Engaging Parents to support language development among children aged 0-6 years - ‘Happy Talk’

Sheila Dillon, Aoife Doyle, Siobhán Dowling and Jen Keogh.

‘Happy Talk’, Cork City Partnership Ltd.

Aim

To identify parental engagement strategies which contribute to children’s speech and language development in an area of low socio-economic status (SES).

MethodParent-focused early intervention programmes

support parent-child interactions and contribute to an increase in children’s vocabulary.¹²³ Coaching educators supports children’s language development.⁴⁵

A mosaic approach⁶ engaged parents to support their child’s language development including :

parent preparation sessions - training & practice

parent coaching in classroom & pre-schools

Elklan language development course for parents

Borrow-a-Book scheme to encourage shared reading and parent-staff communication.

Transition Flower - tool to facilitate information sharing as children move from Pre-school to Primary school.

community-developed posters and newsletters to promote key messages.

ConclusionSpeech and Language Therapists working in the community contribute to parents’ knowledge about how language develops, the importance of early intervention and language development strategies.

Coaching parents is an effective therapeutic approach which merits wider application.

Developing partnerships between settings and parents, providing concrete supports and communicating appropriately with parents contribute to children’s language development.

References¹Bassani, C. (2008); ²Ciccone, N., et al (2012); ³Robertsa &and Kaiser. (2012); ⁴Neuman, & Wright, (2010), ⁵Joyce, B. and Showers, B. (3e, 2002), ⁶Clark, A. & Moss, P. (2001).

Happy Talk is funded by:Happy Talk is supported by:

Tomar Trust

Parent coaching

part

Kathy Egan, Pre-school leader Glenfields Preschool with the book she illustrated for Happy Talk

Parents are the primary educators of the child and have a pre-eminent role in promoting his/her well-being, learning and development. - Síolta, The National Quality

Framework (2006)

ResultsOutcomes for children were measured using standardised assessments, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Pre-school 2ᵘᵏ and Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology.

The percentage of children with average speech and language scores improved:

from 39.6% to 56.3% (2011-12)

from 41.2% to 56.9% (2012-13

Outcomes for parents were measured through a review of parental engagement with crèche and pre-school book areas.

Pre-intervention, 27% of settings were involving parents in their Book Area.

Post-intervention, involvement had increased to 83%.

Introduction‘Happy Talk’ is a language development project which aims to improve the language skills of all children aged 0-6 years in the Glen/Mayfield areas of Cork city. It supports the capacity of parents and educators to enhance children’s language through a whole community, universal approach.

The project involves Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) coaching parents, ECCE staff and teachers in pre-schools and junior infant classrooms.

Poster displayed on local busesKathy Egan, Pre-school leader Glenfields Preschool with the book she illustrated for Happy Talk

Transition flower

Parent coaching: Jen Keogh (SLT) coaches Geraldine Amador with her daughter Aoife

Taylor with her parents Donna and Rob participating in a Happy Talk session at St Brendan’s Pre-school