Talk Boost key stage 1

Talk Boost Key Stage 1 (KS1) is a targeted and evidenced based intervention developed by the I CAN charity organisation, which supports children with delayed language in Primary 1 and 2 (KS1) to make significant progress with their language and communication skills.

Why we use Talk Boost KS1

Delayed language can significantly impact on children’s attainment. Many children with delayed language have the potential to catch up, especially if they receive timely intervention.

Talk Boost KS1 is a structured and robustly evidenced programme for 4-7 year olds that can boost a child’s communication by an average of 9 to 18 months after 10 weeks of intervention.

Raising early/first level achievement

Talk Boost KS1 can help schools raise early/first level 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

What the intervention looks like

• Teachers identify children with delayed language using the Progression Tool
• Selected children attend Talk Boost sessions in groups of around four
• The 30-40 minute sessions are run three times per week for 10 weeks plus one mandatory class activity each week in the classroom for the whole class
• All the activities within the three previous sessions are part of the whole class session giving the children an added boost of confidence

What happens in a typical Talk Boost KS1 session

At the beginning of each session, everyone reviews the Good Listening Rules:

• Good sitting
• Good looking
• Good thinking

Language and communication

• Talk Boost KS1 breaks language and communication into five component parts:

1. 1. Attention and listening
   2. Vocabulary
   3. Building sentences
   4. Telling stories
   5. Conversations

• The 10-week programme incorporates all five components into each session, providing the children with a variety of tasks and activities centred around communication.
• Adults lead each session and model the correct body language, word choice and sentence structure before encouraging all children to try for themselves.
• Rewards such as stickers and certificates are given to the children to motivate and demonstrate progress and achievement

Other positive outcomes of Talk Boost KS1

• Builds the quality of teaching by providing teachers and classroom assistants with practical activities that children enjoy
• Can improve behaviour for learning by developing children’s attention and listening skills and confidence in communicating
• Aids leadership and management with its online Tracker. This helps schools identify and measure children who need additional support and informs target setting

Examples of things you can do at home

• Set time aside to talk
• Speak in a silly voice, have fun and be relaxed
• Use comments, not questions
• Talk about your day/photos/activities
• Talk about things you and your child are interested in
• Explore words - talk about words your child has come across in a story
• Model conversation

Activities that promote conversation

• Nursery rhymes - change some of the words and enjoy being silly together!
• Guess Who? game
• Odd one out
• A picture tells a thousand words
• I spy

Further information

If you require further information about this intervention please do not hesitate to contact East Ayrshire Support Team (EAST).