PUPILS have been developing their speech and language skills through play thanks to an innovative communications project which speaks volumes.
The Early Years team at Saltburn Primary School has been continuing to strengthen its focus on developing children’s communications skills with Early Talk Boost.
A targeted intervention designed to support children who would benefit from additional help with their speaking, listening and vocabulary development, it is being delivered in small groups.
The programme provides structured, play-based sessions that help children develop their communication skills and build confidence when interacting with adults and their peers.
EYFS Lead Mr Dalton said: “It has been fantastic to see the progress the children have made through Early Talk Boost. Some of the pupils who were very quiet when they first joined us are now growing in confidence, speaking up in group settings and sharing their ideas with their peers.
“A key part of the programme has been working in partnership with parents and carers. Through our parent workshops, we’ve been able to share strategies and ideas that help families support and consolidate their child’s language development at home.”
The programme is delivered by experienced LSA Miss Myers, who has thoroughly enjoyed leading the sessions and seeing the positive response from the children. She said: “I have really enjoyed seeing how much the children look forward to them each week. It’s been lovely to watch their confidence grow and to see how excited they are about the books they take home to share with their families.
“Working closely with parents and carers has also been really important in helping the children continue their learning beyond the classroom.”
Alongside the introduction of Early Talk Boost, the Early Years team has developed a series of intentional vocabulary and questioning posters to support high-quality language interactions across all areas of the curriculum.
These resources help practitioners model rich vocabulary, extend children’s responses and ask purposeful questions during play and learning.
The posters have been carefully designed to show clear progression from Nursery through to Reception, ensuring that vocabulary and questioning strategies build as children move through the Early Years.
This approach helps create consistency across the provision and ensures that opportunities to develop language are embedded throughout the day.
Together, these developments are helping to create a language-rich environment where children feel confident to communicate, explore ideas and take an active role in their learning.