school and to learn if they have a good relationship with those who are supporting them.” (Burnham). By being an approachable, consistent part of the pupils’ school life it allows them to feel they have someone they can trust. Treating all pupils the same and not labelling are having prejudices will help to build the pupils confidence as they will know they are equal to everyone else.

Having high but achievable expectations of all pupils will have a positive effect as the pupil will know they have people who support and believe in them.

G White