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This article presents an evaluation of Talk Boost KS2, a program designed to improve language and communication skills in children. Key findings indicate significant progress in language comprehension, improved reading skills, and positive feedback from teachers and parents. The article also discusses the training and resources needed to implement Talk Boost KS2 effectively.
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Evaluation of Talk Boost KS2 • Active and comparison groups • Range of tests and checklists repeated before (Time 1) and immediately after (Time 2) Talk Boost KS2 for both groups • SLC Progression Tools • Assessment of Comprehension and Expression (ACE) (subtests) • York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension (YARC) • Learning behaviour checklist • Staff training evaluation • Parent surveys for the active group • ACE and YARC were repeated for the active group one term after Talk Boost KS2 (Time 3)
Evaluation key findings After eight weeks of running Talk Boost KS2 the following key findings were made: From teacher and parent outcome measures • Children made significant progress in language and communication • 67% of children caught up with their peers in understanding language • 85% of parents saw their child’s language improve • Learning in the classroom was easier; children joined in more, took part in discussions more and listened more carefully From standardised assessments • Indications that Talk Boost KS2 significantly improves children’s reading comprehension • Indications that Talk Boost KS2 improves children’s language scores • Both of these findings need to be confirmed in further research
Learning outcomes • To have an awareness of speech, language and communication and typical language development in KS2 • To understand how to run Talk Boost KS2, including use of the Tracker and the resources • To understand the roles and responsibilities for staff • To understand how to support children to continue to apply their learning in class • To identify the necessary next steps in planning and preparation for delivering Talk Boost KS2
Comment/question activity • Work in groups of three or five • Person 1 picks a Topic card and says something about the topic • Person 2 picks up a Comment/question card and either makes a statement or asks a question about what the first person has said • Person3 then picks up a new Topic card • Person4 picks a Comment/question card, and so on. • Continue until everyone has at least one turn to start a topic and comment/question on someone else’s • Feedback: whole group
Talking head activity Think about the following and write or draw on your diagram: • What is talking? • What do we use when we’re talking? • Why do we talk?
Talking head activity • Talking head poster: completed example (Resource 3) from the Intervention Manual
Are you a communication detective? GroopyCaples • To make the grepes, sift the grap into a hep, boof a sig in the centre, chive an eck into it and flipper it, gradually adding the grap, hab, strezzel and serney. • Can you solve the mystery?
Development of language skills Using the Language ability grid in your Participant Book, sort the Language ability cards into: • the correct area of language • the correct age group
Selecting children for Talk Boost KS2 Who is it for?
Selecting children for Talk Boost KS2 Children may have:
English as an additional language (EAL) • Most children will learn another language easily from everyday exposure – it just takes time • Talk Boost KS2 will support the acquisition of English language skills • It may help children who are behind in their home language as well as English – but these children may need further assessment and support
Children with: Children who won’t benefit as much
Case studies Who would you select for Talk Boost KS2 and why? OR
Identify the category for each section and the overall total score Decide on the appropriate action to take Scoring the Tracker
Using the Tracker: Telling stories Question 1 What score would you give the child?
Using the Tracker: Telling stories Question 2 What score would you give the child?
Using the Tracker: Telling stories Questions 3 and 4 What score would you give the child? One day in a castle there was a girl, a horse and a knight. When the king lost the crown while he was walking in the woods he got a fright. The knight and the girl and the horse went there. There was a dragon and he got gold from the castle. They tried to defeat him and the girl tried to distract the dragon while the knight take the crown. The dragon flied off. The knight got all the treasure. The king said they could keep it because they had found the crown.
Telling stories and saying what happens This child is in Year 4 Use the Tracker score summary to identify the category for this section Which children would you select from your class? Using the Tracker: Telling stories
Gives automated scores for each child Tracks progress before and after Talk Boost KS2 Helps identify next steps and any further support needed Download and print reports to share with parents and colleagues The online Tracker is available at www.talkboostks2tracker.org.uk Online Tracker
Child self-rating scale • The child completes the Child self-rating scalewith a teacher or teaching assistant who knows them well • This sorting activity has 11 statements about communication in school • Using the five faces, the child selects the one that shows how they feel about each question • Complete the scale before and after Talk Boost KS2, and use the online scoring tool to generate a report
Structure of Talk Boost KS2 • Communication Detective Notebook
Evidence informed Learning objectives Explicit feedback Meta-awareness skills Intervention Manual: areas of focus
Week 1: Listening carefully Session 1: Activity 2 Bad/good listening Meta-linguistic skills Explicit feedback Session review chart Register for attendance
Week 1: Listening carefully Session 2: Activity 3 Barrier game Listen to the description of how to colour the house What sort of clarification did you ask for?
Week 2: Communication Detective Notebook Session 1: Activity 2 Notebook Task 1 Reinforce learning Permanent reminder Supports independence skills Resources and preparation ...
Week 2: Learning new words Session 1: Activity 3 Word definitions (Resource 13), e.g. Summary: An explanation in a few sentences
Week 2: Word detective sheet Choose one word from the list In pairs, complete a sheet as an example
Week 3: Telling stories Narrative skills Progression over the week Resources Learning objectives
Week 3: Differentiation Make it harder Session 3: Activity 2 Story map (Resource 35) Picture cards (Resource 34)
Week 4: Telling stories Session 1: Activities 3 and 4 Story content cards Builds on earlier learning, e.g. Week 4: Session 1 Links with whole class: Activity 4 What happens? When? Who? Resource 33 Where? How does it end?
Week 4: Telling stories Inference Session 2: Activities 1–3 Detective theme Visual support Modelling
Week 5: Communication Detective Notebook Notebook task: reviews Weeks 1–4 Key learning: What if children haven’t understood/retained learning up to this point?
Week 5: Remembering and thinking bad good Session 2: Activity 2 Detective selector board (Resource 20) • Magnifying glass choices cards (Resource 21) Session 2: Activity 1 Word slide poster (Resource 46)
Week 6: Remembering and thinking Session 2 Discussion: How would you support Talk Boost KS2 children with these activities?
Week 6: Remembering and thinking Homework activity How can this bedifferentiated?
Week 6: Remembering and thinking Session 3 Making inferences and linking ideas together Teacher/TA choose a text Children think of Why? and How do you know? questions