Primary Talk

Intervention description

Primary Talk is a whole school intervention. The aim of the intervention is to ensure children's communication skills are developed and prioritised in every aspect of school life through staff training.

Primary Talk supports the communication development of all children aged 4-11, including those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The intervention is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs and school staff who have an active role in the classroom.

Participants will develop their knowledge and understanding of typical development in speech, language and communication; ideas and strategies to support all pupils' spoken language skills, and an introduction to identifying pupils with SLCN.

Professional development

Training will be delivered in school. Small schools might wish to group staff together with another school for the training and share the costs between themselves.

Primary Talk can support schools to develop outstanding practice in communication by:

• Developing the spoken language skills that support learning across the curriculum, including reading and writing.
• Providing staff with a range of classroom strategies that focus on developing listening and attention skills, vocabulary and the use of visual tools to support spoken language.
• Developing pupils' behaviours for learning by helping staff identify those children whose underlying communication difficulties lead to poor behaviour.
• Developing the social aspects of learning - making friends, working in groups and building relationships.

Evidence Summary

Primary Talk has not been included into systematic reviews into the effectiveness of educational programmes.