Category Archives: Helping children understand

Dr. Marion Blank’s Language Levels

Posted on 17/04/2020 by

I was bowled over the day I came upon this work and it underpinned my practice in speech and language therapy thereafter. I have written before about it and I think all the links still work. For background information and … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Inference, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , ,

December calendar & worksheet

Posted on 13/10/2019 by

The next calendar and worksheet are available from https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/calendars-and-worksheets-6145231 This will be the last of the monthly calendars. I have been making them since January 2012 I think and there have been 25579 downloads to date! Both my first desktop … Continue reading →

Posted in ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Promoting language development, Teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , ,

Run, run

Posted on 07/11/2017 by

Today I was out early, as rain is promised for later. I observed a father taking a ?3 year-old to nursery. They were crossing the road and the child had clearly been drilled to keep looking out for traffic. Suddenly … Continue reading →

Posted in ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Inference, Share stories

Black Sheep Press

Posted on 09/08/2017 by

Black Sheep Press has a new website with lots of exciting changes and improved features. You can visit it here. I used many of the resources from Black Sheep Press while I was working with young children. The company publishes … Continue reading →

Posted in Association, Child language, Competence level, Education at home, ESL / EFL / EAL, Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , , ,

Pronouns

Posted on 08/10/2015 by

Further to a query on a forum on TES, I have picked out some of my resources which are particularly aimed at working on pronouns. Hope you find this helpful. See the Pronouns listing in the sidebar. Have also made … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Education at home, ESL / EFL / EAL, Grammar, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Home schooling, Inference, Promoting language development, Speech and Language Pathology, Speech and Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , ,

How did you get on?

Posted on 15/08/2015 by

I hope you were able to join in the Kids’ Art Week fun. My posts (see links below) include my own efforts at each activity plus a mini language lesson based on the videos etc.   The art sessions are still … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Education at home, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Home schooling, Language Levels, Marion Blank, Promoting language development, Speech and Language Pathology, Speech and Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , , ,

Modigliani portraits

Posted on 01/08/2015 by

Here are my examples from lesson 6. Good vocabulary possibilities: Yesterday the page was divided down the middle. Today the background space is divided by lines drawn down and then across. The rectangles are fairly random. A coloured line is … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , , ,

Oil pastel and paint people

Posted on 31/07/2015 by

Here are my examples from lesson 5. I didn’t have enough black paper to make the expected size and I made them much too small so could not add the suggested extra decorations. I also had to use Cray-Pas as … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , ,

Nature faces

Posted on 31/07/2015 by

Here are my faces made from a few things I picked up in the garden or saw on my table. It was fun to see how spacing the eyes differently changed the face a lot. Vocabulary about the faces: naming … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Leaf printing

Posted on 29/07/2015 by

  Here are my tags decorated with leaf prints in lesson 3. I made some prints into birds and others into bugs as suggested. Good vocabulary possibilities: Birds: talk again about how we know they are birds – refer back … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , , ,

Night sky

Posted on 29/07/2015 by

Here are my night sky pictures from lesson 2. Good vocabulary possibilities: Adjectives: you may have a copy of The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark which is often read in school. It contains many ‘wow words’ which are … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , ,

Picasso dog

Posted on 28/07/2015 by

Here is my Picasso dog. Did you make some? Good vocabulary possibilities: Eye, nose, ear, tongue, paw, tail, (learning to name the parts of things is really important for clarity – see http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Naming-of-parts-6224211/ ) Talk about what’s missing from this … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , ,

Crazy birds

Posted on 28/07/2015 by

Here are my crazy birds. Did you make some? Good vocabulary possibilities: bird   beak   tail   claws   wings   feathers   two legs (learning to name the parts of things is really important for clarity – see http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Naming-of-parts-6224211/ ) colour names and … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, ESL / EFL / EAL, Helping children understand, Helping language skills at home, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , ,

Dr. Marion Blank

Posted on 26/02/2015 by

The language style used by adults to children in the preschool and early school years is critical. (Post reissued)

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Grammar, Helping children understand, Marion Blank, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , ,

Time and Index Update

Posted on 10/01/2015 by

1. I’ve decided to make a new special section in the list of resources called Time. These time resources are not new but I haven’t collected them together before. Anyone working with children with delayed or impaired language development will … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Helping children understand, Index of Resources, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching, Uncategorized

The Lady and the Lion

Posted on 25/11/2014 by

I am proud to announce (with sound of trumpets) that Pip Harrison and I have got to the end of The Year of the Fairy Tale. The last set of resources based on two similar stories by the Brothers Grimm … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Share stories, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy | Tagged , , , , ,

The Magic Horse

Posted on 20/10/2014 by

Read Aloud version contributed by NZ writer/teacher ©Pip Harrison …“Guards! Seize this man!” ordered the King. “Take him to prison until my son comes safely home. Fancy bringing me such a dangerous thing!” … Early Reading version  …“Look at that!” … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Share stories, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching

Cinderella

Posted on 07/09/2014 by

Pip Harrison, New Zealand writer, has rewritten the well-known tale from the Fairy Godmother’s point of view. The RA is approx. 11y for older children, or to be read aloud. ‘…Amidst it all, the prince and Cinderella gazed at each … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, PSHE / Virtues Programme, Share stories, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy | Tagged , , ,

If you’re a good girl…

Posted on 22/08/2014 by

Today I chuckled to hear a small child promise from her buggy, ‘If you’re a good girl, you can have an ice cream.’ It was a shame her mother didn’t clarify things even by the joke response, ‘I’m always a … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Grammar, Helping children understand, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy

The Twelve Brothers

Posted on 13/08/2014 by

“…As the young men pushed open the gate, she picked the twelve flowers. With each snip one young man after the other rose up from the garden, arms turning to great black wings, noses to beaks, legs to claws – … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Share stories, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , ,

Little Red Riding Hood

Posted on 04/05/2014 by

“Shall I walk with you?” said the wolf. “Oh, no, sir, thank you. I can quite well walk by myself and I expect you have wolf things to be getting on with.”  “Well, there is one wolf thing I could … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Share stories, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , ,

The real princess AKA The princess and the pea

Posted on 16/04/2014 by

“Pea of destiny, pea of delight, We need your help, we seek insight. Is this princess the real deal? Will she sleep or will she feel Your bumpy presence in her bed, Making her toss and turn instead?…” Find the … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Share stories, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy | Tagged , , ,

Blondine, Bonne-Biche & Beau-Minon

Posted on 11/03/2014 by

Another Traditional Tale has been uploaded to TES. If you do not get your resources from TES, you can find the ‘long and short of it’ versions (as above) here. The original story – from a book of Old French … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, PSHE / Virtues Programme, Share stories, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , ,

Music to my ears

Posted on 25/02/2014 by

BBC Radio 4’s news this morning included a mention of British Education Minister Elizabeth Truss visiting Shanghai to see their maths teaching in action. I’m sure I heard the mention of the importance of verbalising maths concepts. The English language … Continue reading →

Posted in Association, Child language, Competence level, Helping children understand, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching

The Frog Princess

Posted on 20/02/2014 by

The first TRADITIONAL TALE is complete! See the link in the sidebar on the right. I hope people find it fun. If you do not get your resources from TES, you can find the ‘long and short of it’ versions … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Share stories, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching

So…

Posted on 11/02/2014 by

Where did it come from – the ubiquitous empty ‘so’? Did it travel along with the dreaded upspeak (or uptalk)? I am getting to the point where I take no notice of the intended message someone is imparting but tally … Continue reading →

Posted in Competence level, Grammar, Helping children understand, Share stories, Teaching

Go find (this wonderful book)

Posted on 21/01/2013 by

Just finished ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue (Picador, 2011), a book I found hard to put down but did not wish to finish. Even read some bits twice. Don’t look at a description of it or you may suspect it will … Continue reading →

Posted in Association, Child language, Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy

Can you see what I mean?

Posted on 06/11/2012 by

This post is to highlight a published resource I designed but cannot put on TES (although I have a section of free resources there which you can find described on the page Read for Meaning/Inference in the list on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Teaching | Tagged , , , ,

Citroen alert!

Posted on 12/09/2012 by

‘Don’t like Citroen!’ ‘You don’t like Citroens? Why’s that?’ ‘Citroen run me down.’ The grandfather’s chuckle as he replied led me to believe that Citroens have not shown an evil disposition to attack his grandson. Indeed, it seemed unlikely from … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Helping children understand, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , , ,

Choose your martyrdom

Posted on 30/04/2012 by

Would you rather be pressed like St. Margaret Clitherow or hanged like St. Anne Line? How does your school inform small children of their fate? Will the Head tell a 6 year old he is going to be put in … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Helping children understand, Inference | Tagged , , ,

Good listening?

Posted on 13/04/2012 by

Teachers constantly exhort children to do ‘good listening’. And of course it is an excellent idea. But those who work specifically with children who have problems with attention, language delay, learning difficulties or a combination of all of these also … Continue reading →

Posted in Association, Child language, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Teaching

A real there there

Posted on 19/01/2012 by

My grammar check immediately spots I have repeated a word, but never mind! As soon as I heard this wonderful new noun (a ‘there-there’), I found it captivating. How much more immediate than solace or consolation. Other recent activity has … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, Helping children understand, Inference, Promoting language development, Teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , ,

Let’s not add to confusion

Posted on 30/09/2011 by

English is very open to misunderstanding because of the number of homophones we have. Some are not spelt the same way – but when you hear examples there is scope for confusion – and of course non-readers cannot visualise both … Continue reading →

Posted in Helping children understand, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , ,

Keeping text simple

Posted on 02/01/2011 by

It can’t be hard to make things simpler… can it? Well, actually, it can be quite tricky. Creating or adapting resources for children with language impairment can take a long time. Not only that. After using the resources it may … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Competence level, Grammar, Helping children understand, Promoting language development, Speech & Language Pathology, Speech & Language Therapy, Teaching | Tagged , , ,

Are you listening to me?

Posted on 20/09/2010 by

This is normally said in exasperation when a child has not jumped into action at the first time of telling.  It is often swiftly followed by I won’t tell you again… which may mean either I will tell you again … Continue reading →

Posted in Child language, Helping children understand, Promoting language development, Teaching | Tagged , ,