Working with Children’s Language: A Practical Resource for Early Years Professionals

This revised and updated second edition of Working with Children’s Language has been created to support practitioners who work with young children with delayed language acquisition.

Rooted in a developmental theory of language learning, it covers topics such as attention control and listening, the role of play, verbal comprehension and the acquisition of spoken expressive language. Each chapter offers a straightforward overview of current research relating to the specific language skill before introducing a wealth of targeted games and activities that can help support the development of those skills.

Key features include:

• A structured approach to language learning that can be followed as a programme or adapted for informal use by individual practitioners.

• Accessible activities, games and ideas suitable for small group or individual intervention, linked to specific aims based on developmental norms.

• Photocopiable and downloadable resources, including a record sheet to track progress in each skill against aims and outcomes for individual children.

Clearly linking theory and practice in an engaging and easy-to-follow format, this is an invaluable resource to support children in early years settings and Key Stage 1 whose language is delayed, but who are otherwise developing normally. It is a must-have book for early years practitioners, teachers, SEND professionals and speech and language therapists with varying levels of experience.

Diana Williams initially trained as a speech and language therapist before moving into higher education as a lecturer and then as an educational developer. She is the author of several publications that provide practical resources for therapists and practitioners working with children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. These include the practical manuals Early Listening Skills for use with children who have hearing loss and Early Visual Skills for use with children who have underdeveloped visual perceptual skills. She also created the popular board game ‘Find the Link’, designed for use by individuals and small groups to develop word finding and categorisation skills.