Do you:
l Have 4-7 year olds in your class
with poor language?
T
o
st
Talk
st ing st
B Book
B
Talk Boost has been
developed by I CAN and
The Communication Trust –
leaders in the field of speech,
language and communication.
enquiries
It has been supported by the
Every Child a Chance Trust.
B
Talk
s
s
o
Talk
B
Talk
o
o
st
B
o
enquiries
Denise O’Neil
Learning Support Assistant,
Dover Road Primary, Gravesham
B
o
“Talk Boost is great for all
those children in the middle –
the ones that wouldn’t qualify
for specialist help, but aren’t
thriving at school because of a
speech and language problem
Booking
and/or a confidence problem.”
o
o
B
Talk
rows
r
a
n
t
s
o
Talk Bo
etween
b
p
a
g
e
Toaldlskwith
th
r
a
e
y
4-7
lay and
e
d
e
g
a
langu
ers.
their pe
o
st
o
Talk
o
lWant to understand how Talk Boost
can support different groups of
children such as those with English
as an Additional Language (EAL)?
st
B
[email protected]
020 7843 2515
www.talkboost.org.uk
o
lWant to deliver a proven
intervention that helps children
make progress?
o
lWant to give children the
foundation skills to access
phonics, reading and writing?
Talk
o
lWorry that these children are being
left behind their peers?
Contact I CAN today
for a quote or to find
out how Talk Boost
could help you!
o
lWant to help learners that are
under-attaining?
Why Talk Boost?
Language delay can significantly
impact on children’s attainment.
Many of these children have the
potential to catch up but only if
they receive timely intervention.
Talk Boost is a structured and robustly
evidenced programme that can boost
a child’s communication by an average
of 18 months after 10 weeks of
intervention.
Some schools tell us this could help
more than half their learners.
What is Talk Boost?
Talk Boost is a targeted and evidenced
based intervention, which supports
language delayed children in KS1 to
make significant progress with their
language and communication skills.
Week 1 / Focus on Listening / Session 1 / Building sentences
Sorting game
Add an adjective
This exercise helps children learn how to sort words into different categories.
This is a crucial part of building an effective mental filing system, helping children
learn and remember words and their meanings.
This exercise is great for encouraging the use of descriptive words (adjectives)
and linking them into simple sentences.
We are learning about... how words go
together.
Setting up
Tell the following story: Granddad has
been out shopping. He has a shopping
bag full of food and clothes. He
doesn’t know where to put them.
Let’s help him sort out his shopping
into things we eat (food) and things we
wear (clothes). The food needs to go
in the kitchen cupboard. The clothes
need to go into the wardrobe.
Playing the game
l Layoutthecardsandaskthechildren
tosortthem.
Beanbag action words
l
Tell the children, ‘We are learning about
action words.’
Setting up
Cut up all the pictures on the picture
sheet and tell the children to put the
pictures face up on the floor.
Tell the children, We are going to throw
the beanbag on a picture. You say what
is happening in the picture and you win
that picture. Let’s see how many
pictures we can win.
wardrobeorthekitchencupboard.Prompt
ifnecessary:‘Which things do we wear?
Which do we eat?’
Make it harder: see if children can think
of another sentence with the same action
word in it, e.g. Yes, the boy is climbing the
tree. Can you think of something else you
can climb? Or encourage them to extend
the sentences, e.g. The boy is climbing the
tree... because... he wants to get a conker.
Review
l Taketurnsuntilalltheitemshave
beenputaway.Usetheexerciseas
anopportunitytotalkandgivemore
informationaboutthewordsyou’reusing:
‘That’s right, it’s an apple. An apple is food.
It’s something we eat.’ (simple)‘Gloves! When
might I wear these?’(morecomplex).
Make it easier–justaskthechildrento
decideifitissomethingwewearoreat,not
whereitwouldgo.
Make it harder–askeachchildtothink
We are learning to... talk in longer
sentences.
Setting up
Choose at least 4 objects from the
classroom or get the children to collect
some objects. Use unusual objects too
– the more unusual the objects,
the wider range of words needed to
describe them. You could bring in
objects from home or make sure they
tie in with the current topic in class.
aboutwhatelsemightgointhekitchen
cupboard.Whatelsemightgointhe
wardrobe–goroundthecircle,takingturns
andencouragethechildrentocomeupwith
lotsofdifferentexamples.Askthemwhere
elsetheymightkeepclothes/foodandwhy.
Usemorepicturesforolderchildren.
As always, recognise and praise good
listening behaviours.
Review
Say to the children, So now we know
different things we eat and things we
wear.
Make it easier: give children some help
with describing what is on the picture. Give
alternatives, e.g. Do you think he is climbing
or sleeping?
Playing the game
l The adult can take the first turn to model
what to do, including putting the action word
in a simple sentence, e.g. the boy is blowing
his soup (to cool it down). Then, the children
take turns to throw the beanbag onto one of
the pictures. They say what is on the picture
that the beanbag lands on (or is close to).
If they can describe what is on the picture,
they get to keep it. Then the next child has a
go at throwing the beanbag and so on until
all the pictures have been won.
Childrenshouldtaketurnstochoosea
pictureanddecidewhetheritbelongsinthe
This game is good for saying action words.
Talk Boost will help schools meet these
standards.
Week 1 / Focus on Listening / Session 1 / Vocabulary
Use the picture cards provided.
Week 6 / Focus on vocabulary / Session 3 / Vocabulary
For the first time ever, Ofsted
will be evaluating standards in
communication and focusing
on how schools narrow the
gap between children with the
lowest and highest attainment.
Playing the game
l
Tomakeitabitmoreexcitingyoucould
puttheobjectsina‘magicbox’or‘magic
l
Gobackroundthecircleeachtime
someoneaddsaword–sowehaveablue
ball,ablueroundball,ablue,roundbouncy
ball,ablue,round,bouncy,big,ball–as
yougoroundaddingwords–countthe
numberofwordschildrenaresayingina
sentenceandfeedbacktothechildren:
‘Wow! That’s 5 words in our sentence.’
Make it easier-Promptorasksome
gentlequestions.‘Whatdoestheballfeel
like?’
Make it harder-Witholderchildren,get
themtoaddthewordstogetherintoa
sentence.‘It’sablueball.’‘It’saroundblue
ball.’‘It’sabig,roundblueball...’,andsoon.
As always, recognise and praise good
listening behaviours.
l Choseanobjecte.g.aball.Holdtheball
Weekis6 a/ ball.’Hand
Focus on vocabulary / Session 2
inyourhandsandsay:‘This
theballtothenextchildandaskthemto
Review
Review of Session 2
addanotherwordtodescribetheball.For
example,theymightsay:‘It’s a blue ball.’
l Theballispassedtothenextchild,
whoaddsanotherdescriptiveword:‘It’s a
round ball.’
l
Tell the children, ‘So now we can add
describing words to make a longer
sentence. We made a sentence with
five describing words.’
Keepgoingaslongasyoucan:‘It’s a
big ball.’ ‘It’s a bouncy ball.’
Focus on vocabulary:
action words
Introduction
Preparation
This week we will be learning lots about action words.
Activity
Preparation
Listening: I hear thunder
Familiariseyourselfwith
thegame..
Tell the children, This is a fun listening game.
Astheprogrammemoveson,itcanbemoreofaself-
Review by saying, We made a thunderstorm. It started quietly got louder
then quiet again.
evaluationprocessforchildrentoidentifytheareastheyare
goodatandthosethatneedmorework.
Vocabulary: Beanbag action words
Telling other people
Itisusefulforthechildrentopractisehowtheywouldtellother
Review by saying, We said lots of action words today.
Sentence building: Sentence starters
Tell the children, We are practising talking in sentences.
Supportthechildreninorganisinghowtheywilltalkabouttheir
favouritegameandchooseoneforthemiftheycan’tdecide.
Breakthisdownintoeasysteps.
Review by saying, We can finish off sentences in lots of different ways.
This week we have been learning lots about action words.
Actionpictures
Tell the children, We are learning about doing words.
Beanbag/ball(not
Childrentaketurnstothrowthebeanbagontooneofthepicturesandsaywhatis provided)
onthepicture.Iftheycandescribewhatisonthepicture,theygettokeepit.Carry Cutoutpictures.
onuntilallthepictureshavebeenwon.Countupattheendandseewhohasthe
most.Encourageactionwordsinsentencese.g.theboyisclimbingthetree.
athome.Askthechildren,What was your favourite game?
Encouragethemtopractisewhattheywillsay.Supportthemin
tellingeveryonewhattheyhavebeendoingwhentheygetback
toclass.
l Count up at the end and see who has
the most – remember to praise them all for
good talking.
Small group
playingthegamestohelpwiththefiveareasoflanguage.
peopleaboutthegamestheyhavebeenplaying.Theycouldgo
backtoclassandtelltheclassteacher,tellfriendsortellparents
Say, ‘We said lots of action words
today.’
Week 6 / Focus on vocabulary
Session 3: Crib sheet
Encouragethechildrentojoininwithyouractionsallthewaythrough.Startby
rubbingyourhandstogetherandsay, Listen to the wind in the trees.Nexttapyour
fingerstogether:Listen, it’s starting to rain. Nextclapyourhandsgentlytogether:
The rain is getting heavier.Stampyourfeetquietly:Now it’s starting to thunderand
nextstampyourfeetlouder,Now it’s getting louder.Thengoinreverse,untilthe
stormdisappears.
Initiallythisprocessisaboutchildrenknowingwhytheyare
Week 6
Putallthesentencesinamagicbagorbox.Childrentaketurnstopulloutoneof
thesentencesandgiveittotheadult.Starttoreadthesentenceandthechildren
takeitinturnstofinishoffthesentence.Talkaboutwhetherthesentencemakes
sense.Theadultmightwanttogiveotheralternatives.
Usethesentence
startersprovided.
Magicboxorbag.
Telling Stories
Conversations: Special person
Tell the children, We are learning to talk and listen to find out about our friends.
Familiariseyourselfwith
thegame.
Onechildischosenasthe‘specialperson’andgoesoutoftheroom.Eachperson
inthegroupthinksaboutonepositivethingtheywouldliketotellthespecial
person.Thespecialpersoncomesbackinandthechildrenthentaketurnstopay
himorheracompliment.Onceeveryonehassaidtheircompliment,goroundthe
circleandrepeatthemall.
Review by saying, So now we know more about each other. We know ... (give
examples from the game).
Review of Session 3
2 / Talk Boost
Talk Boost / 3
l Talk Boost builds the quality of
teaching by providing classroom
staff with practical activities that
children enjoy.
l Talk Boost can improve behaviour
for learning by developing children’s
attention and listening skills and
confidence in communicating.
bag’
Briefly talkthroughthegamesyouhaveplayed,andremind
childrenwhyyouplayedthem.Encouragethemtofillinthe
blanksandrememberforthemselves.
Talk Boost / 11
10 / Talk Boost
If you are interested in
finding out more, email
[email protected]
l Talk Boost can help schools raise
KS1 achievement by:
- Identifying vulnerable learners
- Providing a structured evidence
based programme that
accelerates children’s progress in
language and communication
- Supporting the foundation
language skills that lead to
phonics
- Increasing classroom
participation by improving
confidence and skills in listening,
vocabulary, narrative, sentence
building and conversation
Talkthroughthegamesyouhaveplayed,andremindchildrenwhyyouplayedthem.Encouragethemto
fillintheblanksandrememberforthemselves.
l Talk Boost aids leadership and
management with its progression
tool. This helps schools identify
and measure children who need
additional support and informs
target setting.
l Talk Boost also provides guidance
for successful engagement with
parents.